STEPS OF GRATITUDE

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly
as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom
through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit,
singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:16-17

A list of eight steps to take for gratitude were recently posted by a friend and I have adapted them to express gratitude to God.  As we approach a new year, seriously consider adding these steps to your lives to remember who He is and what He has done for you personally.

                                                                                         Joyce

Steps of Gratitude to God

• Take a moment to identify one attribute of God each day.

• Tell someone about the attribute or share it on social media. This can help you savor what it means to you a little longer.

• Start a daily gratitude journal. Aim to find little things you're grateful to God for, such as a pretty sunrise or nice weather.

• Identify a personal strength God has given you and reflect on how you've used this strength today or in recent weeks.

• Set a daily goal to be obedient to God’s will and track your progress. 

• Practice "perspective": Identify an activity that is a hassle. Then, reframe it from God’s perspective and His desire to refine your faith and conform you to the image of Jesus Christ.

• Bless someone else each day. These daily acts of kindness can be as simple as giving someone a smile or giving up your seat on a crowded train.

• Practice the presence of God.  Take time to focus on Him.

GRATITUDE FOR . . . GOD FOREVER

“I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.” 
Psalm 145:1-2

 

In Psalm 145, David encouraged himself and others to praise God for ever and ever for who He is and what He has done.  God endures forever. He is eternal. He has no beginning and no end. Eternity is that aspect of His being in which He is above time. The Lord is eternally gracious to those that serve him, full of compassion to those that need him, slow to anger to those that have offended him and merciful to all that seek him.

Believers are to give God glory for His greatness and His works with all that is within us each and every day for all of our lives.  Our gratitude should exceed all of our requests. We have the most reason to bless Him and continue praising Him for ever and ever. As the end of one mercy is the beginning of another, so should one expression of gratitude follow another.

What are your thoughts on Psalm 145 or God's eternity, endurance and boundlessness?

Joyce

GRATITUDE FOR . . . GOD’S LOVE

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.”
Psalm 136:26:1-3

Psalm 136 begins with a three-fold praise of the Triune God whose love endures forever.  These verses contain three names of God: Jehovah (LORD) - His proper name with reference to His essence as self existent, God - an all powerful judge, and Lord - representing His sovereignty.  However, this psalm emphasises His love endures forever and repeats this phrase in all 26 verses for special emphasis. God doesn’t just love, He is love! His love is part of His nature and is demonstrated in everything He does.  God alone is the source of love and His love is not based on our worthiness.

Only the regenerated heart of a believer can love as God loves.  Once we receive His love, He expects us to love others. God loves through believers, who act as channels for His love by treating others unconditionally with respect and concern.  God must be the first object of our love with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, but His love is motivation to love others. 

What are your thoughts on Psalm 136 or God's love?

Joyce

GRATITUDE FOR . . . GOD’S PRESENCE

The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies."
Psalm 118:6-7

Psalm 118 begins and ends with gratitude for the LORD, who is “I am.”  God is with us and His presence provides a special closeness that is personal and encourages trust and obedience.   His presence is a place where prayers are heard, judgements are made and blessings are bestowed. God’s presence eternally will be the ultimate blessing, because believers will see him face to face.

Christians may approach the presence of the Lord with confidence because of Jesus Christ.  God’s presence provides comfort and help in times of trouble as well as humbles believers as He holds us accountable for every word and action.  The Lord is whatever we need, rejoice and be glad!

What are your thoughts on Psalm 118 or God's presence?

Joyce

GRATITUDE FOR . . . GOD’S NAME

“Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.”
Psalm 105:1-4

Psalm 105 encourages gratitude for the Lord’s name and His wonderful deeds.  God is known by many different names based on His attributes and character which have been revealed by Him.  Yahweh/Yah (yhwh) is the only proper name for God and is used throughout the Scriptures to specify a presence.   God is "with, " He is near and among His people. His name is to be praised.

Believers are to call God by His name, proclaim it and fill the world around us with knowledge of Him.  We are to seek His face and give Him the descriptive title that most expresses our relationship with Him with an attitude of gratitude.  We are also to tell others about His name, attributes and works, but especially that He remembers and fulfills His promises.

What are your thoughts on Psalm 105 or God's name?

