A Thankful Heart in Trying Times

Here’s a new twist to an old saying:

Due to the recent financial difficulties, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off!

Now, I know that things are not as good as they could be; but, heaven knows they could be worse. So as we approach the upcoming day that we as Americans set aside to give thanks; well, let’s do just that….GIVE THANKS!

In fact, if truth be told, we find in God’s word that giving “THANKS:” is an imperative …a direct command from the Great I AM.

Throughout the Psalms, David continually wrote to praise the Lord and to give thanks. In Chapters 106 and 118, he begins each psalm with this admonition, “Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.”

Time and time again, David reminds us to give thanks…to let our hearts overflow with thanksgiving. In fact, in over 33 passages in the Bible, we are commanded to give thanks to our Father who is the giver of every good gift.

So, on this Thursday, as you gather with friends and family members and recount all of God’s blessings during this past year; don’t look at the shrinking balance in your checking account and lament how poor you are…rather; remember if you have any spare change just lying around the house, you are already wealthier than 75% of the world’s population. Contemplate on this…..if you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back and shoes on your feet….. and you eat at least one meal a day... you are living above the poverty level of 85% of those in third world countries.

Yes, times are hard for many of us here in America, but that does not relieve us of God’s command to obedience as we bestow our praise, honor, adoration and gratitude on Him who has given us all that we have and more than we need.

However, we should not give thanks to God because it our duty or just to be obedient to his Word, but rather out of love and gratitude for the immeasurable blessings of God on this great nation.

Times may be hard and they may become harder…but we, as followers of Christ, are called to a higher standard of thanksgiving…we are to praise him and give thanks in ALL things…the good and the bad…in the best of times and the worst of times.

Begin today your celebration of this Thanksgiving season by doing the following….set aside some time to make a list of the things for which you can give thanks and after each one, BLESS THE NAME OF JESUS….tell Him, personally, what and why you are thankful and how, even if that blessing were striped away, you would still give thanks and bless his name…..for scripture tells us, “What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, yet lose his own soul.”

This Thanksgiving do the one thing that will honor God, praise Him and bring glory to His name….Tell others how thankful you are that you belong to Jesus. This simple act of telling others that you are a child of the King will elicit praise from your lips and will demonstrate a heart filled and over-flowing with thanksgiving.

It is in every act of worship that we demonstrate our love for our Heavenly Father and in our praise and works of obedience that we show a humble and thankful heart. SO GO AHEAD AND HAVE A BLESSED AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING this week…and

May God bless you as never before….

WPQ

Poem for the Day:

In harmony with one voice we raise,

Our grateful songs of thankful praise.

In song and dance we do proclaim

That we are blessed in Jesus’ name.

May all creation spend each day,

Praising Jesus in every way…

And may the very rocks cry out

The valleys sing, the mountains shout;

And echo through each humbled heart

As all who know Him do their part….

To sing and worship all our days

With hearts filled with eternal praise.

WPQ 2011