A Thankful Heart

A Thanksgiving Devotion by Ann Shorb:

"Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation." Psalm 68:19

Psalm 68 is an interesting passage. It was intended to be used in worship by Israel as a song of victory and deliverance. It recounts the many difficulties they endured and speaks of them being afflicted, oppressed, helpless, sinful, and exposed to hurt and pain; yet this Psalm recalls that God provided for His people in the tough wilderness wanderings and in the days of bountiful blessing in the Promised Land of Canaan. In both the good times and the bad, God blessed them and cared for them. In this passage, His people recognize that and thank Him for it.

Often in the bad times our eyesight gets foggy and we fail to recognize God’s hand of blessing. We focus on the negatives and let them pull us down. At times we may not even see any positives in our situation, but my friend, God always gives blessings even though they may not be readily seen.

I encourage you to deliberately find things to be thankful for every day of the year. See God’s hand at work in your life and praise Him. Remember that daily He gives multiple blessings. Matthew Henry the great Bible commentator said, “So many, so weighty are the gifts of God’s bounty, that He may be truly said to load us with them.” Yes, face life’s difficulties, but focus on the load of blessings that surround you and thank God for them. Remember, a thankful heart is a joyful heart!

Beloved Father, help us always to see You as the bountiful giver of blessings. Keep us from getting caught up in negative thinking and neglecting the wonderful benefits You provide for us each day.

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