                                                                           Joyce

GRATITUDE FOR . . . GOD'S GREATNESS

“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.”
Psalm 95:1-7 

David uses gratitude to the Lord in Psalm 95 to affirm His greatness in strength (our Rock), essence (our King) and relation to mankind (our Maker).  God by nature is great which is exhibited in His love toward mankind by forgiving and redeeming us. It is an attribute that describes the extent and magnitude of God’s character which is beyond the ordinary.  

David’s three-fold call to express gratitude include joy, reverence and obedience.  Joy in coming before Him with a happy and peaceful spirit. Reverence in positional submission of attitude and action.  Obedience in not hardening our hearts as we listen to His voice. Jesus modeled greatness by humbling Himself as a servant.  Our greatness is measured by our response to God and our service to others.

What are your thoughts on Psalm 95 or God's greatness?

Joyce

GRATITUDE FOR . . . GOD'S DEEDS

“Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.”
Psalm 86:8-10

Psalm 86 is filled with David’s adoration, gratitude and petition emphasizing not only God’s attributes, but also His incomparable works.  God is able as well as willing to help and His works are unique. God is great and His deeds are great - there is none like Him, He alone is God.

Believers are expected to abound in good deeds which show their faith to be real and vital.  Deeds are an expression of gratitude in the believer’s heart. God is never done blessing us, so let’s never be done blessing Him.

What are your thoughts on Psalm 86 or God's deeds?

Joyce

In addition to gratitude for God’s deeds, Psalm 86 contains the following 10 safeguards from sin (past sermon notes in my Bible) along with the reassurance of His love (v.13):

• Remember our poverty without God (v.1)
• Be honest with our needs (v.1)
• Guard against potential areas of sin (v.2)
• Be acquainted with God’s mercy (v.3)
• Seek joy from the Lord (v.4)
• Accept forgiveness (v.5)
• Call upon God at the 1st sign of trouble (v.7)
• Walk in the truth (v.11)
• Give priority to God (v.11)
• Have a balanced perspective toward God (v.11)

GRATITUDE FOR . . . GOD'S MERCY

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.”
Psalm 69:30

In Psalm 69, David recounts his affliction, prays for mercy and praises God.  God’s mercy, unlike ours, cannot be exhausted. Mercy is His compassionate love toward His people which is gracious, unmerited and undeserved.  It is intrinsic to God’s nature and executed in and through Jesus Christ.

God requires believers to be merciful as well as being grateful for His daily mercies.  True faith produces genuine compassion and acts of mercy toward those in need. Mercy is a characteristic of discipleship and is expressed in giving to others as God has given to us.

What are your thoughts on Psalm 69 or God's mercy?

Joyce

GRATITUDE FOR . . . GOD'S FAITHFULNESS

“I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.”
Psalm 57:9-11

In Psalm 57, David shows gratitude to God for providing refuge, love and faithfulness.  God’s faithfulness and covenant love are related and He is faithful in keeping His promises.  As one of the characteristics of God’s nature, faithfulness denotes the consistency of God with His people. He is unchanging - the same yesterday, today and tomorrow!

Just as God is faithful and loving, believers need to show faithfulness and love in their lives.  It is the Spirit which enables us to see God’s faithfulness and remain faithful to and dependent upon Him.  We are comforted by God’s nature, promises and grace when we begin each day offering both prayer and gratitude to Him. 

What are your thoughts on Psalm 57 or God's faithfulness?

Joyce

GRATITUDE FOR . . .GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
For the LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.”
Psalm 47:1-2

In Psalm 47, God is Most High over nations and King over earth.  God’s sovereignty is demonstrated by His powerful intervention and control of events.  The sovereignty of God is one of the most prevalent doctrines throughout Scripture and is defined as His absolute right to do things according to his own good pleasure.  As believers, there is great comfort in knowing that God is in control of all things.

God is worthy of all gratitude and praise in Psalm 47.  We are to take great joy and satisfaction in what God has done for us individually plus have admiration of what He has done in general.  Gratitude and praise are encouraged - publicly, cheerfully and intelligently.

Whatare your thoughts on Psalm 47 or God's sovereignty?

