Be Thankful: A Grateful Heart Is Pleasing to the Lord

Ah…Gratitude. It easily flows when things are going swimmingly well, but remove the perceived “good” from our lives and well…it’s not so easy, Amen? Ask me how I know. It is uber easy to fall into the pattern of grumbling and complaining rather than thanksgiving. We want what we want when we want it. But God. In His great mercy sees behind our easy shallow ways and desires more from our lives. He leads us from the shallow lands into the depths for the purposes of demonstrating a noble frame of the soul and the attitude of the heart. His desire is for us to go “further still” in becoming like Christ. Indeed, it is the highest note of grace when we walk through trials and tribulations sans grumbling and complaining as it demonstrates we are in agreement with God, Who is in control of all things. Nothing takes Him by surprise. The Lord Jesus is to be our pattern and our power and He thanked God frequently and fervently even in the hard.  

We are all debtors to God’s mercy and grace. All we have are gifts from His Hand – even the breath in our lungs. What do we have that we did not receive? We owe all to our gracious and loving God, the very least is our thankful hearts. God loves a cheerful giver and a grateful heart from His saints. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 11:33-36 (NIV): “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.” And His steadfast love is better than life, King David writes in Psalms 63:3 (NIV), because David had learned that praising God satisfies the soul in ways that nothing else compares. Thankfulness of heart is standing in agreement with God – even when we do not understand or do not like the circumstance. All He allows in the life of the child of the King is pregnant with purpose – we can be assured of that. And His plans are good, pleasing and perfect though most often extraordinarily difficult. We can trust Him with our lives and the lives of all we hold dear – no matter how hard the wind howls. 

Giving thanks is always the proper attitude for the believer in sweet Jesus. Indeed, Paul tells us in 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV): “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”