Each Saturday recently we have been looking in-depth at a few of the most important aspects of having a quiet time—or as some folks call it—a devotional time. Already we have talked about two very foundational aspects of a quiet time—Bible reading and singing praises. This week we are remembering the importance of being thankful and expressing our gratitude to our Father.
Truly, is there anything else that you can think of that can so change your heart’s attitude more than thankfulness? I don’t think it presumptuous to say that every one of us has had times of worry, sorrow, despair, grief, anguish, pain in which we turned our hearts to seek God and found ourselves praising and thanking Him for His goodness and kindness towards us. True?
Before we go any further, let’s stop for just five minutes and worship our God voicing our thanks and our praise!
~ Thank You – Hillsong / Songwriter – Reuben Morgan ~
Thank You for the Cross, thank You for the price You paid
Thank You for salvation, thank You for unending grace
Thank You for Your hope, thank You for this life You gave
There is no one like You…There is no one like You, God
All my hope is in You, Jesus Jesus
To Your name we give all the glory
To Your name we give all the praise
And You’re alive—Our God everlasting—let Your face shine on us
Thank You for Your promise, thank You for Your favor
Thank You for Your love…everything You’ve done for me
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
The Psalmist, writer of many, many songs of thanks and praise, had this in his heart:
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord?
Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]?
Psalms 106:1 and 2 AMP
Who can speak forth enough words to tell all the wonderful, mighty things that God has done? Or who can utter all the praise that is due Him? Clearly the simple answer is ‘No one.’ But that doesn’t mean we don’t still thrill to voice our gratitude and thankfulness to our Great God!
I checked out Webster’s definition of thankfulness:
THANK’FUL, adjective.
Grateful; impressed with a sense of kindness received, and ready to acknowledge it.
• The Lord’s supper is to be celebrated with a thankful remembrance of His sufferings and death.
• Be thankful to Him, and bless his name (Psalm 100).
I think Mr. Webster’s definition clearly shows that thankfulness is both thought and action—you ‘sense’ having received <God’s> kindness AND you ‘acknowledge’ it. Here’s a great example:
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come before His presence with singing!
Know that the Lord is God!
It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]!
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving
and a thank offering and into His courts with praise!
Be thankful and say so to Him,
bless and affectionately praise His name!
For the Lord is good;
His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting,
His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations.
Psalm 100
The Psalmist was confessing—remembering—just a few things he was grateful for, AND voicing his gratitude. We can—we should—do the same! We have oh-so-very-much to be thankful for, amen? We definitely ‘sense’ God’s abundant goodness and kindness to us, true? And we acknowledge it through our words of gratitude and thankfulness.
I will thank Yahweh with all my heart;
I will declare all Your wonderful works.
Psalm 9:1
I cried to You, O Lord, and to the Lord I made supplication.
Hear, O Lord, have mercy and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!
To the end that my tongue and my heart
and everything glorious within me
may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
Psalms 30:10, 12
So in your quiet time (but not ONLY in your quiet time!) may I encourage you to tell Your Father how very grateful you are for His goodness, for His protection, for His healing, for His deliverance, for His provision, for His calling, for His admonition, for His guidance, for His love, grace and mercy! And give Him much thanks! (Perhaps you might share with us something you have thanked Him for just today…? Leave your comment below; thanks!)
Keep worshipping Him and enjoying your quiet time with your Lord! As you seek Him, He will be found…He promises!
