By Pastor Andrew Were
Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his
conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.¨ _Psalm 50:23
Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus for you. _1st
Thessalonians 5:17-18
It is the
will of God for us in Christ Jesus that we give thanks in everything, be it
good or seemingly bad (for everything works together for our good that love
Him…), we are to always be thankful. This definitely calls for a thankful
spirit in each one of us.
I know it
isn’t always so obvious or easy to give thanks especially in hard times, I
haven’t always found it easy, but that’s where the thankful spirit grows and thrives.
It is true, just like courage is taught in a battle and loneliness is best
taught in a crowd. Like Paul´s, I am
learning to live a life constantly dotted with thanksgiving. 2nd Corinthians 2:12-14
It is such a
joy to know that this thanksgiving is not only something that the children of
God do, but it is a constant even in heaven by angels and all creatures
heavenly!
All the angels stood around the throne…saying: ¨Amen! Blessing and
glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God
forever and ever. Amen.¨ _Revelations
7:11-12
Ok brethren,
in reality, it is easy to be thankful for the good times, but how possible is
it to be thankful in those hard and difficult times? Yet for an encouragement,
we must remember that thankfulness;
1.
Acknowledges God in every situation we find ourselves in.
2. Prepares
the way for us to see God´s salvation!
3. Expels
bitterness in our lives. No one man can be thankful and remain bitter at the
same time. I always find that it is a contradiction to be thankful and complain
at the same time. James 1:12.
4. Keeps
away a covetous heart. I remember all that I have been given when I keep
thankfulness. Psalm 100:4
A start on
how to cultivate a thankful heart for me and you,
1. We must
consider who God is and praise Him just for His attributes. Hebrews13:13-16
2. I will be
grateful for His faithfulness to me personally in the coming 2015.
3. Count my
blessings, and especially the one of peace of God, always guarding my heart and
mind!
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world
gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid. _John 14:27