Trustful thanks. It doesn’t roll off the tongue easily. Maybe they meant something else; maybe thankful trust? But, no, it stuck in my mind as trustful thanks. And here’s where it led me….

First, there’s praise. Praise is the awe-inspired, reverent acknowledgement that God is, well, God. He is Creator and Sovereign Ruler. He has always been and will always be. The Triune Godhead is three in Person and one in nature. Praise has nothing to do with me and everything to do with God.

Then, there’s thanks. Thanks is an acknowledgement that God in all His deity and sovereignty rules over my life for His purpose and my good. He has created a beautiful planet for me to live on, replete with all I need to exist. And there are the everyday blessings of family, health, job…I could go on for hours. Thanks is what I give for all the blessings.

But what is trustful thanks? It means giving thanks to God for what He will do in the future. It’s giving thanks when I don’t feel like it. It’s giving thanks when I have no clue how He will answer my petition, but trusting that He will answer to His purpose and my benefit. It’s giving thanks in an information vacuum and trusting Him to work it out.

Trustful thanks is important to where I am right now. Example: This morning it took over an hour for me to read three chapters in the gospel of John and one Psalm. Not too long ago it might have taken 30 minutes. My vision seems to be getting worse. My eyes don’t work together, giving the sense of being cross-eyed when I'm reading printed text. In the near future I may have to read my Bible on the computer. Nothing wrong with that; I just love to hold the book in my hands. Scripture has always been alive to me, running up through my fingers and arms to settle itself in my heart and mind. Reading on the computer will take some getting used to. (And to my friend: No, I don’t worship the Bible, but I do worship the Author and anything He writes to me is very special.)

So, back to trustful thanks. I’m going to thank God in advance for the way He’s going to work in all this. And I’ll thank Him for all the friends and family who pray for me. And I’ll thank Him for Jesus Christ, Who went through so much more than I can ever imagine.

O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. Isaiah 25:1 (NASB)