On a recent flight as I had a couple of hours to ask the Lord to share His heart, He gave me a clear vision about giving thanks for the God given promise yet to be delivered. I saw a group of people in a house and they were in high praise and thanksgiving. I was struck by how exuberant they were in their thanksgiving. Periodically they would go to the door of the house and check if a parcel delivery had arrived. I noticed they were not discouraged if a parcel had not arrived. They just went back to praising, worshiping and rejoicing as they knew the time would come when their parcel would be delivered. At times when they opened the door, a delivery man was standing at the door ready to hand them a parcel. Sometimes the parcel was for an individual in the house and sometimes it was for the whole group. Each time, the parcel was labelled with the name of who it was for and the item inside. I noticed that the parcel was always labelled with ‘promise’ as the item inside the parcel. The person who opened the door asked the delivery man if they needed to sign for the parcel but the man said, “You have already signed to receive the parcel. It is just that it is now being delivered.”

 

This group was in tune with the Spirit of God and had been listening to His word and voice. God had given them promises, individually and corporately, and they were united in their praise and thanksgiving. They sought things above and set their minds on things above (Colossians 3:1-2). They had heavenly perspective. They were giving thanks for receiving the promise, before it had been delivered in the natural, as they knew the promise would be delivered and they trusted in God’s timing.

 

The Lord showed me that these people had already received the promise in the spirit and so they had a confidence the promise would be delivered. What they didn’t see was more real to them than what they did see as they saw the promise in the spirit and that was more real to them than their surroundings. They were able to give thanks before the promise was delivered as they knew ‘all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us’ (2 Corinthians 1:20).

 

There are many scriptures that call us to give thanks. Psalm 100:4 says ‘Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tell us ‘Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’ Thanksgiving turns our eyes away from our situations and ourselves to the Lord that we might focus on Him and His sovereignty. Thanksgiving reminds us of the bigger picture, that we belong to God and have been given every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Thanksgiving helps us to see life through the perspective of God’s promises, plan and purposes. Thanksgiving not only praises God in the moment but remembers God’s past faithfulness. In Hebrews 10:23 we read that we are to continue to hold firmly to the hope that we confess without wavering, for the one who made the promise is faithful. Giving thanks before the promise is delivered is a statement of knowledge of God’s character, His faithfulness to see the promises come to pass and the fact He is in control of all things.

 

I believe the Lord is encouraging you individually and collectively to give thanks for the God given promise you have received that has yet to be delivered. The promise is coming and will be delivered in His perfect timing.