Praise

“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” [Psalm 100:1, 2]

Today is not Thanksgiving Day but like every day of the year it is a day for thanksgiving. In the absence of thanksgiving we become ungrateful. We begin to take things for granted. There is never a time when it inappropriate for us to be thankful. We are to be thankful for everything and thankful in every circumstance. Warren Wiersbe once said, "When a Christian finds himself in a difficult situation, he should immediately give thanks to the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Spirit, to keep his heart from complaining and fretting. The devil moves in when a Christian starts to complain, but thanksgiving in the Spirit defeats the devil and glorifies the Lord." That is only possible through a constant walk with the Lord that helps us gain a heavenly perspective on the events of our lives. The difficult circumstances are evidences of God’s love for us as he molds and makes us after the image of His Son. This he does for our good and His glory. Nothing in this world can separate us from the love of God. Nothing in this world can separate us from God. He never leaves us. In the midst of life difficulties, we can still know peace, joy and contentment because they are not based upon circumstances but are the result of our unbreakable relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We should like Jesus the night he was betrayed be able to say as he did, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” [Psalm 118:24]

Another way to demonstrate our thankfulness is by showing appreciation for the acts of kindness that others do for us. We should not take them for granted nor should we take God for granted. When was the last time you express your gratitude to God and others? Why not start right now?