In a word: THANKSGIVING. Our good and gracious heavenly Father delights in giving good gifts to His children. Just think of the countless blessings that come to us every day; every heart beat and breath of air and so much more! In return, God is pleased when His children return thanks. In Luke 17 we read of the time Jesus healed ten lepers. Jesus was pleased when one came back to say thank you. But then Jesus asked, Where are the other nine?

Gratitude is not natural to man. How many times have parents reminded their children to say "thank you"? Yet too often those same children forget. We forget because, being conceived in sin, by nature we are thankless. We receive all these blessings from God with little or no thought, surprisingly even taking for granted God's greater things of forgiveness and mercy. So what is God's solution? In a word: REPENTANCE. Only when God changes your heart will there ever be godly thanksgiving.

Therefore we understand that real thanksgiving is a work of the Holy Spirit. This kind of thanks is different from worldly thanks; different because it is uniquely given in view of the cross. And so even when things go bad God's people can pray and praise Him with thanksgiving. Here's a story to illustrate:

Question: What would happen if war, fever sickness, starvation, and bereavement came to your home at the same time? That's what happened back in 17th century Germany to a pastor by the name of Martin Rinkart. War (Thirty Year's War) sickness (cholera) and famine (common result of war) beset the town of Eilenberg. At the start there were four clergymen in Eilenberg, a village of about 8000. But in time 4500 residents, 3 clergymen (the only others beside Martin Rinkart) along with his beloved wife and most of his children were all dead; many of these were buried by Martin Rinkart. It was on one of those dark days that he wrote the following words:

That is GODLY THANKSGIVING! Only the Spirit can teach such thanksgiving; thanks that can be expressed, prayed, even sung in the midst of pain and life's struggle. May the Lord help us by His Spirit and Word to be His "Thanksgiving" people.