It’s that time of year again when everyone is thinking of what they are grateful for; family, home, good health, friends, and the list goes on – and the most important is knowing who God is and having His peace and blessings in our lives.  There may be some who think they don’t have much to be thankful for but let me assure you that if you search your heart completely and honestly you will find blessings.  My attitude is that there is always something to be thankful for; no matter what.

Psalm 100 has only five verses and is a chapter on praise.

1. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth,
2. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing.
3. Know that the Lord, He is God: it is he who made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5. For the Lord is good: his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures to all generations (his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness is to all generations).

There are many, many other Scriptures that give instructions on thankful and giving thanks to our Lord. One of my favorites is First Thessalonians 5:16-19, “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In ever thing (in all circumstances) give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”.   The reason this is so dear to me is that it set me free when I learned that praise is power.  Praising God brings us into His Presence where we can receive help and grace, not just in those difficult times of our lives, but even in the good times to remain strong.  Even if those circumstances don’t change as quickly as we would like, when we keep a grateful heart for what God has done and is doing, it gives us hope that those not-so-good-times will change too and for our betterment. Second Corinthians 2:14 tells us that Christ always leads us in triumph.   When we really recognize that God loves and cares for us, we can walk through situations with His peace and have confidence that He is at work in our lives to bring us out victorious.   Remember, being grateful turns our days from grumbling and complaining into days of joy and peace.

My prayer this week is that we will search our hearts and thoughts and monitor daily whether we are living a life of gratefulness for all of our Heavenly Father’s blessings.