"For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." (Rom. 11:36)

Everyone has a perspective on life and from that perspective we must thank and serve the Lord. When we raise our prayers to thank God for His wonderful blessings for body and soul, this is a verse that gives us a beautiful and God-centered outline. This is one of the simplest, and at the same time most profound, statements in Scripture. Let me suggest that you use this as an outline when you pray.

Of God are all things. There is nothing in your life that God has not ordained before the foundation of the world. This includes health or sickness, joys or sorrows. It includes our salvation through Jesus' blood. He brings all things to pass according to His perfect wisdom and for our good. "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!" (Rom. 11:33)

Thanksgiving must have an object-both in terms of our praise and in terms of our daily lives. Praise must be given to the Giver alone. Isaiah 46 teaches us, "Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure." (vv 9-10)

Every aspect of our salvation is "of God." He has the sovereign right to give it to whomever He chooses (Rom. 9:20, 21) Even Jonah from the belly of the fish had to confess this in his prayer to God, "But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD."

Through God are all things. His Fatherly hand reaches out to us to graciously provide all that we need for our body and soul. It is God's Holy Spirit who works faith in our hearts and applies the saving work of Christ to the hearts of His people. It is important to see this clearly, lest we boast in our own accomplishments. Rom. 11:34 and 35 warn us against second-guessing the plan of God, or to think that God is repaying us for our efforts. In the end, we are unprofitable servants, which can only mean that all the blessings we have are by the sovereign grace of God.

Everything we possess must be seen in Christ. Apart from Him we can do nothing (Jn. 15:15:5). This is true for things we already have as well as for things yet to come. Paul again assures us of this in Rom. 8:32, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"

The Bible tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but then we are also taught how this is possible: "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Phil. 2:13) Even our works are by the grace and power of God. "But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." (Jn. 3:21) True thanksgiving will always include one of Paul's common expressions, "yet not I, but the grace of God which is in me."

To God are all things. Think about it. Why do we have anything from God? It is for His glory, not for ours. This a concept that we seldom think about-that God gives us all things for His glory! He is a jealous God, demanding and deserving all the glory for Himself as the Creator of all and Redeemer of His people-"for you shall worship no other God, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (Ex. 34:14, cf. Deut. 4:24) It is true that God gives us things in life for our enjoyment, but, even those things must be employed to glorify and magnify God (I Cor. 6:20, 10:31).

God gives us our office and calling in Christ so that we may further the cause of His kingdom by declaring the Gospel of His Son. This is just the beginning. We must give the glory to God forever. That is what the saints are doing now, we will join them on day.

Everyone has a certain perspective on life and all it contains. The unbeliever lives and dies to himself. We live and die unto the Lord. Who is better to teach us this than God Himself? Follow His outline.

The believer is blessed to have a God-given, and God-centered perspective on all things. Everything is of God, through God, and to God. Let us never lose that perspective in life or death so that we may glorify the God of our salvation forever.