The psalmist David wrote a whole lot about praising the Lord God.

Going through the Psalms, you can easily pick up on the idea that he practiced it on a regular basis. He made this fact more plain in Psalms 30:1, where he says, “Lord my God, I will praise you forever.”

For many, it seems we have to be reminded that we need to be thankful; we have a holiday on the calendar that is called “Thanksgiving.” There is nothing wrong with this as long as our giving of thanks is not limited to special occasions only.

It seems like we are programmed for this kind of behavior. Our reaction seems to be spontaneous in all areas of life. When a tragedy occurs, then people respond with prayers and gifts, but why isn’t this a regular part of our lives?

I was listening to the news the other day concerning the terrorist attacks in France. People from all around the world are responding, offering gifts and services, but where is the response to all the huge needs around the world that are present every day, even in our own neighborhoods?

In the area of thanksgiving, we tend to praise the Lord and give thanks when something good happens to us, not realizing that there are many things to give thanks for each and every day.

There are things that we forget about and overlook — things like the good health we have, the food, clothing and shelter we have provided for us, the heating and air in our homes and cars and the positive relationships in our lives. Then as Christians, there is peace we have inside us that comes with a relationship with Jesus Christ and being able to fulfill our God-given purpose and, of course, eternal life that has been promised to every believer.

I have a suggestion for you: Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle of it. Then write on one side all of your problems and on the other side all of the things you can be thankful for. There is a good chance that your blessings will outnumber your problems every time. As a follower of Christ, I know that this is true.

Another thing to be thankful for is that we live in a country where there is a freedom to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and the ability to worship freely.