The Signs Of A Grateful Heart

An attitude of gratitude is always obvious. If we are grateful for what God has done for us and given to us, others will see in us our grateful appreciation for it in everything we do. David provided a fourfold formula for us to follow to prove our gratitude.

“I will thank You, Lord, with all my heart.” The thanks he described is total and consumed all of his being - his entire self. The word he used for heart would include his consciousness of God’s presence, his memories of God’s goodness, and his awareness of God’s grace. He worshiped God with excitement, enthusiasm, and expectation.

“I will tell all of the marvelous things You have done.” Marvelous comes from a word that means “extraordinary, not surpassed by anything, wonderful!” He is so overwhelmed by God’s blessings on and in his life that he wants everyone to know it.

“I will be filled with joy!” Joy is the natural state of the one who trusts in the Lord. Knowing that “all things work together for our good” should cause His joy to radiate from our heads into our hearts and out through our hands. Everything we do should be done with a smile on our face and gladness in our eyes.

“I will sing praises to Your Name, O Most High.” Notice that there is only one letter difference between the word “sin” and “sing” - the letter “g” - that stands for God. When we give up sin for the Savior, God gives us a new song to sing. It is a song about the Savior who loves us, gave Himself for us, is present in us, and works through us.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for the goodness and grace of our salvation. May we always have a joyous, grateful, thankful, radiant heart. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today:  I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to Your Name, O Most High.  Psalm 9:2 

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An Attitude Of Gratitude

Someone has rightly said that when we speak a person’s name we call that one into existence. For example, we can go an entire day without someone mentioning our name. No one has recognized that we are even alive. Does that mean that we do not exist? No. It means that we have not been “called into existence” or “recognized”. We have been “overlooked” so to speak.

David began Psalm 18 by recognizing God and proclaiming his love for his Lord: “I love You, Lord, my strength!” This simple statement quickly describes David’s dependence on God, his intimate relationship with God and his devotion to God. God, David said, was the source of his strength. Whatever he did was done through the strength that God gave him. And He received that strength when he called God “into existence.”

Often we think of “strength” as our ability to “lift” something or “endure” something as an athlete does in a contest. But David was not thinking of that type of strength. He goes on to describe his Lord as a rock, a fortress, a deliverer, a shield, his strength and the horn of his salvation. All of these words that describe God come from a military setting and help us to see that David, in this psalm, saw God as the One who protected him and made him the victor in all of his battles. They are “in His name.”

When David called on God, something happened: he was delivered or saved from all of his enemies. That also happens when we call on the Lord. “Everyone,” the Bible says, “who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Call on Him now to be delivered and saved!

Prayer: Lord, we love You and thank You for being our Savior and shield, our protector and provider. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 18:1 I love you, LORD, my strength.

An Attitude For Gratitude

James and his grandmother were having a wonderful day at the beach. The wind was gentle, the sun warm and the crowd friendly. It was a delight for her to watch James as he splashed in the waves not far from where she was relaxing.

Suddenly a large wave came crashing over James and pulled him into the water and out of her sight. In fear and anguish she shouted, “Oh, God, I’ll do anything You ever ask me if You will only save my grandson and return him safely to shore. Please God – help me.”

The very next wave brought James back to shore safely, but a bit frightened. Standing up and walking toward him, his grandmother gave a sigh of relief knowing he was safe. Then she put her hands on her hips and said, “O.K. God. What happened to his hat?”

Paul wrote, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” It seems to be much easier to “devote ourselves to prayer” than to “devote ourselves to a thankful heart.” Giving thanks to someone means we are indebted to them for something.

Our God is a gracious and giving God and all that we have is the result of His goodness and grace. He stands before us with outstretched arms and open hands waiting to draw us close to Himself to protect us and provide for our every need, beginning with our salvation. Yet, too often we fail to be grateful!

Prayer: Forgive us, Heavenly Father, if we have been forgetful in expressing our gratitude to You for all You have done for us. May our thankfulness be equal to Your gifts. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.