Joyce

GRATITUDE FOR . . .GOD'S GOODNESS

“I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

I will glory in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.”
Psalm 34:1-3

In Psalm 34, David expresses his gratitude to the Lord for deliverance, blessing

and protection.  All of these are part of God’s goodness which includes both

giving and forgiving. God is not only good in general, but He is good to us.  It

is part of His character to be benevolent, compassionate and patient. His

goodness is a moral quality that is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit that springs

from the inner person once we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  Goodness

involves right behavior, resistance of evil and choosing to follow all moral good.

Gratitude in Psalm 34 is continual, at all times, in every circumstance.  It is never

unseasonable to bless the Lord with gratitude. It cannot be known or expressed

except by personal experience, but we are invited to also express it together. 

What are your thoughts on Psalm 34 or God's goodness?

Joyce

GRATITUDE FOR . . . GOD'S REDEMPTION

“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” 
Psalm 19:14

In Psalm 19, David meditates on God’s character and works.   God’s glory is proclaimed by His creation and He is revealed as our personal Rock and Redeemer.  God redeems His people out of love and this redemptive activity of God is both physical and spiritual.  He acts compassionately on behalf of mankind to restore His people. Redemption is deliverance from alienation from God which has been fully paid through the death and resurrection of Christ.  It is a continuous process by which we are not only set free from the captivity of sin, but are moving toward a full life in Christ.

Gratitude is seen in Psalm 19 for both God’s glory or goodness to man seen every day and His established order.  Gratitude in prayer and praise comes from the meditations of the heart and obedience in thought, word and deed. We need divine grace to show faults, free us from the power of sin and give us thoughts acceptable to God.

What are your thoughts on Psalm 19 or God's redemption?

Joyce

GRATITUDE FOR . . . GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS

“I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.”

Psalm 9:1-2

In Psalm 9, David gives thanks and sings praise to the Lord with his whole heart

for who He is and what He has done.  God is righteous and just and is a refuge

and stronghold in times of trouble. Righteousness is one of the chief attributes

of God and is the perfection and purity of his holy nature.  His righteousness is

a gift He gives to believers because of the sacrificial death of Jesus for our sins.

His righteousness allows us to live in conformity to His will. We are to serve

Him out of gratitude and love because He has reconciled us and transformed

our relationship into friendship.  

Psalm 9 indicates gratitude is a matter of the whole heart.  It is a privilege to be

grateful and give praise to the Lord.  Gratitude reminds us of all the times He

has been merciful to us and helps us anticipate all He will do for us in the future. 

True gratitude includes telling others plus invites others to be grateful to Him also.

What are your thoughts on Psalm 9 or God's righteousness?

Joyce

GRATITUDE

“Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!  

Serve the Lord with gladness; 

Come before His presence with singing.  

Know that the Lord, He is God; 

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; 

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.  

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, 

And into His courts with praise. 

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.  

For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, 

And His truth endures to all generations.”
Psalm 100

Psalm 100 is a strong invitation to be grateful to God for who He is and what He
has done.  He is God, He is our Creator, He is good, He is merciful and His truth
endures forever.

Gratitude is something we need to intentionally choose in order to always be joyful.  God needs to be the center of our gratitude rather than our joy being based on material possessions, our success or accomplishments. Gratitude quickly sets in when we begin to spend a quiet moment each day remembering Him and keeping a journal of personal blessings. 

Gratitude is an indispensable element of prayer. We should get in the habit of giving thanks every minute of every day to the Lord God Almighty for His presence, protection, provision and promises.  We should pray for eyes to see all our blessings so we have a proper perspective.

Gratitude in all circumstances has the potential to change your heart and life
immeasurably as well as deepen your relationship with God. Good can always be
found even in the worst of times and embracing gratitude during those trials may
be the one thing that gets you through them.

Gratitude is God’s will revealed by His instruction to give thanks in Scripture and
should be a way of life for every believer.  We should speak gratitude aloud,
confirming we are full of joy to others so that they want to possess the same lifestyle.

My challenge to you is to join me in beginning to make a list of every day personal
blessings, that we uniquely are grateful to have been given by God, our Father. 
The psalms are David’s journal of gratitude and a great example for us as believers. Join me as we take a look at several of David’s psalms over the next several weeks.

                                                                                         Joyce