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Be Thankful from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

Always remember to be thankful for what God has done for you. Jesus Christ lived on Earth as our example, and He was graceful, thankful, and filled with praise. We should try and live like that, for no matter what we have been through, there are still some things we can be thankful for. An important one is that you woke up again today. For some people, yesterday was their last day on Earth. I hope they made the best of it. We aren't promised tomorrow, so don't take the gift of living another day for granted.

Jesus sometimes overflowed with the Spirit and spontaneously rejoiced and thanked His Father. Have you ever just burst out in thankfulness to the Lord for what He has done? 

(Luke 10:21 NKJV)  In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

Being thankful for what the Lord has done for you is important because your attitude determines your spiritual altitude. It has returns, and when you are grateful, good things are more likely to come your way than when you have a whining, pessimistic, "woe is me" type of attitude. Try smiling and holding the door for others. You may find that you enjoy your life more that way. Many have entertained angels unawares (Hebrews 13:2). 

There seems to be an ignorance today that your attitude toward God, life, or others doesn't even matter. Nothing could be further from the truth. Where did they read that? It's certainly not in the Bible. Jesus said everyone would know that we were His disciples if we loved one another (John 13:35).

Another example is one of the fruits of the Spirit: Patience. Patience is not just being able to wait in line. It's the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. Everyone at the DMV waits in line, but not everyone is patient.

There have been so many times when I have just been going through my day, perhaps whistling a tune, maybe thanking God for having work to do, because there have been many times when I didn't. And suddenly, He would give me something I secretly desired. I've been given printers, scanners, computers, cables, money, and more. Things that I told no one about would find their way to me. As I was a blessing to others, God used others to bless me.

As you delight in the Lord, He takes notice, and your attitude today actually matters.  Consider these scriptures:

(Psalm 37:4 NKJV)  Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

To Delight means: "To take great pleasure in" as in: "They delight in playing hide and seek."

(2 Corinthians 9:7–8 NKJV)  So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

To be Cheerful means: "Noticeably happy and optimistic," as in: "How can she be so cheerful at six o'clock in the morning?"

(Colossians 3:16–17 NKJV)  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The word "Thanks" means: "an expression of gratitude."

To Delight in the Lord, to be cheerful, and to be thankful are supposed to be a part of our attitude. Does that sound like you? It doesn't always sound like me, but it is my goal. David wrote many of the Psalms, and they are full of thankfulness. This message isn't deep rocket science but an extremely simple one that we already know in our hearts. It's a reminder. 

The opposite side of this coin is complaining, whining, and entitlement, which is greatly growing in popularity today. Complaining is "to express dissatisfaction or annoyance about an event or the state of affairs." Entitlement is thinking that God owes you something and then getting upset with Him if you don't get it. Yes, He loves us, but we should remember that we are in His debt, and He is not our pet. There are biblical examples of these attitudes as well. 

The tenth time that the Israelites began to murmur and complain in the wilderness, God told them this:

(Numbers 14:27–29 NKJV)  "How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, 'As I live,' says the LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above."

And then in Deuteronomy:

(Deuteronomy 28:47–48 NKJV)  "Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you."

Being thankful to God brings rewards. So does whining and complaining, but the rewards are very different. Never think that being a Christian negates the Bible and that it doesn't apply to you. The same God who hated complaining then, still does. The God who loves a cheerful giver, still does. And "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" still works. 

Yesterday was 24 hours of your life that are now gone, so I hope you enjoyed it with a smile because it isn't coming back. Let us be encouraged today and work on keeping a positive attitude. Those around you will appreciate it, and that list includes angels, the Holy Spirit, and the great crowd of witnesses that have gone on before us. Be thankful for what the Lord has done for you. 

You can pray this with me if you like: 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please cleanse and refine me from the inside out. Purge the bad attitudes out of me and fill me with Your peace and grace. I am sorry for the times I ignored you and became so caught up in what I was doing that I forgot to say: "Thank You." So today, I want You to know that I am so grateful, so thankful, for all that You have done for me, and I so appreciate You. I just wanted You to know that. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!