Giving Thanks

By Hannah Bolden

“David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, ‘Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.’”—1 Chronicles 29:10–13 (NIV)

Have you ever received an unexpected gift that was exactly what you needed? Maybe you spent weeks, or even years, praying and were unsure if it would come. Then it appears, and it's exactly what you needed. In those moments, the gratitude you may feel is so overwhelming that no words can capture how wonderful it is. This is how David is feeling in this passage of Scripture.

After spending many years working to build a temple for the Lord, David is witnessing Israel’s powerful leaders offer their resources to the Lord. David is overwhelmed by this generosity. What makes this passage especially beautiful is how David directs his praise to the one who deserves all the credit: God.

All good things come from the Lord, and David states this beautifully. “Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.” Those wonderful moments, where you have exactly what you need, are from the Lord. However, many often fail at recognizing God's work. Some, including me, give in to the idea that we’re owed the good things in life. But that’s not the truth. Though you may work hard and can recognize your efforts, the Lord is ultimately where the power and strength you need to achieve these things comes from.

When good things happen, we should direct our praise to the One who truly deserves it: our heavenly Father. He is the author of life, and He ultimately orchestrates all that happens to us. When those glorious moments happen, we should praise God the way David does in this passage. David doesn’t give a simple ‘thank you’ to the Lord. He doesn’t sing one little song privately and go about his day. No, he stands in front of a whole assembly of people and shouts for joy and praise. He shouts words like greatness, majesty, and splendor—all words that barely begin to describe our Lord's goodness. David doesn’t try to play it cool or subtle; he boasts to the Lord for all His goodness.

We live in a culture that often equates good things happening with hard work. Hard work is necessary, but we know that it’s so much more than that. We know it’s God who sets the path and puts the pieces in motion for these good things to happen. When you recognize this, take a moment to pause and give praise to Him—regardless of who’s watching. God is also watching, and He sees and honors all who recognize His goodness.

Pause: Reflect on the good things in your life right now. Did those things come from you or the Lord?

Practice: Sometimes it can be difficult to adopt an attitude of gratitude. But when we take time out of our day, even as little as five minutes, to dwell on what we’re thankful for, we’ll begin to recognize God’s goodness more than ever. So, start with five minutes. Think about the things you’re grateful for and praise your heavenly Father.

Pray: Father, thank You for all You’ve done for me. I’ve done nothing to deserve Your goodness, but Your splendor and power have blessed me anyway. I’m not ashamed of my gratitude to You, and I recognize how You’ve brought this forth. I pray I never forget to honor You and give You the praise You deserve. Amen.