Give Thanks: A 3-Day DevotionalПримерок

Thankfulness as our Pathway – Grateful as the way

The point of a pathway is to take us somewhere. When we stand and see from a thankful posture and perspective, we realise thankfulness is also a pathway. It is one of the best pathways to journey toward joy and peace, toward faith and hope, and towards God Himself.

The Thank Offering in the book of Leviticus, is called in Hebrew a korban toda; literally an offering of thanks. Interestingly the Hebrew word korban has within its meaning, the idea of drawing near or being brought close. Thanksgiving is one way we draw near to God. We enter His gates with thanksgiving. As we are more and more thankful, we are naturally drawn closer and closer to the Source of all things good. Gratitude is the pathway to The Way Himself!

Paul encourages us that rejoicing, and giving thanks are an important part of our prayers. Maybe he knew that the more thankful we are the more faith filled our prayers would be. The more we offer thanks, the more we are filled with hope and joy, even before we see any outcomes. As we focus, on His faithfulness, we cannot help but be thankful, filling both our hearts and prayers with faith. With our prayers and petitions permeated with thanksgiving the requests we bring to God are faith-filled and hope-filled. As the song “Give Thanks” says, He is “always able, in all things faithful… So [we] say thank you Lord.”

Psychology too now teaches us that there is a direct correlation between gratitude and joy, and that those who live with a posture and perspective of gratitude tend to live longer! Thankfulness truly is the pathway to life!

The Thank Offering is also called a Peace offering in the Scriptures. There is a biblical link between giving thanks and peace, or shalom. As we offer, or draw near with thanks, as we bring our sacrifice of praise, even amidst trouble or turmoil, we have a pathway to peace. We have a pathway to shalom, to wholeness, even in our brokenness. Giving thanks leads us to peace, within ourselves, within our circumstances and even within our relationships. It is a pathway to both rest and restoration.

Theologians, psychologists, and those of us simply on the path can all agree that those with the most grateful hearts are those with the most peaceful souls. A posture and perspective of thankfulness is not a one-time practice. It’s a pathway that we travel that changes us on The Way.

Maybe today when you pray, spend some time thanking God, even as you’re praying about the hard things. Try thanking God first and seeing Him as He is, bigger and more able than any mountain or giant we are facing. Perhaps there is a person in our lives that we could give thanks for or extend thanks to, making a pathway to joy… or even a pathway to peace.

Thanks is the gift that keeps on giving.