Psalm 98:1 — Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power!
There is just something about fall.
The days get shorter. The air gets cooler, and the leaves start to change.
Porch lights come on a little earlier, and suddenly everybody seems to have a pot of something warm on the stove.
And maybe that’s why I loved this particular evening so much.
My wife and I have a set of couple-friends who are pretty special to us. They’re the kind of friends who somehow knew both of us separately for more than a decade before Sarah and I ever started dating.
They actually introduced us.
Needless to say…
We love these people.
It had been a while since we’d all gotten together, so they invited us over for taco soup.
And if you’ve ever had really good cornbread with taco soup on a fall evening, you might already know where this story is going.
We sat around the house while it got dark outside.
We ate.
We laughed.
We talked about the highs and lows of life.
Their girls ran around the house and loved on our toddler.
And somewhere in the middle of all of it, I just felt grateful.
Not for one big thing.
For all of it.
Lately, I’ve been hearing Forrest Frank’s song THANKFUL, and it reminds me to notice the things I often overlook.
A roof over my head.
A bed to sleep in.
Food in the kitchen.
Good friends.
Even a big mess that I’m actually grateful to get to clean up.
It’s a reminder that sometimes we’re surrounded by blessings we’ve simply gotten used to seeing.
Sitting there with our friends, that’s all I could think about.
Soup on the stove.
Blankets on the couch.
Laughter in the next room.
People I love sitting across the table from me.
There was only one word for it.
Breathtaking.
And I think that’s one of the beautiful things about fall.
It gives us so many ordinary moments to notice.
And when we turn our attention toward God in those moments, something happens.
Gratitude starts to rise.
And before you know it, you’re singing your own song of praise.
Psalm 98 says, “Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds.”
Maybe your new song today doesn’t start with a melody.
Maybe it starts with noticing.
Look around.
Notice what God has given you.
Notice the people He has placed in your life.
Notice the ordinary blessings you’ve stopped seeing because they’ve become so familiar.
And then look up.
Because when you begin to recognize the goodness of God in the middle of an ordinary day, you may discover that you have more reasons to sing than you realized.
We really do have so much to be thankful for.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- What is one ordinary blessing in your life that you’ve become so accustomed to that you rarely stop to thank God for it?
- When was the last time you felt grateful “not for one big thing, but for all of it”? What made that moment special?
- Who are the people in your life who make ordinary moments feel extraordinary? Have you told them how thankful you are for them?
- What changes in your perspective when you intentionally look for God’s goodness in the small things?
- If you were going to write your own “new song” of gratitude to God today, what would you include?
QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY
What blessing have I gotten so used to seeing that I’ve forgotten to thank God for it
L Y R I C S
I’ve got so much to be thankful for
Look, I’ve got a roof and a bed
A couple groceries to stay fed
I’ve got a phone and clean water
And some shoes when I wanna go farther
Today, I’ve got so much to be thankful for (hey)
I woke up this morning thinking, “Thank You, Lord” (hey)
For giving me everything I could ever need and more
I’ve got so much to be thankful for (oh, yeah, run it back)
Ayy, I have lights and a fan
A couple people who know who I am (know)
I have a car and clean clothes
Pots and pans I can cook on the stove
I have the sun and air in my lungs
And a big mess that I get to clean up
But most of all, one thing’s true
Jesus, I’m grateful for You (you, You, ah)
Today I’ve got so much to be thankful for (thankful for)
I woke up this morning thinking, “Thank You, Lord” (thank You)
For giving me everything I could ever need and more (need and more)
I’ve got so much to be thankful for (ayy)
One more time
Today, I’ve got so much to be thankful for (thankful for)
I woke up this morning thinking, “Thank You, Lord” (thank You, Lord)
For giving me everything I could ever need and more
I’ve got so much to be thankful for
Oh, say it again, say it again
I’ve got so much to be thankful for
