I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forever (Ps 86:12).
A while back when I signed into my ISP account, one of the headlines caught my attention. It read, “Even When Nothing's Wrong, We Just Aren't Happy.” I have found over the years that one of the best ways to get out of the occasional “sad blue funk” is to find something, even something small, for which to be thankful. It can be a nice sunny day, or the fact it didn’t rain when I had to drive to Brea, or that my son got home safely from a night out with his friends.
The Scriptures are rife with exhortations to thankfulness. I believe that’s no accident. It’s amazing what a little gratitude can do for you, and for everyone else around you! I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t appreciate being thanked when they’ve done something for someone else. Why should our God be any different? After all, He gives us everything! Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms (Ps. 95:2).
Last Friday, I was starting to feel like I might be relapsing again with the same virus that befell me in December. But this time, because of the rain, I had a migraine as well as a scratchy throat. The headache finally subsided on Monday around noon time. The migraine had masked the other issue, and when the pain finally went away, I thought to myself, “Gee, I feel pretty good. Thank you, Jesus!”
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. That phrase runs through several Psalms – Ps. 100, Ps. 107, Ps.136, and so on. Other Psalms use slightly different words such as Bless the Lord or Praise the Lord. But they all mean the same thing. I heard a preacher once say that thanksgiving is the highest form of praise. It is the natural and proper response of a creature (that’s us!) to our Creator.
Being unhappy when nothing is wrong, as that headline stated, is very sad statement, I think. At best, it means we’re looking for happiness in the wrong places. At worst, it is is indicative of a society that refuses to accept that there is only one true Source for happiness. Feeling blue? Try a little PTL!
Prayer Request: For those feeling down and empty.
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for all the gifts that You give us every day, especially the greatest gift of all - Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to remember that every good gift comes from you and to always come before You with an attitude of praise and thanksgiving. We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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2 comments:
Thank you Michele for this reminder to be thanksful to our Lord. Starting our day with Jesus, thanking Him because He loves us and we love Him, always brings me into work refreshed in the Spirit, even on a Monday, because I have worshipped Him. Who needs a cup of coffee when you can have Jesus. Hallelujah!
Michele, thanks for this great sharing! I am thankful that we have this small but encouraging space that always starts my days with His words and presence. This short but sweet time with Him is like a tuning moment of my life that preps me for the rest of the day. I am thankful to Him for His provision and to you for your heartfelt sharing!
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