[Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: End with thanksgiving

Read: Psalm 136:1-26

Meditation verse:

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

I came across a quote some time ago and it has stuck with me till date. It read: “when you are always thankful to God, your tank will always be full”. God inhabits the praises of His people and wherever God dwells, blessings are sure to abound. The bible instructs us to give thanks to God in every situation. This implies having a lifestyle of thanksgiving, which is the hallmark of a fulfilled life. King David was in the habit of giving God thanks. Not a few of his psalms had thanksgiving as their theme. In Psalm 95:2 and 100:4, he encouraged us to enter God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise. In Psalm 100:4, he instructed all to be thankful unto God. Little wonder God referred to him as “a man after His own heart”.

Be deliberate about ending this year in a thanksgiving mode. Your thankfulness to God should not depend on the circumstances of your life, nor should it be based on what is currently going on around you. It is a spiritual imperative that you continuously give thanks to the one whose knowledge of your circumstances is supreme and who declares the end of a matter from the beginning. God is good to those who fear Him, and whilst He is not the author of all the bad things that may happen to you, He may permit certain trials for your benefit. When you thank Him in every situation, you position yourself to receive all He intends for you to have or learn all He wants you to learn. This way, you emerge stronger, wiser, and victorious in all things.

When we murmur or grumble, we are displaying a lack of faith in the God who controls the affairs of the whole earth. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Developing and maintaining a heart of gratitude to God is the best way to end the year. Why not say this prayer today; “thank You Lord for keeping me from January till December. I believe that the plans you have for me are good. I choose to give You thanks always and in everything, because no matter how this year has gone, You will cause all things to work out for my good according to Your purpose, Amen”.

IN HIS PRESENCE is written by Pst (Mrs) Oke Chinye, Founder of The Rock Teaching Ministry (TRTM).

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