Good Reasons To Have The Attitude Of Gratitude

By Pastor Bruce Oyen

E-mail: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

    It is Sunday, November 20, 2011. Thanksgiving Day is not far away. This is a special day when many Americans stop and reflect on the blessings we have in life. And this reflection leads us to give thanks for them.

      The attitude of gratitude is a common theme in the Bible, and especially in the Book Of Psalms. Consider Psalm 100's emphasis on thankfulness:

Psalm 100 (from the New King James Version)

A Psalm of Thanksgiving.

 ¹ Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
 ² Serve the LORD with gladness;
         Come before His presence with singing.
 ³ Know that the LORD, He is God;
         It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

         We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

 ⁴ Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
         And into His courts with praise.
         Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
 ⁵ For the LORD is good;
         His mercy is everlasting,
         And His truth endures to all generations.

     Verse 4 tells us to be thankful to God. Verse 5 gives reasons to be thankful. Let's consider some other blessings for which we should be thankful, though the list is not complete:

• The blessing of life itself.
• The blessing of health.
• The blessing of family and friends.
• The blessing of work.
• The blessing of God's forgiveness to all who believe in Jesus Christ.
• The blessing of eternal life given to all who believe in Jesus Christ.
• The blessing of permanent salvation for all who believe in Jesus Christ.
• The blessing of assurance of that salvation by trusting the promises of God.
• The blessing of comfort from God in time of sorrow or whenever else it is needed.
• The blessing of God's strength in time of trials and testings.
• The blessing of God's peace in life's storms.
• The blessing of wisdom needed for making decisions.
• The blessing of knowing the future from the Bible.
• The blessing of answered prayer.
• The blessing of second chances from God when we have failed to do his will and admit it.
• The blessing of having the Bible, which is God's infallible Word, from which we know about all the blessings mentioned above.