1 Chronicles 23:30
Each morning and evening they stood before the Lord to sing thanks and praise to him.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I am really trying to be more intentionally grateful. Ann Voskamp writes in her book, One Thousand Gifts* that the more we operate in gratitude, the less room we will have in our hearts and minds for other things…like a bad attitude, hatefulness, self-pity or self-loathing, and sinful thoughts of all kinds. She maintains that a heart of gratitude cannot co-exist with these things…at least not for very long.
With this thought in mind, the suggestion offered in this scripture verse to “sing thanks and praise” to the LORD each morning and evening makes perfect sense. Were we to stop for a few minutes at the beginning and end of our day and note a few reasons to be grateful, this might set the tone for the rest of our waking moments. As we learn to operate more in gratitude to God for all that He has done for us, this attitude spills over into other areas of our life…how we interact with other people…what triggers moments of stress…how we react to every situation and circumstance in our day.
We truly owe God more than two times of “intentional gratitude” each day…but it’s a good start. Let’s try this…let’s take just a minute or two each morning and evening to note a handful of things for which we are grateful. This is not the time to talk to God about your worries and concerns...but rather, let’s give God just a couple of minutes twice a day in which we really, truly notice some of the things that He has done for us. Let’s thank Him for some of the ways that He has blessed us…little nuances and gifts that make a difference – but we often take them for granted. Let’s enumerate the oft-unnoticed blessings God presents to us – and thank Him for them.
If we make twice-daily exercises in gratitude a part of our routine, we might just find that they become more prevalent at other times of our day. As we give God glory and praise for all that He has done in our lives, we may start to see Him more clearly in everyday, ordinary experiences. As we practice “intentional gratitude”, we may draw closer to God in ways we never expected. And this is a very good thing. Are you ready and willing to get started? What will you thank Him for first?
©2014 Debbie Robus
* One Thousand Gifts ~ ©2010 Ann Morton Voskamp ~ One Zondervan Press ~ www.zondervan.com
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