One of the many things I am thankful for is that I have a direct line to God. When I ask for direction in what I should do he answers me, sometimes quicker than others, but he is always there ready to direct my steps. And just the other day as I was doing my morning devotionals and asking God to show me what I should write my blog about this month, within the hour I heard from him.
As a church we are doing the bible in a year together and sharing our thoughts about the daily bible readings. One of the readings for that day was Psalm 136. In this psalm is repeated again and again:
“Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. His mercy endures forever”
My response to that Psalm was that it was a great reminder of how merciful God is — it keeps me grateful and dependent on him.
In response to me, Dominick wrote that he was in agreement with what I shared and reminded me of what Johnathan Olsteen said “Thank-you is God’s password.”
As soon as I read that I knew that was God speaking to me through Dominick directing my steps, and so the name of my blog is Thank-you… God’s Password.
Psalm 100:4 says it so clearly
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise: give thanks to him, and praise his name.”
We now live in a time where to have access to many things we need a password or we do not have access to it.
The word “Thank-you” is truly the password that gives God access to our heart.
That’s why David said “Enter his gates with thanksgiving.” That’s the first point of entry — we focus on what we have to be thankful for. That opens the door and then praise starts to rise up out of us and our heart opens up even more.
A thankful heart is soft and yielding and ready to receive all God has for them. A thankful heart is filled with faith because they remember all God has done in their life.
Being thankful is a choice we make. Our minds can be focused on all the good we have in our life, all that we have to be grateful for, or it could be focused on all that we don’t have and all that is wrong.
It is developing a habit of thanksgiving.
It’s a habit of dwelling on and remembering all that you have to be thankful for. The beauty of it is the more you are thankful the more you become aware of all the things big and little you have to be grateful for.
A grateful heart is nurtured through prayer and relationship, and a scripture that cultivates that is found in
Philippians 4:6-8 “Be anxious for nothing, but in all things by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God, and the peace of God will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any value, if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.”
The key that unlocks a heart overflowing with gratitude is prayer.
As we pray and continually thank him along the way, a heart of thanksgiving is developed in us, and a peace will fill us to depend more and more on God, and the more we will realize how much we have to be grateful for.
It’s a mindset, so we choose to focus on the good.
Philippians 4:8 Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any value, if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.”
It’s a mindset. We choose to think on these things.
Gratitude isn’t a feeling, it’s an expression. As we express gratitude and fill our minds with all we have to be grateful for, our emotions will follow.
It is so easy for me to find things to be grateful for. I’m grateful for my salvation that I am a born again child of God and I have an intimate relationship with Jesus. I’m grateful for my husband Jim who is kind and loving and is my best friend. I’m grateful for my child Dawn and that she is married to a wonderful man who is a great husband and father to my grandchildren. I’m grateful for my grandchildren, each and every one, who bring so much joy to my life. I’m grateful for my sister and brother, and all my nieces and nephews. I’m grateful I am surrounded by a loving family. I’m grateful for my church family, that it is a healthy family filled with love, that we are truly a church family made up of people who “outdo one another by showing honor to one another” (Romans 12:10). I’m grateful my life has a purpose and that my life is filled with joy as I step out in that purpose each day.
I could fill pages with all I have to be grateful for.
Thank-You truly is the password that gives God access to our heart and will fill us with peace and joy and love.