Dayenu and Thank You - by Mike Buchanan

There’s a word in the Hebrew language called dayenu. Roughly translated, it means it had been enough. I understand sometimes it’s translated in the Bible as enough for one particular day. I first became aware of it in a Joel Rosenberg series of books about 15 or 16 years ago. The essence of the use is to thank God for what He provides every day. The thought being, to my way of thinking, is He gives what He knows we need when He knows we need it. I think that the Hebrew phrase dayenu and our English thank you should be closely linked.

Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (KJV), says, “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I think it might be worth noting, Paul says “in everything”, but not necessarily for everything. Although I think there are some things that might seem bad at the time, but that people may thank God for, that we might find strange.

I’m reminded of the Ten Boom sisters in a Nazi concentration camp. Corrie’s sister, Betsie, was able to thank God for the fleas, much to her sister’s utter shock. Betsie’s reasoning was that with the fleas being there, the guards didn’t want to come in; therefore, the women could pray with each other.

Maybe you were once in a relationship that you thought was the right one, and it ended sooner than you liked. Now you’re with the one the Lord meant for you, but you realize the only way it could have happened was for the other relationship to have ended. Before my wife and I met, I was in a relationship that I thought was “the one”, but I eventually realized it wasn’t. Three months before I met my wife, someone told me God was going to send a woman to me who would be immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine. They were right.

Perhaps, you’ve been dealt a devastating physical handicap, like Joni Eareckson Tada. She suffered fractured vertebrae which left her a quadriplegic. She was able to adapt and become an incredibly talented painter. Moreover, she’s also started a ministry for others who fight limitations in their bodies.

These are just a few examples of dayenu. However, as you can see, God can use any situation for His Glory. He can give you reasons to be thankful. Maybe today, you don’t feel thankful. Let that be okay. David wrote most of the Psalms. Some of them are beautiful songs of worship. Some of them, well, they were different. They were cries of deep depression and despair. Your Father, God, knows how you feel, and He wants you to tell Him. Focus on the fact you had reasons to be thankful in the past, and realize you have reasons now even if you don’t see them and you will see more again in the future. Dayenu and thank you.

The key is to remember we need to look unto Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith. From our human standpoint, we’re in the middle of our autobiography. From Christ’s standpoint, He’s finished the biography, and He knows how it turns out. He knows all the things we will have to thank Him for when we see Him. Will we recognize those things now? I hope we do.

Look at it this way. God didn’t need any of us, but He created mankind. Dayenu and thank you. We sinned, that is, we disobeyed the only rule He had for us at that point, and He still didn’t destroy the only two humans at that time. Dayenu and thank you. Centuries later, all man could do was think of evil. God saved Noah’s family and then He started mankind over. Dayenu and thank you.

Centuries later again, after more of mankind’s failure, God sent His Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life for us, yet He died for our sins. Dayenu and thank you. He then rose from the dead so we could have eternal life in heaven. DAYENU AND A BIG THANK YOU.

I know life isn’t easy. Jesus said we would have great difficulty, but He said to take heart, for He had overcome the world (see John 16:33). We have so much to thank Him for already. Dayenu. Any of the things Jesus has done on a daily basis would have been enough. Dayenu. Thank Him for what He’s done and thank Him for what He’s going to do in your life in the future.

If you’re reading this, and you haven’t had that first moment of thanking Him for dying for your sins, salvation, now could be the time for you. First, ask Him to forgive you for the things you’ve done that are wrong. Then, ask Him to be the Lord (the ruler) of your life. And then tell Him you want His Help to live the rest of your life for Him. It’s that simple. You are saved. If you do that, let someone else know. Find a church so they can help you grow in your new journey with Christ. Peace.

Mike Buchanan is a Christian writer and the author of the book Mountains of Hope Surrounding the Valley of Cancer. He uses his writing talents to further Jesus’ Gospel.