[Devotional] IN HIS PRESENCE: Understanding the power of gratitude (2)

Read: PSALM 100:1-5

Meditation verse:

“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Psalm 100:4).

Developing and maintaining a heart of gratitude to God is one sure way to live a happier and more fulfilling life. Gratitude simplifies your life. When you form the habit of appreciating God for very basic things, you notice the very simple things of life and your sense of contentment or peace increases. This mind was in the apostle Paul when he said, “I know how to abound, and I know how to abase”.

Gratitude is a seed. It makes your life fruitful. A grateful person always wants to give back and serve others. And as you sow, you receive back in good measure. A Grateful heart is a receptacle. When you are thankful, your tank will always be full. Gratitude beautifies your life. I have an aunt who is such a grateful and beautiful soul. The brain responds to praise by releasing endorphins. Don’t you see how light you feel when you are praising God?

Why then do we often fail to show gratitude to God?

o Failure to see God in the process or in our affairs. The ten lepers where told, go show yourselves to the priest, and as they went, they discovered they were healed. They properly thought it was no big deal, since the healing process was too simple. In the same way, we fail to see the hand of God in our lives, but every of life’s process is a miracle and blessing. The Psalmist says “I slept and woke up, only because the Lord sustained me. Suddenly you are asleep, and suddenly you are awake. Sleeping and waking is a mystery.

o Failure to notice the blessings of God: The bible says “when he saw that he was healed. Do we notice the seemingly little things that God does for us? Everything good and perfect gift is from God. Everything God does is important and should be acknowledged.

o Forgetfulness. We often forget to express our gratitude to God. One the way to the promised land, the children of Israel often complained and murmured at the slightest inconvenience, even when they had just witnessed a miraculous provision some moments earlier.

o Pride can also prevent us from expressing gratitude to God. It takes humility to show gratitude and appreciate the blessings of life.

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

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