Thankful Thursday!

 

You know... when God tells us that giving thanks is a good thing, He's not kidding! He knows the benefits and blessings that come from cultivating a grateful heart and He longs for us to experience these benefits in our daily lives.

God knows the world you and I live in... He lived here. And He knows that it can be a very difficult and painful place.  He knows there are seasons when giving thanks can be a challenge as our blessings are overshadowed by our burdens. He also knows how we can so easily take our blessings for granted and fall into a bad habit of murmuring and complaining. Is anyone else guilty of this besides me?

The good news is that as we make God the focus of our thanksgiving, we become increasingly more aware of His presence... in the pleasant, as well as the painful, circumstances of our lives... and the more we become aware of God in our everyday lives, the more we are blessed... and thanksgiving becomes not just something we do but a lifestyle we live that brings glory to the Lord.

I believe God is calling us to make thanksgiving a habit, and as it is with developing any habit and having it become a way of life, it will require practice and encouragement. So every week on Thankful Thursday, I look forward to sharing more about what God has to say about thanksgiving to encourage you, as well as myself, to give thanks to the Lord every day... in all things... and in God's way. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord.
Psalm 92:1

Heavenly Father... It is a good thing to give You thanks.  Over and over again I have seen the benefits of giving thanks in my own life Lord and I know it's only by Your grace. Thank You for reminding us over and over again in Your Word to give You thanks and thank You for not giving up on us in the weakness of our humanity. Forgive us for taking so many of the blessings in our lives for granted and open our eyes to see You and Your Presence at work in a greater way in the coming days. Inhabit the praises of Your people Lord and be glorified! Amen.