A Heart of Genuine Thanks
"Let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is,
the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name!" -Hebrews 13:15
Hello there! :) Hope this post is a blessing to you!
"A heart of genuine thanks." God has been laying it on my heart to take time to thank Him and praise Him! He deserves all my praise and thanks all throughout the day, every day! Yet, I fail on giving it as I should. I mean, the angels worship Him continually with wholeheartedness and they are created by Him, but they don't have His Spirit living inside of them like I do! They marvel at the gift of His Spirit to mankind! All the more should I be in a constant place of thanks and praise! His Spirit is alive in me! WOW! (It's really good to stop and think about what a phenomenal gift that truly is!)
I wanted to share an excerpt from a devotional by Nancy Leigh DeMoss that is so good in regards to an aspect of what should motivate our thanks! So without further ado...
"Oh, how I wish it was enough for you and me to do things just because God has told us to - no other reason required. Not because it would give us whiter teeth and fresh breath...or soften a strained relationship. No - just because He says so. Like being thankful, for instance.
"Offer to God a sacrifice a thanksgiving," His Word says, "and perform your vows to the Most High" (Psalm 50:14). "Give thanks to the Lord; call upon His Name; make known His deeds among the peoples" (105:1). The Psalms alone are filled with exhortations to "thank the Lord for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of men" (107:8).
Later, in the few pages of his Colossian letter, the apostle Paul challenges believers to be "always" thankful (Col. 1:3), "abounding" in gratitude" (2:7), devoting ourselves to prayer, "being watchful in it in thanksgiving" (4:2). The "attitude of gratitude" is a clear command and expectation of God. Even when we don't feel so inclined or are more mindful of our problems than our blessings, we are told to give glory and gratitude to Him.
So if you're sitting down to dinner, be thankful.
If you're getting ready for bed, be thankful.
If you're coming out from under a two-week cold and cough, if you're paying bills, if you're cleaning up...if you're driving to work, if you're changing a lightbulb, if you're worshiping in church, if you're visiting a friend in the hospital...
Be thankful. If for no other reason than that God has commanded it."
Isn't that so good?! I love how she brings out that we shouldn't be wanting to get something out of our praise and thanks, but that a heart of genuine thanks - thanks God simply because we love Him and He has said to do so!
Blessings to you as you give thanks in all things and offer up a continual sacrifice of praise to the God of all!
~Bri
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