Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth
David was a refugee in an enemy territory running from a mad king who was trying to murder him. He could have easily cried out in complaint questioning why God had allowed these things to occur in his life. But instead, during one the most difficult times of his life David made this incredible declaration:
I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Ps. 34:1
Through David we can learn these basic principles of gratitude.
• Gratitude is a matter of the heart and not the circumstances surrounding you.
• Gratitude is a matter of choice which reveals the condition of the heart within in you.
• Gratitude is a matter of perspective which reveals how you see the circumstances around you.
• Gratitude is a matter of the mind which reveals how you understand the God who created you.
David simply chose not to allow tough times to rob him of the joy of praising God, but instead turned his trials into praise which then turned his potential fear into hope and sadness into joy. Friends, each of us can do the very same regardless of the circumstance. The spirit of gratitude will change your life and will make every day a good day and every circumstance a matter of thanksgiving. I am reminded of a these thoughts on the subject of thanksgiving by Pastor Troy Mason…
I am Thankful for......... ....the taxes I pay ....because it means I’m employed. ....the clothes that fit a little too snug ....because it means I have enough to eat. ....my shadow who watches me work ....because it means I am out in the sunshine. ....a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and ....gutters that need fixing ....because it means I have a home. ....the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot ....because it means I am capable of walking. ....my huge heating bill ....because it means I am warm. ....all the complaining I hear about our government ....because it means we have freedom of speech. ....the lady behind me in church who sings off key. ....because it means that I can hear. ....the piles of laundry and ironing ....because it means my loved ones are nearby. ....the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours ....because it means that I’m alive. ....weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day ....because it means I have been productive. The art of thanksliving. It is gratitude in action. It is thanking God for the gift of life by living it triumphantly. It is thanking God for your talents and abilities by accepting them as obligations to be invested for the common good. It is thanking God for all that men and women have done for you by doing things for others. It is thanking God for happiness by striving to make others happy. It is thanking God for beauty by helping to make the world more beautiful. It is thanking God for inspiration by trying to be an inspiration to others.”
Let us each learn to live daily with the spirit of thanksgiving and an attitude of gratitude. This will allow us to give God the glory He is due and will allow us to experience the simple joy of finding God’s hand in everything. He is an incredible God in the good and the bad. Let us bless Him at all times.
