What does it mean to thank God?

What does it mean to thank God? We hear it all the time with Christians and non-Christians alike? All kind people say "I thank God" and yet they don't even believe in Him. Saying thanks to God (for many) is a meaningless thing to say. What does it really mean to thank the One who created all things, and who died for the sins of His people? Christians should be thanking God all the time for just having a loving and caring God. People who are not Christians should be thanking God that He has not sent them to hell forever (at this very moment). What does it really mean to thank God for something? Does it mean to just say “thanks,” like when someone gives you something? No, it is more than that and we need to have a right understanding of the word thanks. The word means to express gratitude for benefits or blessing to thank, thanksgiving, thankfulness. Of course we should thank people for things they do, but we should be more thankful to God and not people. As sinful people we should be on our knees thanking God all the time and showing Him gratitude for what He has done for us. We are so quick to thank God for the good things, but we need to thank God for the bad things too, for all things, even the bad things in our lives. Thanking God should always be on our lips and in our heart. A thankful heart is what we should want to have. We need to expand our understanding of how God is merciful. Thanking God that we all are not in hell right now. If we would understand that we would be thanking God all the time for what He has done for us. Psalms 7:17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High."