The Giver is Sweeter

How easy it is to cry out for the Lord in times of hardship—when our heads rest on our pillows, heavy with anxieties and unanswered questions, burdening our shoulders more than they did the day before. In the valley, our need for God is undeniable. We see our sorrows, our lack, and we instinctively turn to the Father of joy and abundance, for the contrast between our struggles and His sufficiency is as clear as night and day.

But how sweet it must be to the Lord when we offer Him not only our trials, our tribulations, and our fears—but also our joy. When we bring before Him not just our brokenness but our fullness. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). Yet how often do we forget the Giver once the gifts are in our hands?

I recently got engaged, and like anyone in that moment, I was overwhelmed with joy and love—for my fiancé and for the beauty of the day itself. Everything felt perfect, like a fairytale come to life, as if the pages of a princess book had unfolded before me. But as I laid my head down that night, still wrapped in the sweetness of it all, I realized I hadn’t stopped to thank the One who gave it to me.

I have prayed countless prayers for my future husband—before I even knew his name. I prayed for our future, for his family, for a relationship rooted in holiness and honoring to the Lord. In seasons of waiting, in moments of loneliness, I poured out my heart before God. And I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears (Psalm 34:4). He was the One who saw it fit, in His perfect timing, to bring this season into my life. He heard my prayers and, as the God of immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20), He answered them in ways beyond my comprehension.

And yet, how quickly gratitude can be swept away in the abundance of blessing. How easily we can receive from God’s hand and forget to turn back in thanksgiving, like the nine lepers who were healed but never returned (Luke 17:11-19). But the Lord desires not just our cries for help—He delights in our praises, in hearts that remember Him not only in need but in joy. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever (Psalm 107:1).

May we be children of God who kneel just as often in gratitude as we do in desperation. May we not merely seek Him in the valley but praise Him on the mountaintop. And may our hearts always remember: the gift is sweet, but the Giver is sweeter.