Devotion: GRATITUDE

April 16, 2012

Today's word is GRATITUDE!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Psalm 107:1 (ESV) "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever."

Ephesians 5:20 (ESV) "Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Gratitude! What is gratitude. Gratitude is giving thanks, being thankful and greatful for something. Question is what are you thankful &/or greatful for? I'm not sure if you feel the same, but sometimes there's not enough gratitude that goes on around this world. I do hear a lot of complaining though... We have paying jobs & yet we complain that we don't get paid enough or we can't stand the people we work with. At least we have a job! We complain about not having a properly working toilet or household items. At least we have a place to call HOME! We complain about not having a nice car like so and so. At least we have a car! To be honest I can be one those people sometimes... but do you know what I mean? Too much complaning and not enough gratitude where if we think about it, there a lot more people around the world that have it worse.

God's teaching me to be THANKFUL & GREATFUL for what I do have! So let's not think about what we don't have, but what we DO have. Look around you, there's so much to be thankful for. The last scripture in Ephesians Paul is thanking God for everything, and I love this because Paul was in a situation that most people if in prison would not be thankful for. No matter what situation Paul was in, He still thanked and praised God. Can we do the same? That even if we were in the most terrible of positions or circumstances that we can still give glory and honor to God? Let's ask God to instill in us the ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE. It's great to be THANKFUL, it definately helps us focus on the positive rather than the negative.

Have a good one everyone & be blessed! Remember SMILE & BE GREATFUL FOR ALL GOD HAS DONE & IS DOING!

Ronald D.