" THANKFULNESS is an Attitude "

   

  HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ONE AND ALL !!!  I held off doing my blog until I had a sense of what the LORD wanted me to write about. I should have known that Thankfulness would be a good subject for this holiday. There are many places in scripture that give us a look into what GOD thinks about HIS children being thankful and I thought I would start in Psalms and then move into the New Testament...........

Psalm 100  Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands ! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before HIS presence with singing. 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. Enter into HIS gates with thanksgiving, and into HIS courts with praise. BE THANKFUL TO HIM, and bless HIS name. For the LORD is good; HIS mercy is everlasting, and HIS truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 140:12 & 13  I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to YOUR name; the upright shall dwell in YOUR presence.

Ephesians 5:15 thru 21  See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the LORD is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is excess; but be filled with the SPIRIT, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the LORD, giving thanks always for all things to GOD the FATHER in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, submitting to one another in the fear of GOD.

Philippians 4: 4 thru 7  Rejoice in the LORD always. Again I will say rejoice ! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The LORD is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to GOD; and the peace of GOD, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through CHRIST JESUS.

1st.Thessalonians 5:12 thru 22  And we urge you brethren to recognize those who labor among you and are over you in the LORD and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of GOD in CHRIST JESUS for you. Do not quench the SPIRIT. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

     Thankfulness, like many other actions, are done or given out of a grateful heart attitude, or at least it should be. Many times a day people say thanks, rather carelessly and without much real thankful-
ness. For the truly Born Again Believer, an attitude of thankfulness should not only be on the tip of our tongues but a heartfelt way of life. We have been given the greatest gift of forgiveness through our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST's death on the cross to pay for our sins. Being haughty or prideful should never be  part of a True Christians attitude, because we have nothing of which to boast, except in the cross of CHRIST. Even the great Apostle Paul said that he was a Pharisee of the Pharisee's, he was a Hebrew of the Hebrew's. In other words he was at the top of the heap in his pre-Christian life, people looked up to him, he could get the front row seat anywhere he went.  But as he said, " he counted all that as dung for the excellency of CHRIST. All of our old life, done outside of the LORD, is counted as rubbish. We have nothing in which to boast of either.

     But thankfulness is an attitude of the heart. If you don't have any real sense of thankfulness, toward GOD through our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, then I would check to see if you truly are saved. Even in the middle of trials, which everyone has, we should see the hand of GOD teaching us through the trial. Just think of it, the GOD of Heaven, the all HOLY and RIGHTEOUS GOD cares so much for you that HE does the teaching through the times of trials that only HE allows in our lives. HE is a GOD that is involved, HE is not a GOD that is aloof or stands back uninterested in us.

     Maybe you're not saved. Maybe you have doubts about being a Christian, or maybe you know in your heart of hearts that you have never truly been saved. GOD says in HIS WORD that " today is the day of salvation ."  We have no assurance of another chance. Bow your head in prayer. Admit your need of a SAVIOR to pay the price of your sins. Ask JESUS to come into your heart and life and save you. HE WILL and then the thankfulness will be that heartfelt attitude that GOD looks for in HIS children !!!
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie