"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." Colossians 3:15
There is a legend of a man who found the barn where Satan kept his seeds ready to be sown in the human heart, and on finding the seeds of "Discouragement" more numerous than others, learned that those seeds could be made to grow almost anywhere. When Satan was questioned, he reluctantly admitted that there was one place in which he could never get them to thrive. "And where is that?" Asked the man. Satan replied, sadly, "In the heart of a grateful man."
The sweet psalmist of Israel, David realized gratitude plays an essential part in true worship, like fingers on a harp. He sang praises to God at all times, and often in the darkest moments, as a nightingale which is a bird that sings in the dark, one of its kind in the world. When David was in despair, he called on God, his praises soon mingled with his cries of anguish, showing the victory accomplished by his habitual thankfulness for God's faithfulness. When all is dark and eerie, when your strength is gone and you are weary, come to the secret place of the Most High, there abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Be thankful and let your joy be filled with gratitude, even in the night. Sometimes, a light surprises a Christian while he prays in the darkest hour. God is with us in trouble, He is there for us in the heartless night, and when there's no hope in sight, Jesus can be the salvation and light you find, if you seek Him with all your heart. The mountaintops of the Bible are the victories of prayer. Don't just stand there, but pray with a thankful and humble heart, and with gratitude in the heart, discouragement cannot be sown. Praise God and thank Him before the answer arrives. And He shall hear your voice.
"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." Psalm 100:4
A devotion of thankfulness
May 23, 2002