Be Thankful And Say So

Psalm 100:1-5 "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing! Know (perceive, recognise, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves ! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise!Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations."

Today I'm reminded of these beautiful verses when I found myself upset about something. When you have a certain thing you're believing and praying for and then you think you have an answer but only to find out it's a partial answer, it can be discouraging. That's where I found myself this week. I was complaining to myself and as God would have it He had someone very special to me call and just "check on me." Just at the right time...It was just what I needed. He always knows what we need when we need it. Even in the midst of pain and suffering we can still come boldly to the throne and be in the presence of God. We have the choice; to live and camp out in our suffering, become isolated and complain and blame or we can choose to live with a grateful heart despite our suffering. If we do the later, He can't help but move on your behalf. I'll tell ya, my circumstances didn't change at all but my heart sure did with one phone call of encouragement. We have so much to be thankful for and yet so often we find ourselves complaining.....and a lot of time it's about little things or things we can't even change. Complain and remain. Praise and be raised. If we just turn our complaining into praising our hearts change, our minds shift, and while our circumstances may not change we do. Sometimes God doesn't change our circumstances because He is trying to change our heart.

The devil hates for us to have thankful hearts because he knows it will help us overcome life's trials and walk in victory. Are you ready to walk in victory? A thankful heart helps to grow our faith and trust in God because we view our trials as a way grow closer to God instead of further away from him. There are many people in my life that are having problems and some very serious stuff I might add. But I want to remind you of the provision of God. Things in our life may not be perfect but we serve a perfect and holy God and He loves you and me with a perfect love. We need to practice a grateful and thankful heart. How does one do that? You meditate on the good things in our lives instead of the bad. It's easy to see the bad but focusing on the good changes our heart and outlook. Let me ask you, who or what are you thankful for in your life? His Word says "Be thankful and say so." So why keep it to yourself? You should say so! Tel them and tell them often. Don't just save it for Grateful November, be an encourager every day. Be thankful for the Lord working on your behalf even when you can't see it. Praise Him for what He's done in your life. Be thankful and say so. You never know what people are dealing with, a smile, a call, a compliment, or a hug could make such a difference. Sweet friends, use your words for good and don't focus on the bad or negative in your life. How can you be a blessing? What can you do to make a difference in someone's life? Take some time and think about how you can make a difference and give God praise for all the many blessings we have. Be thankful and say so! Sword Of The Spirit 1 Chronicles 16:34 "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Corinthians 1:4 "I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” Psalm 107:8-9 "Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Psalm 100:4 "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Colossians 3:17 "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.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Hope you guys have a wonderful week! Big hugs, Nicole 💗