The Grumbler's Guide to Giving ThanksSample

Don’t Forget His Benefits

Sometimes we forget how good we have it. We fall for the “grass is greener somewhere else” lie. Or like children bored with their toys, apathy for God’s blessings sets in. Boredom with blessings sets in and we want more. 

This could be true of material or spiritual things. Gratitude for answered prayer fades. Spiritual lessons learned through God’s curriculum of truth and trials must be learned again. The gifts we have through Christ, the adoption as sons and daughters of the Father, and power through the Holy Spirit become old news.

To combat this, we must remember all God has done and all the benefits of life with him. Forgetfulness will happen unless we intentionally keep memories fresh. When your heart grows stale, go into the closet of your memory and pull out past examples of what God has done for you. Rinse and repeat until the pleasing aroma of gratitude replaces the stench of ingratitude.

David seeks to do this by taking a spiritual inventory for Israel. A retail-store employee might walk through each aisle, noting what’s on the shelf. In Psalm 103, David begins a series of Psalms taking stock of God’s love and faithfulness by strolling through Israel’s history. He reminds them what God has done for them and all they have in Him.

You and I need spiritual reminders. If we’re not careful, familiarity with biblical truths can lead to a calloused heart. The shine of God’s gifts wear out if we’re not regularly polishing them through refreshing our memories. For hearts that grow cold because they’re not warming themselves over the fires of gratitude, Psalm 103 supplies the oxygen to stoke the flames. Consider again who God is, what He’s done for you, and all that you have in Him. “Forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:2).

This psalm of praise bookends with the plea, “Bless the Lord, O my soul!” Read a phrase or verse from the psalm, consider where you’ve experienced this truth of God, and tell Him thank you. Don’t forget all the blessings and benefits we experience as God’s people. 

You can continue this seven-day Gratitude Reading Plan with the full thirty-day plan in the back of The Grumbler’s Guide to Giving Thanks: Reclaiming the Gifts of a Lost Spiritual Discipline.