"True thanksgiving emphasizes the Giver rather than the gifts."Today's Scripture Reading:
1 Chronicles 16:7-14
Today's Word:
Oh, give thanks to the Lord! —1 Chronicles 16:8
For some, being thankful means simply living with a sense of gratitude—taking time to recognize and focus on the things we have, instead of the things we wish we had. The Bible takes the idea of thankfulness to a deeper level. The act of giving thanks causes us to recognize the One who provides our blessings (James 1:17). [quoted from ODB]
The today's scripture reading shows how David gives praise/thanks to the Lord. It starts with him appointing his associated to give praise to the Lord in that manner. That is to emphasize His greatness, kindness, mercy, grace, and all the words that David can find to describe the goodness of our Lord God. Well God indeed and His goodness can't just be described with any word we can have in the dictionary. Even our mere words are not enough to describe His greatness. But we do whatever we can to give thanks any way.
One of the things we can do for God to express our deepest gratitude would not just by talking, but also with doing. We can proclaim and share His greatness to other people by sharing and showing them how good He is.
Today we can be truly thankful by worshiping the Giver instead of the gifts we enjoy. Focusing on the good things in our lives may benefit our bodies, but directing our thanks to God benefits our souls.
"Gratitude is our natural response to God’s grace.
Nothing so takes the heart out of a person as ingratitude.
Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues,
but the parent of all the others. —Cicero