THANKFUL HEARTS (2)

“Praise the Lord! I WILL PRAISE the Lord with MY WHOLE HEART, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation” – Psalm 111:1

Several Psalms affirm the Power of THANKFUL HEARTS: “Praise the Lord! I WILL PRAISE the Lord with MY WHOLE HEART, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation” (Psa.111:1). These Psalms of Gratitude are a reminder that God deserves our gratitude simply because He is Lord and He is righteous. Why would we not thank Him who has graciously preserved us through the first quarter of this year, with all of the global, national, regional, communal, and personal upheavals? We can continually cultivate thankful hearts by filling our hearts and minds with Scriptures that point to the ultimate reason why we give thanks – GOD!

The Book of Psalms, which has been the core of our devotionals for this month of March, is a declaration of praise and thanksgiving to God from David and other grateful hearts. We witness them praising God for demonstrating His righteousness in judging the wicked, providing deliverance from their enemies, and for being a trustworthy God. These themes repeat themselves through many of David’s psalms. Even though he experienced trouble, some directly of his own making, David never lost sight of the goodness of God and the incredible things the Lord had done in his life. These inspire us to intentionally give thanks to God for His abundant blessings. Despite the season we may be in, there is always something to praise God for. Showing gratitude is a powerful act of worship to God, which reaffirms His Sovereignty and redirects our attention to God, away from our circumstances.

Psalm 111:1 reminds us to not only give thanks, but to transform our hearts into thankful hearts, as we contemplate on all of God’s wonderful works and deeds. It is a reminder of God’s love and faithfulness. Gratitude is an amazing thing. Shifting our focus from what’s troubling us to the numerous things we should be grateful and thankful for, immediately changes our perspective. Gratitude reminds us that even when things look bleak, there is better way in this world than we can always readily see. It is difficult, if not downright impossible, to be angry or worried when we are grateful. Hatred cannot exist for long in a grateful heart.

We must reiterate that cultivating a thankful heart is a discipline, not a mere emotion. Every discipline involves consistent practice. We must practise being thankful knowing that all of life is a gift! Gratitude is more than a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received; it is a disciplined lifestyle. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all we are and have are given to us as a gift of love, to be celebrated with joy. Gratitude involves a conscious choice. We can choose to be grateful even when our emotions and feelings are still steeped in hurt or pain. This choice rarely comes without some real effort. But each time we make it, the next choice is a little easier, freer, and less self-conscious. Being thankful can be an everyday, every moment habit in our lives.

Like David, we can give thanks to the Lord whole-heartedly, and testify in the assembly of the upright all He has done for us. We can be glad, delight in God, and sing His praises. William Arthur Ward said, “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” The Power of Gratitude far outweighs the moments it takes to practice it. Gratitude glorifies God, draws us close to Him, opens our spiritual eyes, aligns us with His Will, sustains peace, creates contentment, deepens faith, unlocks the flow of Joy, and stops Satan’s lies.

Gratitude is a testimony to the world around us, of what our caring, loving God has done and is doing. Contentment and peace come not from what we have but WHO we know: “Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!” (Psa.105:1). Psalm 111 begins and ends with Praise: “Praise the LORD! ...His praise endures forever” (vv.1, 10).