Who Do You Thank?

Who Do You Thank?

1 Chronicles 29:13 “Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name.

I have a friend named David in Maine who professes to be an atheist. He doesn’t believe God exists. Not only is he a nonbeliever, but he is also a militant nonbeliever. He openly argues with and fights against those who proclaim the glory of God. Despite all that, I still feel love for him as well as pity. I pray often that God will turn him around.

But there’s an interesting thing about David. He loves Thanksgiving Day. He loves gathering with his family and sharing in a Thanksgiving meal. He says he’s thankful. That’s led to some interesting conversations over the years.

My question for David is, “Who do you thank?” He usually answers by saying, “Well, I’m thankful for my wife, and friends, and family. I’m thankful for my job and my home and my belongings…for health and peace and…” I usually stop him at that point and say, “David, that’s what you’re thankful for. My question is, who do you thank for all that?” He responds by saying “I’m just thankful.”

Now David is academically and socially a very intelligent man, but I think he understands the idiocy of that answer. To be thankful automatically implies there is someone you are thanking. You see, even an atheist who professes there is no God is thankful for the common blessings God gives to everyone. Without knowing it, David’s thankfulness contradicts his atheism.

Scripture tells us all good gifts come down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). So if you’re thankful for good things, good people, good circumstances, good food…you’re praising the glorious name of God whether you know it or not. Without God, there is no Thanksgiving, because without God, we have no one to thank.

Have a God Filled Week.
And Happy Thanksgiving,
Brother Donnie