1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
3 For the Lord is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
7 for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
Today, if only you would hear his voice,
8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,
as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested me;
they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation;
I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they have not known my ways.’
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’” Psalm 95
An Attitude of Gratitude
In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November, so it is coming up very quickly. Gratitude has been front and center this month on my social media feeds and in general conversation. With so much focus on it, I have been thinking about how much I have slipped into the habit of complaining rather than finding something for which to be grateful. And a thankful attitude is beneficial in so many ways…
The Science of Gratitude
Scientists have studied the benefits of practicing gratitude in our lives. Rehearsing being grateful actually trains your brain to learn to be grateful faster and easier. Gratitude boosts the immune system and actually helps you stay healthier. It reduces stress and helps circumvent anxiety and depression. A thankful attitude promotes an empathetic one, which strengthens relationships. Studies have shown that grateful people sleep more deeply and restfully. Some studies even link the practice of gratitude with an increase in healthy habits, like exercising and eating well.
Prompts for Gratitude
It may be super beneficial, but that still does not make most of us practice daily gratitude. Life is busy and hard. Sometimes it is difficult to find something that sparks thankfulness. During really hard experiences or chaotic days (like the ones coming up in December), we may need help getting started – a gratitude prompt. This is why I chose Psalm 95 for this week’s scripture.
Psalm 95
Psalm 95 is full of reasons to thank God. Each verse prompts our hearts to gratitude!
1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
The first reason to give thanks is that the Bible says we should! We come into the presence of the almighty God when we give thanks to Him. How amazing is that!?!
3 For the Lord is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
God is more powerful than anything or anyone that we could put in His place. When we remember what God is capable of and what he has done for us, our hearts bow down in gratitude.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
Let’s take a look at the world around us. Creation itself pulls us to thank the Creator. He holds the deepest parts of caves and volcanos in His hands. The peak of Mt. Everest is His. The extreme beauty, mystery, and majesty of nature is the invention and possession of God.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
The depths of the ocean and all its contents. The land, plants, animals, and all people. God formed it all! Picture your favorite animal and thank God for it. Imagine the most beautiful beach in the world and the vastness of the sea and thank God for it. In your mind’s eye, see the gemstones that are mined from the ground – sparkling diamonds, rubies, and emeralds – and thank God because He designed them all!
6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
7 for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
We are under the care of the God of the universe! He will never leave us. He never abandons us. What an incredible thing to grateful for!
Today, if only you would hear his voice,
8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,
as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness,9 where your ancestors tested me;
they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation;
I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they have not known my ways.’
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
Grumbling and complaining was one of the first steps toward a hardened heart. Remember the Israelites in the wilderness. They complained about EVERYTHING! Yes, they had some long walks and tough days, but they had been set free from slavery. Their physical needs were provided for everyday. God literally showed up at the mountain to communicate with them. They saw signs and wonders on a daily basis. There were plenty of reasons for gratitude, yet they chose complaining and ended up wandering for forty more years and missing out on the promised land.
Action Step:
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to have to wander around in the hard, dry and barren places of life. I don’t want to miss out on all that God had promised. I am choosing to practice gratitude each day and I hope you will join me.
Let’s list a few things that we can thank God for to help us get started on tough days:
- __________________________________________________________________________
- __________________________________________________________________________
- __________________________________________________________________________
I’d also love to hear on Facebook or Instagram what you chose to be grateful for! Join in the conversation on the Devotion in Action page.
Prayer:
Dear God, Help us as we try to change from complainers to thankers in daily life. Even on our toughest days, bring to our minds the things for which we can be grateful. Remind us that you are always worthy of our thanks! In Jesus’ name, amen.
Don’t miss out on all the freebies!
For access to the free printables to use in Bible art journaling, click here: https://www.devotioninaction.com/resourcelibrary/
If you don’t have access yet to the Resource Library, find out how to get free access HERE!