Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.** Psalms 100:1-5 (NIV)**
God loves a thankful heart. Indeed, Scripture tells us we are to be “overflowing with thankfulness” in Colossians 2:7B (NIV). Are we a thankful people? Oftentimes we are grumblers and complainers – unsatisfied with what the Lord has allowed or not allowed. Discontented with our lot in life, we belly ache and complain rather than seek His face and be thankful for what is allowed. Gratitude can be a rarity in our lives whereas grumbling, complaining and an attitude of entitlement often seem to be our “go-to’s”. We kick against our circumstances rather than embrace them with joy knowing that what He allows is to make us more and more like our Savior, Who poured out His life like a drink offering. A thankful heart blesses the Lord. Indeed. He desires for His children to be “overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:7 NIV).
Our thankfulness is as worship to God for all we have and all we are. For what do we have that we did not receive? And if we did receive it, how on earth could we boast in lieu of thanksgiving. Not one of us can add a single hour to our lives and none of us knows what a day holds. It is God Who is in control of all things and no plan of His can be thwarted. He desires for His children to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. And in everything give thanks. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 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.”
It is uber easy to praise God when things are going swimmingly well, Amen? Yet, when we get what we do not want or want what we do not have, thanksgiving becomes a rarity and complaining becomes the normal. Yet, God has purpose and plans in both. If our Lord Jesus drank the full cup of suffering of God’s wrath for us, we should be thankful to God that we have such a small share of it. In difficult circumstances we must remember that wax unheated will not receive the impression of the seal. God uses all circumstances to make us more and more like Jesus and suffering saints are often being prepared for the highest degrees of glory.
Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.** Psalms 95:1-3 (NIV)**