Deepen Your Joy by Giving Thanks

“You have turned for me my mourning into
dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end
that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will
give thanks to You forever.” (Psalm 30:11-12)

Over the last year God has been gently reminding me to practice choosing
gratitude when I feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and emptied of joy. It’s easy to
practice thanksgiving this time of year, but one holiday in November is not
enough to practice being truly thankful for all the blessings in our lives.

Praise and thanksgiving to God does more than make us feel good.  They also increase our understanding of God’s
goodness.  And through that, we receive a
greater capacity to experience and enjoy Him in our lives.  While many people spend a great deal of time adding
to their prayer lists, we must also spend time expanding our praise list and
counting the blessings of God—naming them one by one.  

Only in Jesus are we able to become the kind of thankful people God created
us to be and fulfill the human destiny of thanksgiving.  For the Christian, with both feet standing
firmly in the good news of Jesus, there are possibilities for a true
thanksgiving which we otherwise would never know.  Instead of being down and discouraged,
spreading gloom and despair everywhere you go, begin to radiate the joy of the Lord!