Thankfulness

I absolutely love Milton Vincent's small, yet fully loaded book of gospel truths: A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God's Love. Back when I first started reading it, I had printed it out from Vincent's church website to use. Then eventually I got the spiral bound book that was available to buy. Recently, it was published as a larger (more gospel truths!) book and I was excited to purchase it. The expanded edition, although still less than 100 pages is a wonderful supplement to my daily devotions and I highly recommend it if you don't already own it!

Today I was reading this portion on thankfulness ...

Thankfulness Enriched by Relief
The more absorbed I am in the gospel, the more grateful I become in the midst of my circumstances, whatever they may be.
Viewing life's blessings as water in a drinking cup, I know that I could discontentedly focus on the half of the cup that seems empty, or I could gratefully focus on the half that is full. Certainly, the latter approach is the better of the two, yet the gospel cultivates within me a richer gratitude than this.
The gospel reminds me first that what I actually deserve from God is a full cup churning with the torments of His wrath. This is the cup that would be mine to drink if I were given what I deserve each day. With this understanding in mind, I see that to be handed a completely empty cup from God would be cause enough for infinite gratitude. If there were merely the tiniest drop of blessing contained in that otherwise empty cup, I should be blown away by the unbelievable kindness of God toward me.
That God, in fact, has given me a cup that is full of "every spiritual blessing in Christ," and this without the slightest admixture of wrath, leaves me truly dumbfounded with inexpressible joy. As for my specific earthly circumstances of plenty or want, I can see them always as infinite improvements on the hell I deserve.
When I look at any circumstance that God apportions me, I am first grateful for the wrath I am not receiving in that moment (the empty part of the cup never looked so good!).
Secondly, I am grateful for the blessings that are given to me instead of His wrath. (Life's blessings, however small, always appear exceedingly precious when viewed against the backdrop of the wrath I deserve.) This two-layered gratitude disposes my heart to give thanks in all things and it also lends a certain intensity to my giving of thanks. Such a gospel-generated gratitude glorifies God, contributes to peace of mind, and keeps my foot from the path of foolishness and ruin.
M. Vincent - A Gospel Primer

I pray that I would daily remember the cup that I have been given, and that whatever my circumstances are, I would give thanks in all things!