Fall has arrived and with it the usual seasonal decorations designed to spark sales in stores. Christmas trees at Costco and skeleton statues at Lowe's are the first things to greet your gaze as you enter. Conspicuously absent from the décor is anything having to do with Thanksgiving. The commercial world makes the jump from black-and-orange to red-and-green with light speed. However, for children of grace, expressing thanks to God should not be overlooked; it should be as natural as breathing and an unceasing habit of the heart.

As we enter the last quarter of the year, let us purposely keep the fire of gratitude burning on the altar of our hearts. Here’s a way of thinking about praise that hopefully will aid you in that quest. Think of praise in three dimensions:

1) Consider first how the past fuels our praise. The faith of the believer rests upon historical events recorded for us in God’s Word, e.g., creation, the flood, the exodus, Jesus’ death and resurrection. We accept these as true and rejoice in the glorious power and grace of our God.

In terms of your own life, the path that led to Jesus was superintended by sovereign grace. The Holy Spirit was working through the experiences and relationships of your life to bring you to a place of faith and surrender to God.

2) Faith not only believes what the Lord has done in the past, but also recognizes his grace in the present. Such an awareness creates humility in the heart as we come to see our complete dependence on the Lord. Thanksgiving will spring from the soil of this humility as we remember how God is constantly keeping, guiding, comforting, assuring, and providing for us.

Therefore, it is important to make the offering of thanks to our heavenly Father a part of our daily prayer time. Bernard of Clairvaux called it a “perfume compounded of the remembered benefits of God.” In Hebrews 13:15, we are instructed to “offer a sacrifice to God continually.” Let that sweet-smelling aroma ascend to heaven on a daily basis.

3) Finally, faith looks forward to all that God has prepared for those who love him. The Apostle Peter penned that “we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13 NLT) Indeed, there is a dimension of praise that offers thanks for things not yet received or realized, a disposition of the heart that embraces heavenly realities. Such is what Anna Waring had in mind when she wrote:

I have a heritage of joy that yet I must not see;

The hand that bled to make it mine is keeping it for me.

The eyes of the grateful heart look increasingly from the past and the present to the future. Perhaps as we contemplate the glorious things God has in store for us, the less the stress of the coming holidays will hold sway over us. And if you're in the area on November 23, I encourage you to join us at Faith Family Church for our Thanksgiving Eve service to proclaim your gratitude.