“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (I Thessalonians 5:18 NLT)
Listening to the local gospel radio station Thursday morning, one artist verbalized the following tip before he started singing his composition. The tip: “Thank Him for what didn’t happen.” The tip affected me, and the way it affected me, well, it was too good to keep it to myself.
You see, the artist’s tip caused me to reflect on the days that have passed by this week, days on which I did not thank the Lord for what didn’t happen. Oh, I thanked Him for multiple things that had materialize, and for the many good things that happened. In prayer, I did mention the many blessings that were manifested during the week and magnified the Lord, offering those type of thanks where you eventually stop and say, “I just can’t thank Him enough!’ I praise the Lord, the source from which all my blessing flowed from, and I did praise, joining I’m sure the multitude that responded to the charge, “Let everything that had breath praise the Lord.” I expressed gratitude for many other things in my daily prayers. But motivated by the tip, I had to reflect, really focus, and re-examine my doings, asking myself, “Did I thank God for what didn’t happen?” I answered myself with a revealing response. I did not thank Him for the fact that those major tragedies that I never would expect to happen, did not happen. I did not thank Him for the fact that there were not any unwelcomed news messages of happenings on my incoming email. That did not happen, but I did not thank the Lord for that either. I did not receive any calls from the police station where my children were using their guaranteed one phone call. That’s great, but once again, I did not thank God for what didn’t happen. I didn’t thank Him for not being assaulted or even approached by one single person with bad intent. I thanked the Lord for the food we were about to receive for the nourishment of our bodies at each meal, but I didn’t thank Him for the fact that no one got food poisoning because of a fault of the manufacturer or distributor of the food. Nor did I thank Him that no one got ill from my experimenting with new spices as I prepared meals. Yes, I thanked Him like the generations before me use to say, “Thank you for my bed not being my cooling board,” but there us so much that could go on my list of things I did not thank Him for what didn’t happen.
As I said above, the artist’s tip was too good to keep to myself. So, this Saturday morning, I am presenting you with the challenge to find a quiet place and thank the Lord for what didn’t happen this week. Your thanksgiving and praise will reach new heights, requiring a longer time for you to devote to prayer. You will get up rejoicing, rejuvenated, and revived by the recognition of the ways that the Lord looks out for you in ways you had never considered before. Oh, thank Him some more when you get to church tomorrow, Sunday, the Lord’s Day. Be blessed!
“Had it not been the Lord who was on our side…” (Psalm 124:1a NASB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King