Cultivating a Heart of Thanks

Psalm 106:1-2 says, "Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever. Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare His praise?" When we give thanks to the Lord we proclaim His awesome acts. He is most worthy of our praise and thanksgiving. Thanksgiving promotes not only the glory of God, but humility in us. It is the tendency of the sinful human heart - even the regenerated heart - to usurp credit that rightly belongs only to God. Thanksgiving stimulates our faith. It promotes contentment. I would recommend making a list of things for which you are thankful and make reference to that list frequently. Perhaps the following items would be a good start: your personal salvation, your opportunities for spiritual growth, the availability of the Word of God, the fellowship and instruction of the church, the abundance of helpful Christian books and broadcasts, opportunities for ministry and service, a godly spouse. Paul made frequent statements in his letters, such as, "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you." (Colossians 1:3) Later in the same letter he instructs the Colossians, "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving." (4:2) As you meditate on these verses, ask God to give you a genuine attitude of thanksgiving. At the Atkins' home we are rejoicing and giving thanks today that the 9th MRI was clear, and showed no harmful development.