Forever Grateful
I will bless Adonai at all times; his praise will always be in my mouth.
When I boast, it will be about Adonai; the humble will hear of it and be glad. Proclaim with me the greatness of Adonai; let us exalt his name together.
(Psalm 34:1-3)
In this day and age, there appears little for us to be grateful about. As I write this teaching, we are experiencing new surges of the Coronavirus, even after almost three years of having restrictions imposed upon us by health authorities and governments. Don’t misunderstand me, I do understand the importance of these restrictions; they are in place to help keep us safe and secure. We have seen too many of our fellows become infected. Many of us have been witness to loved ones perishing because of the dreaded virus. So, why is this teaching entitled, Forever Grateful?
Believe it or not, there are many things for us to be grateful. Our own health is good or is improving; we have neighbours around us, who offer support and encouragement on a daily basis. We may see the trees and flowers blooming, adding much beauty to our daily walks, which are still occurring. Most of us have sufficient resources to put food on the table and there are opportunities for those without the resources to find food. No one starves in Canada today, unless they choose to starve or have a health condition with that bitter end. Am I being too light in my teaching? Am I not seeing the bitterness others have around me? How can I possibly see the real world through rose-coloured glasses?
The answer to all these questions is GOD. He is the only one who can give me the encouragement, directly or through others, to work through many of life problems we all face. He is always here for us. Since He has given us free will, the ability to make our own choices, He will not intervene. There are consequences for every decision we make, good or bad, right or wrong. These have been created to help teach us the very valuable lessons we need to learn, in order to become mature and critical thinkers, being able to recognize the dross around us and to reach for the silver and the gold in His world. And for these, the response is gratitude, constantly.
Every piece of food comes from Him, through others of course but He is the origin. Sometimes, without our even realizing, He puts food into our pantry, just because He loves us, so much. He welcomes our prayers. Prayers are our ways of communicating with Him. If we pray to our beloved God, as we would talk with a trusted and loved friend, that pleases Him more than the long, drawn-out liturgical treatises found in many congregations. Yes, for the most part, our conversations may seem one-sided, with us talking and Him listening. But then, it’s our turn to stop taking and do the listening. If we are still, signalling to Him we wish to hear from Him, then, eventually, He will speak to us, in His still small voice.
I find Scripture very helpful, in helping me focus on being grateful. For example, reading Psalm 136, I find it filled with exhortations of God’s goodness. Right from the beginning, in verse 1, I read – Give thanks to Adonai, for he is good, for his grace continues forever. Then, in Psalm 105:23, we find, Whoever offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors me; and to him who goes the right way
I will show the salvation of God.
Beloved, just as we value those who show gratitude towards us, when we assist or give things of value to them, ought we also to show our gratitude to Adonai, Who gives us so much, more than we often need? This is a very serious question, as many of us take for granted His blessings, which are so generous and so abundant. I urge us to go before His throne, now, and express our everlasting gratitude for His love for us.
CONSIDER: Do you show gratitude throughout the day, for what Adonai has given you? Do you show gratitude to others around you, for their kindness to you? Are you more bitter than you are thankful for the life you have?
ACTION: The answers to these questions will display how gratitude has or has not entered your life. Think carefully about the attitude you bring into the world and to those around you. Speak to Adonai and His Blessed Holy Spirit and ask for gratitude to enter your heart and mind.
PRAY: Abba B’Shamayim, Heavenly Father, You are the Blessed God, whose Name is far above all those who are created or desire to be You. I pray Abba that you fill our hearts and minds with gratitude for all we receive from You and through others, who may or may not worship You. Help us, I pray to show gratitude throughout our days and nights. B’Shem Adonai Yeshua, Mashichainu, Amein.
May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you fully and richly.
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