December 7, 2020 – Monday Evening
“Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” ~Psalm 106:1
Already this week, I have been reminded of the importance and joy of thankfulness a number of times. Why is it that we have to be reminded to be thankful? Why is it oftentimes so difficult to be thankful?
The Lord has been working on this for a while with me (as you may already know) now; He has gently reminded me again and again and He is winning the battle. Yet, even today thankfulness has been a struggle in spots. Why is it so hard? When my eyes are on me and my circumstances, thankfulness will always be hard to come by; even with billions of blessings, the old man and his pride try to regain control of my perspective and make it seem as though the sky is falling. This war doesn’t usually take place with heavy artillery and bombers; normally it is the work of secret spies and clandestine operatives – a slight discouragement here and misstep there…pretty soon I have thrown in the towel and I’m overwhelmed with an old fashioned bad attitude.
Listen, soul! The LORD is good. Not just now and not just then, but forever and ever and ever. Even if it might seem as though there is nothing to be grateful for, I can and will be thankful that He is good! And not only is He good, but He is SOOOOO good!!! Think of His mercy toward you! Think of His grace! Think of His unending love! Think of His compassion and comfort! Think of His unchanging character! The LORD is good. Thank YOU, Father!
When I choose to take advantage of His grace and direct my heart to this kind of gratitude, it is like releasing the pent-up energy of an over-flowing dam. Suddenly, I am equipped to be thankful no matter how terrible things look. That thankfulness then translates to joy, which in turn causes my whole attitude to be brought into alignment with His. I can now hear His convicting Spirit and respond with repentance, I can see His guiding hand, and I can submit myself to Him and His way of walking through the same challenges that just moments ago were my bitter conquerors. Do you think that sounds crazy? Try being truly grateful to God for who He is and I can guarantee that you will find your heart tender to His Spirit and Word.