Unspeakable

“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” 2 Corinthians 9:15

In this time of year, we celebrate a holiday called “Thanksgiving.” Everyone stops to be thankful. Just one day a year. How hard can that be? Everyone should be able to be thankful one day a year. How about every day of the year?

We are encouraged so much in God’s Word to be thankful, and we have so much to be thankful for. It is not my intention to write down here every little thing that I find in God’s Word to be thankful about, but I think it is safe to say that we cannot hardly read any passage without learning about something that God has, is or will do for us for which we should be thankful.

The thing that we need to remember, is that we need to and can be thankful every single day. Our attitude of gratitude is not conditional on the circumstances of the day or the  moment, or on our feelings. Our gratitude is brought forth by a complete understanding of who God is, and His relationship to us.

We are God’s creation, and as such, He has complete Sovereignty over us. As a fallen creation we deserved to be eternally expelled from God’s presence, but in His grace and mercy, He sent His Son to reconcile us. This alone should exact eternal gratitude from our heart. How ridiculous man is to think that maybe God owes him something.

The culture in which we live tries to get us to think this way. I am owed something. How foolish. Not only are we not owed anything we don’t even deserve anything, and yet, God sent His only Son to provide us everything. How sad that many of God’s precious people do not understand this truth.

“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” Colossians 2:13-14.

Nothing in this world should be able to bring us to the place where we cease to be grateful for this. He took everything that was keeping us from Him out of our way, and forgave us ALL trespasses. David tells us that we are extremely happy if we know that our sins have been forgiven.

God’s gift is “unspeakable.” We will never be able to express complete gratitude for His gift of His Son. In this season where we think about thankfulness, and about giving and receiving gifts, let us first consider God’s gift and express our gratitude every day.

Gordon Crook