Thank Him In Advance

In November we set aside a day to give thanks for all God has done for us, yet we know that one day or one week is not enough time to show our gratitude for all that He has given us. Considering the many blessings that we enjoy from our Heavenly Father, we ought to take an example from Jesus in this passage above. We ought to thank Him, not only for what He has done already, but for the hope we have for what He will do in the future. The setting for this passage of scripture is the grave of Lazarus who had been dead for four days. Jesus is sad to the point of weeping first, possibly at the loss of his dear friend, but more so because of the people’s lack of faith. Still, Jesus the man does not ask, “ Father will you give life back to my friend.” Jesus thanks the Father for answering a prayer that he didn’t even utter. He goes on to say he knows that God always hears him. Isn’t that the essence of faith? Do we pray expecting that the Lord already has an answer? Do we recognize when He provides something that we didn’t even know we needed? Or are we so preoccupied with what we want or what we “must do” that we forget to give thanks altogether. Let’s go about our busy lives with an attitude of faith thanking our Father in advance for hearing and answering our prayers even before we ask them. Let’s thank Him for his mere presence in our lives and in the lives of those we love. Walking daily with an attitude of gratitude provides a living witness to others, thereby bringing glory to our God. So, let’s give him the glory that He deserves and thank him for what He has already done, for what He is doing right now and in advance for all the blessings to come.