Developing a heart of gratitude is a hard thing to do. We have a heart that is bent to selfishness, and that lends itself to naturally becoming ungrateful. Yet, with the transformation that comes by being a follower of Jesus Christ, we can develop a spirit of gratitude in our hearts that will help us approach each day with thanksgiving. That should start by understanding how much a heart of gratitude pleases God. In 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 the nation of Israel was celebrating the completion of the Temple, and as they celebrated that completion, they were rejoicing over all that God had done to make that completion possible. As they were worshipping, the glory of the LORD fills the house of God, and in doing it demonstrated that the LORD received their praise with honor. It appears from this passage and others that thanksgiving and praise are the key to attracting the presence of God. It pleases Him, that we are grateful for all that He has done for us. May we choose to make thanksgiving a daily routine in our lives. … READ MORE

Thanksgiving is the outward and inward communication of how grateful we are for all the things God has given us. As we grow as a Christian, we should see a spirit of thanksgiving developing in our lives. Someone once said, “God lives in two places: in heaven, and in a humble, grateful heart.” We are so prone to ingratitude, because we are born with a propensity to selfishness. Grumbling and complaining are natural to us, not because we choose to be ungrateful, but because we are born with a sin nature that leads us to unrealistic expectations that cause us to see what we do not have rather than what we have. Gratitude is a choice that we need to make every day as we begin and end the day. Psalm 92:1 says, “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to His name to proclaim his love in the morning and his faithfulness at night.” As we wake each morning we need to see and recognize that we have this day as a present from the Lord and look for His blessing throughout the day. As we go to bed at night we must review our day, … READ MORE

Every relationship that we enjoy must have a start. What brought us together, is often key to understanding the importance of developing and maintaining a relationship. We must understand that all relationships must start with God. As we attempt to cultivate a meaningful relationship how do we develop that relationship Biblically. First, Understand the biblical pattern for fulfillment of our God given desires. We all like to be accepted, and have those that we can share our hearts with, but we must not begin to build our relationship on physical, emotional, or personal desires. Our relationship must first of all be built on being the person that God desires us to be. We cannot change others, but we can change ourselves. Second, we need to focus on the spiritual and social relationship not the physical. Do I invest time praying with and for the other person, Remember God will not suddenly mean something to you once you get into the relationship if He means nothing to you before. Finally, If you are unready for a close relationship, you should back of and continue to work on who you are, and your personal walk with Christ. Remember, it is never too … READ MORE