Eternal Thanksgiving

“Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 7:12).

For all eternity, thanksgiving will be due to our God. There will never be a time when thanksgiving to God becomes obsolete. There will never be a place when thanksgiving to God will be inappropriate, or insignificant, or unwelcome, or un-called-for. There will never be a person in whose presence thanksgiving to God will be upstaging, or undiscerning, or offensive. Thanksgiving is due to our God forever and ever! The thanksgiving that is above and beyond all other thanksgivings is rightly and fully ascribed to Him!

Two lessons flow from this passage. First, whenever thanks is due to anyone, it is due even more to God. Let this be a reminder. James wrote: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father” (James 1:17). The Apostle Paul asked: “What hast thou that thou didst not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). Answer: Nothing. John the Baptist added: “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven” (John 3:27). Thanksgiving be to our God for ever and ever!

Second, the thanks we offer to God will continue for all eternity. So, cultivating a heart of thanksgiving here and now is one of the best ways to prepare for eternity. We’re setting our hearts in line with heaven. We’re fixing our vision on eternity in the presence of God, and of the Lamb. We’re pressing ourselves in the direction of finding satisfying soul-relief, taking the most direct route toward that destination.

Let’s become a people who so enter in to the fullness of our salvation that it actually shows itself among us in many thanksgivings to God (2 Corinthians 9:12). Who knows how many discouragements that will deliver us from—how many tears it will wipe away even on this side of heaven? And let’s press on knowing that we’re engaging in an eternal activity as we cultivate thankful hearts.

—Dr. L. Daryle Worley, adapted