We’re just days away from a holiday whose name is taken from Psalm100:4-5 that says to, “Enter his gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give Thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his love endures forever, his faithfulness though all generations”
This sentiment is expanded, in Psalms 103, where David goes from personal, to national, to family, to celestial and eternal, then back to personal. An excerpt goes as follows,
“Praise the Lord oh My soul and forget not all of his benefits; he Forgives all your sins, Heals all your diseases, Redeems your Life from the pit. Crowns you with Love & Compassion and Satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth (strength) is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for the oppressed and made his ways known to Moses & Israel. The Lord is Compassionate & Gracious, slow to anger abounding in Love. For as high as the Heavens are above the Earth, so great is his Love for those who revere him. As far as the East is from West, so has he removed our sins & transgressions from us. As a Father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who revere him. He knows how we are formed and remembers that we are dust (verse15 says we are mere mortals). Verse17 talks about how the Lord’s Love goes from generation to generation. Verse 19 “The Lord has established his throne in Heaven. His kingdom rules overall. Praise him you angels and heavenly hosts. Praise the Lord all his works. Praise the Lord oh My soul” Psalm 103:1-22
David had been belittled by his brothers, on the run for his life from Saul, and his baby had died shortly after birth (because of his own sins) yet he had “An Attitude of Gratitude” and knew how to be Thankful to God. He wasn’t so distracted by life’s hardships and struggles, that he couldn’t be Thankful to God. He knew hurts, weaknesses, vulnerabilities, defeats, and disappointments, as well as victories, yet through it all he was still Thankful to God.
It seems we live in a world, a time today where there’s a lot of cynicism, criticism, negativity and suspicion (including me too at times) but there’s not a lot of people being thankful. With inflation, gas prices going up, food and airline tickets going up, store shelves emptier than we’ve ever been used too, people seemingly not wanting to go back to work, which is crazy, it seems we can’t wait to get to the next election to roll the political dice again and see what happens. Looking to government to solve our problems again instead of looking to God. It seems we nationally, and maybe each of us personally, need to be reminded to have “An Attitude of Gratitude” of thankfulness to God in our lives. Here’s 5 reasons to be thankful to God and have an Attitude of Gratitude, from Psalms 103, highlighted and underlined above.
1. God Forgives all Your Sins, mistakes, faults, failings, imperfections, not being good enough for God, that Romans 3, 5 & 7 says we’ve all been born into, can’t get away from and daily struggle with. Verse10 says God doesn’t deal with you according to what your sins deserve but has removed (the guilt of) your sins from us as far as the east is from the west, leaving you blameless in Jesus Christ. If this first one comforts you, the second one might confuse you a little.
2. God Heals all your diseases including sin which causes all defects, disorders, diseases, and death. But often healing is a process, like a broken bone that eventually heals because of the biology and chemistry God put together in the human anatomy. But some deal with diseases until healing happens in Heaven. Maybe that's you. Then there’s emotional “diseases”, like bad attitudes, bitterness, anger, rage, revenge, and negativity that can happen because of adversities, setbacks, disappointments, and offenses. Thank God for healing you from the hurts, habits and hang ups, caused by ourselves, others, or situations, and circumstances in life. God makes healing happen.
3. God Redeems your life from the pit meaning trash pile, garbage heap like the one outside of Jerusalem, that Jesus used to illustrate Hell, that Jewish people knew as separation from God in Isaiah14, and Luke16. Colossians 1 and Philippians 2 says God incarnate in Jesus jumped into the hole of humanity that we’re all born into, to save and redeem you from being thrown away. Thank God that Jesus jumped into humanity, to redeem you, because he sees incredible value in you and invites you to follow him back to God in Heaven.
4. God Crowns You with Loving kindness & Compassion. Verse 8 calls it "Grace" which is getting eternal life just for showing up & saying yes You want God’s Grace in your life. Remember God crowned You with loving kindness and compassion when he crowned Jesus with the thorns. This reminds me somewhat of the Prodigal Son story in Luke15. Love, value, forgiveness and acceptance, in Jesus Christ.
5. God Satisfies your desires with good things, so that your youth, (strength, enthusiasm) is renewed like the eagle.
You’re either going to endure life with a cynical, grisly, hard-hearted attitude or you’ll enjoy it with an Attitude of Gratitude for everything God has done in your life. Those things listed above and more. Don’t be like the 10 Lepers in Luke 17 who Jesus healed but only one had an Attitude of Gratitude. Nine of them failed to say thank you to Jesus. Be like the timeless Hymn that says, Count your blessings. Name them one by one. Count the many blessings that God has done in your life with an Attitude of Gratitude, every day in Jesus’ name!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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