Ep. 82 | Give Thanks in Everything | Louder Than Words

Listen in as Trey Lee shares today’s daily devotional featuring the song "God I'm Just Grateful." Let’s be Formed by The Word together!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Music has a unique way of touching the heart. A song can bring back a memory, lift our spirits, comfort us in a difficult season, or help us express what words alone cannot. That's one reason music has always been an important part of worship. Through the songs we sing, we celebrate God's goodness, declare his truth, and remind ourselves of his faithfulness. Over the past several weeks, we've been formed by God's Word as we've journeyed through Genesis. Over the next two weeks, while Pastor Eddie is away on a mission trip, several leaders from the Orchard Community Church will guide us through a special formed by the Word series called Louder Than Words. Together we'll explore the scriptures, truths, and personal stories behind some of the worship songs that have shaped our faith and encouraged our walk with Christ. Our prayer is that these devotions will help you listen more carefully to the songs you sing and deepen your appreciation for the God those songs celebrate. So wherever you're listening today, lean in and open your heart. The God who spoke in the beginning is still speaking today. Let's listen together.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Not multitasking, not rushing, not moving on to the next thing, just stopping long enough to actually think. Thinking about his provision, his patience, his presence. And in that moment, you feel something very real. Gratitude. But then comes the struggle because what you feel feels bigger than what you can say. You've said thank you before, you've prayed before, but in that moment, it feels like those words don't quite carry the weight of what you're trying to say in your heart. And maybe it's not just that your words feel small, maybe it's that you've run out of ways to say it. You know, God has always been faithful. You know he's come through, you know he's sustained you. But expressing that in a way that feels fresh or meaningful or even honest can be harder than we expect. That's why this song has stuck with me so much recently. It's been on repeat in our house, and interestingly enough, it's not the song gratitude, but it answers the exact question Brandon Lake asks. How can I express all of my gratitude? And the answer is simple, almost insanely simple. God, I'm just grateful for you. And that's the song. The more I sit with that, the more I realize how powerful that simplicity is, because we often think we need something new to say, but sometimes the deepest truths are not new. They're just true, and they need to be said again. When you step back and look at this song without the music, it reads very much like a psalm. It's not complicated, it's not overly structured, it's honest, it's centered on God, and it flows out of lived experience. There was no way until you made one. Grace upon grace, hallelujah. Even though I don't deserve it, you did it. Even though I couldn't earn it, you give it. Who am I that you keep me on your mind? God, I'm just grateful for you. God, I'm just grateful for you. All my life, you've been right here by my side. God, I'm just grateful for you. Those words are simple, but they carry deep theology. Even though I don't deserve it, even though I couldn't earn it. That's the foundation of the gospel. Ephesians 2, 8 and 9 remind us for you are saved by grace through faith, and it is not from yourselves. It is God's gift, not from works, so that no one can boast. Everything about our relationship with God starts here. Not with what we did, not with what we earned, not with what we achieved, but with what God did on our behalf. And this is important. Gratitude only makes sense in a world of grace. If everything you had, you earned, then you wouldn't be grateful. You'd be entitled. But because everything is a gift, gratitude becomes the right response. Think about that for a moment. Your salvation, your breath, your opportunities, your relationships, the fact that you woke up today, none of those things are secured on your own. They're a gift given to you. Given by a God who didn't owe you anything, by a God who chose to love you anyway, given by a God who continues to sustain you. And this idea comes into full focus in the bridge of the song. And I am lifting both of my hands. You gave me chance after chance after chance. I am giving all that I am because you gave me chance after chance after chance. That phrase chance after chance after chance is one of the most honest summaries of the Christian life. Because if we're honest, our story is not one of perfect faithfulness. It is a story of repeated grace, a story of failure met with mercy, of wandering met with pursuit, of weakness met with strength. Lamentations 3, 22 and 23 say, Because of the Lord's faithful love, we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning, not eventually renewed, not occasionally refreshed, but new every single morning. Which means yesterday's failures did not exhaust God's mercy. Last week's struggles did not drain his grace. Your worst moments did not push him away. So when the song says, I'm lifting my hands, that's not just emotional expression. That is a response rooted in theology. Romans 12 1 says, Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. This is your true worship. Worship is always a response. God moves, we respond. First, God moves. Second, we respond. Listen to this again. Who am I that you keep me on your mind? That echoes Psalm 8.4. What is mankind that you are mindful of them? This is not a question of insecurity, a question of doubt. It's a question of astonishment. It's the realization that God, who created everything, still chose to care about you. He sees you, he knows your situation, he understands your struggles, you are not lost in the crowd, you are not overlooked, and you are not forgotten. Even when you feel unseen, he sees you. Even when you feel distant, he's near. Even when you feel forgotten, you're remembered by him. Now bring this into prayer because if we're honest, prayer can feel very difficult. Sometimes it feels repetitive, sometimes distracted, other times it feels really dry. But prayer is not about impressing God, it's about aligning your heart with him. First Thessalonians 5 18 says, Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus, not for everything. It doesn't say give thanks for everything. It says give thanks in everything. That means gratitude is not conditional. No gratitude is rooted in something much deeper. We give thanks for these reasons, because God is sovereign, he's in control even when life feels chaotic. Because God is good, his character does not change, because God is present, he is with us in every moment, and because God is faithful, he finishes what he starts. Romans 8 28 reminds us that God is working all things together for good, not some things, not the easy things, all things. Psalm 107 1 says, Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his faithful love endures forever. And there's the anchor of gratitude, God's character, not our circumstance, not our emotion, not our understanding. How about this? Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Before we ask for provision, we recognize who he is. Before we ask for help, we remember his gratefulness. Gratitude puts things in order. I will thank the Lord with all my heart. I will declare all your wondrous works. Gratitude is fueled by remembrance, and scripture constantly tells us to remember. Because when we forget, we drift. Hear that again, because when we forget what God has done for us, we drift. We begin to focus on what we lack instead of what we received. So here's what I need you to hear from me. Gratitude grows where remembrance is practiced. Hear that again. Gratitude grows where remembrance is practiced. So take a moment and think about this. Maybe get a pen and jot this down, hit pause for just a second. I have three questions for you. What has God done for you recently? Here's the second question. What prayer has he answered? And finally, what situation has he brought you through? If you're in a hard season right now, this might feel difficult. And that's okay. Gratitude doesn't deny difficulty, it just reorients our focus within it. So start small. Thank him for today. Thank him for waking you up. Thank him for his presence in your life. Spiritual maturity is not just learning more, it can be measured and remembering better, remembering what God has done for you. So as you listen to this song, don't just hear it, let it shape you, let it guide your heart and turn it into prayer. A simple one, an honest one, give thanks in everything, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. I will thank the Lord for all of my heart. Those three statements from various scriptures. So let gratitude be your response, not because life is perfect, but because God's character is constant, his mercy is new every day, and his faithfulness remains because you've been given chance after chance after chance. Hope you were able to enjoy this and look forward to hearing all the songs that are coming.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

Thanks for joining us today. We are so glad that you chose to spend a few moments with us in God's Word. If this episode has encouraged you, we ask that you leave us a review or maybe share this episode with a friend. Also, would you consider sending us a note to let us know what God is doing in your life? Pastor Eddie would love to hear from you. You can find this email in the show notes. Until next time, stay in the scriptures, keep following Christ, and allow your life to be formed by the Word.