Even though it may be difficult to be thankful at certain times we need to make a personal decision that we are going to be grateful people even when we do not feel like it or when it is hard. Er trsf om 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” The quality of my life is determined not by the circumstances which I face, but my personal choices in the face of those circumstances. God has promised to be with us in the midst of our circumstances, and we need to focus our attention not on the here and now, but on the reality of the future. We live in a sin-cursed world, that brings trouble and trials, it is not until we live in the presence of the Lord for all eternity, that our lives will finally be free from the battle with our circumstances. Today, begin a regular routine of finding something each and every day to give thanks for. No matter how small or insignificant your blessing is, you can write it down and review it over the coming year. To do so will give you … READ MORE

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