Reformed churches are fond of talking about the "already, not yet" nature of our Christian life. I have nothing against that and believe it's certainly a biblical and helpful concept for us to reflect on and remember as we face challenges every day. If we forget that some of the promises of God are on their way, and falsely believe they should be in our laps now, we are far more prone to disappointment and disillusionment with the kingdom of God.
One aspect I have reflected on recently is around the "already, not yet" nature of our gratitude. That we have not only things in our lives at this very moment that we can surely be thankful for, but that we can have future gratitude for the things that are on route to us now.
Today, we thank him for:
-the power to refuse sins invitation
-freedom from sin's penalty
-access to the person of the Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us, seal us, and empower us
-a local church where we belong and can be built up
We can also with full sincerity be thankful for those things coming to us in the future, such as:
-the final death of sin and its effects on this world including us
-the power to beat death like our big brother Jesus
-the remaking of the earth and heavens in even more spectacular beauty than what we see today
what comes to mind for you when you think about gods promises being fulfilled in the future? What do you have the most passion or excitement about? What would you want to thank him for some thing that is guaranteed to transpire and cannot be canceled or rerouted? Anything God sends, is a guaranteed delivery.