Because Thank You Isn’t Enough

There’s a little sign that sits on the desk in my home office.

It says just one word, “Grateful.”

There’s not much to it really – I bought the little piece of wood at Hobby Lobby, and then simply painted it.

Artistic-wise, not much of a masterpiece, right?

But, the meaning of the word “grateful” for me is far more precious than I can describe.

I am so thankful to God for sending us His Son Jesus, and I’m so grateful for His work in me.

Looking back, I remembered I wrote a poem about gratitude to God several years ago.

Thank You isn't enough Through the good times and all of the challenges we face in this life, God has a purpose for them, even though we don’t always understand the “whys”.

Paul addressed the following verse to the Romans, but like all of Scripture, it carries God’s message through the generations.

God is Sovereign.

His character never changes.

Through our beginning as babies in the womb, through our end (and of course everything in between), God has a purpose for our lives and for our good.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28, (NASB).¹

For all that God has done for us, it seems that a simple thank you isn’t enough.

That’s why when I heard Tasha Layton’s song, “Thank You Isn’t Enough,” bells started going off.

Okay, I have to share this one!

It’s hard to pick a favorite verse in the song, but here’s mine:

Got a resurrection story
One I gotta tell
How Jesus changed my life
And I’m still overwhelmed – Song lyrics, “Thank You Isn’t Enough.”¹

What an amazing song to remind us of God’s faithfulness.

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²Song lyrics to “Thank You Isn’t Enough” featuring The Choir Room, courtesy of AZLyrics.com.

The Faithfulness of God

One of the best things I’ve heard in a long time was said to me by a dear friend recently.

She said, “If you’re wondering what God is doing, think about what He has done.”

That is so true!

When I take the time to reflect on my years past, I can see the fingerprints of God all over my life.

Challenges that seemed daunting at the time are now distant memories – part of the progression in my spiritual walk to make me stronger and more bold for Christ.

The faithfulness of God When your life goes off center, and it seems like there’s no end in sight, remember what God has already done.

You are not alone, and you never were.

Like a shining beacon in any storm, the faithfulness of God is our spiritual lifeline.

We can count on the fact that God is already there at the end of it – no matter what our circumstances.

When our hearts struggle with fear, discouragement, loneliness, pain, or grief, reminding ourselves of the constancy of God’s love can be a tremendously encouraging game-changer. If our faith falters, we must remember God’s immovable, undying, steadfast love. – gotquestions.org.¹

Great is the Faithfulness of God

As the Creator, God has the power to carry out His perfect plan for our lives and to accomplish His perfect purposes through our suffering. And as the faithful Creator, He can be counted on to do it. Therefore we can consciously entrust ourselves to His care with complete confidence, and hand the safekeeping of our lives over to Him, believing that He will do what is best. When we do that, we will have peace in the midst of adversity. – Richard L. Strauss, Author and Theologian.²

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¹Quotation from gotquestions.org., “What does it mean that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases (Lamentations 3:22)?” n.d., para. 4. Web. Accessed February 3, 2024. Retrieved from His love never ceases.

² Richard L. Strauss quotation is courtesy of bible.org. from “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, para. 37, May 18, 2004. Web. Accessed January 13, 2024. Retrieved from https://bible.org/seriespage/great-thy-faithfulness

Our Exceptional God