Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! — Psalm 33:1-2 ESV
I know it’s not Thanksgiving month yet, but it is around the corner. Honestly, we don’t need to wait for Thanksgiving, which comes around once a year, to be grateful. If we live our lives like that, can you imagine how miserable we would be!
Life these days is hard, with the cost of living rising and wages/salaries staying more or less stagnant. There is violence and crime everywhere one turns, forcing us to be extra vigilant. Many are scared, worried, and concerned for their loved ones’ safety and well-being, and this is just a short list.
With so many negative and challenging situations surrounding us, it can be difficult to be grateful. But through it all, as long as we’re still breathing, there’ll always be a reason to be grateful. Gratitude leads to Praise and just like the hymn “Count Your Blessings” says, count your blessings one by one and you will see what God has done.
Remember the analogy of the glass cup containing some water. People can view a glass of water in two ways: half empty or half full. A person with a half-empty perspective focuses on the things they don’t have and the negative issues or circumstances they face. They probably don’t see any way out or believe their situation has any possibility of changing for good. The half-full perspective focuses on what they have, such as a loving family, a job and income, a place to live, food, their achievements, and more. They have a positive outlook for the future, believing that their situation can become even better.
Being grateful for what we have leads to praise and that minimises the impact of the not-so-good things on us. Gratitude focuses our attention on the God who can do the impossible. And that is the place where the devil doesn’t want us to reach, as he wants to flood our mind with every negative thought possible to get us frustrated and depressed. It also gives him an opening to run riot in our life, and we can’t let him do that!
This is why it is important to look after your praise. Sometimes it will come naturally, and other times you may have to work at it through the difficult seasons. So, no matter the situation, list and count your blessings daily and let it bring you to a place of praise. God delights in your Praise!
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases.” Psalm 103: 1-3 (ESV)
Stay blessed,
LaraLex
