After you’ve counted your blessings, and given thanks to God, do you go further? Do you seek to know better the One behind all of your blessings? On Thanksgiving Eve at our church, we looked at MICAH 7:18-20 — and were challenged to go beyond giving thanks….

18 Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. 20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old. (esv)

The prophet here speaks of God’s great forgiveness and salvation and goes on to seek to understand the God who does such things for sinners. He presses beyond praise and thanks, to look behind the curtain of kind providences, to seek to understand WHO this God is, and what He is like.

His first and fundament tool is a mind that asks questions: Who is a God that does such a thing…? We would do well to ask the same question as we ponder our blessings: Who is this God, and why has He done these gracious things in my life?

His second tool is a mind that meditates on what he discovers: this God did not act in anger towards me, but showed me His lavish love — why??

Friends, may we follow in Michah’s footsteps, and follow up our giving of thanks with giving much thought to WHO God is, WHAT He is like, and WHY He does such things.

— pdb