Giving Thanks With All Your HeartSample

Day Five — Jesus

He was God and didn’t have to give thanks for anything, but he often did. Jesus set a remarkable example for us in many ways, but one was in thanksgiving. He was a man who gave praise to the Father in so many ways.  

• He gave thanks as he was surrounded by thousands of hungry people and multiplied the food.  
• He gave thanks to God for hearing his prayer for the raising of Lazarus—before Lazarus rose from the grave.  
• He knew the cross was before him and gave thanks to the Father as he broke bread and drank the cup with the disciples.

We have a perfect example of righteous living from Jesus, and one thing he shows us is the position of praise and thanksgiving. What I find interesting is that all three of these instances were situations we might find tense. The pressure to feed thousands, raise a friend from the grave, and face death on a cross would be overwhelming for any of us. Jesus’ response was never to panic or run to people, but to turn to the Father.

How can you find that position of praise in your life today? What might you do to cultivate a natural response of thanksgiving not just this month, but at all times?