Article written by my sister-in-Christ, M. Featherson
Developing a Heart of Gratitude
As a little girl growing up in church, we regularly recited Psalms 23 and 100 during worship. The church atmosphere was always filled with exuberant joy as the organist played. You could hear the rattles of the tambourines as we opened our mouths, declaring the goodness of the LORD. It was a time of thanksgiving and praising God for who He is and for all He has done.
Psalm 23, written by the shepherd boy, David, who later became king, was etched in my mind and made its way to my heart to change my life. All I knew at the age of ten was that God was the Good Shepherd, who loves me, and would take good care of me. Learning, understanding, and reciting these Psalms would help create a heart of gratitude in me.
What is Gratitude?
If you look up the definition of gratitude, you will find various meanings: focusing on what’s good in one’s life, being thankful for the things one has, or the state of being grateful or thankful.
In the Strong’s Greek Lexicon, eucharistia means thankfulness, giving of thanks.
In the United States, as we approach the holiday season, people often want to focus on being thankful for thirty days. I have never understood the significance of thirty days; what happens during the other 335 days? If we are breathing, shouldn’t we always be thanking God?
In this life, in addition to good days, we will all experience hardship, suffer loss, and spend some time walking through the “valley of the shadow of death.” Still, God’s Word reminds us that we should give thanks in all circumstances, but not necessarily for the adverse circumstances themselves (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Because we live in a world that does not honor God, life will not always be easy. But we can still thank God because He holds all things together for our good. The Psalmist assures us that even amid a storm or a fiery circumstance, we will experience God’s constant goodness (Psalm 23:6a).
Personal Testimonies
Each day, I choose to honor God by being thankful for not just the big things but even the smallest occurrences in life. As I sit here writing, I am thankful for my college-aged sons who willingly share what’s going on in their hearts, whether good, bad, or indifferent, which is rare these days. But you should also know that I am actively choosing to be thankful that I have a heavenly Father who sees and knows all things, as I currently have a family member battling a very challenging situation that, if not fixed, will affect many family members. Still, through this, I remember that “the just shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38).
My joy and faith rest in knowing God is working something out in their lives. My faith also leads me to read about the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 and how they endured battles but continued to honor God by trusting in Him. And, if I’m going to trust Him, I may as well get busy thanking and praising Him for their breakthrough.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6 ESV
A Heart of Gratitude: Reflecting on the Life of David
When I think of a person in the Bible who was full of gratitude, I think of David, King of Israel. A flawed king who made some selfish, terrible decisions, but one who loved the LORD. David didn’t doubt God’s love and faithfulness; because of that, his heart was full of thanksgiving.
David knew to seek God’s guidance. He trusted and gave God glory through difficult times. He did not place thanksgiving on the back burner. It has been said that out of the 150 Psalms, David penned at least 73, if not more.
What is a Psalm?
A psalm is a sacred song or poem used in worship to praise God and express the depths of one’s heart. David expressed gratitude towards God in good and bad times and even in times of correction. God called David “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). Wow, beautiful words that I’m sure we all want God to say about us.
David trusted God to work out His will and His way, which God expects of us as well. When we are after God’s heart, we are able to offer heaps of praise to God because we are focused on Him and not our circumstances. As I stated earlier, this enables us to give thanks in all things.
So, how about you? Are you thankful and trusting God in all things? Remember, if you allow your problem to overshadow God’s truth, you will have difficulty embracing gratitude. Let’s be like David and believe God.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, thank You for being my Jehovah-Rohi, my personal Good Shepherd. Because of who You are, I have everything I’ll ever need. You have made it clear that in You, I can calmly rest. Thank you for being responsible for me and tending to my every physical and spiritual need.
Thank You that it gives You pleasure to lead me through life’s journey. If I should travel through a shadowy valley, Your Word reminds me that I don’t have to fear because You are with me. Your rod will beat anything that wants to attack me, and Your staff will guide me and pull me away from harm.
Though the enemy of my soul may surround me, You prepare a bountiful table for me in their presence, meeting my physical and emotional needs. Thank you that You anoint my head with oil whenever I need healing, You take away all pain, You are my Source, and because of You, my cup never runs dry.
I am thankful that You cover my every need, including my eternal need, by reminding me that I will dwell with You in Your house FOREVER. Thank You, Lord, for rescuing me in Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is my prayer of gratitude, based on Psalm 23. I invite you to write out your own prayer of gratitude and ask God to create a heart of gratitude in you.
About Michele
Michele Featherson is a lover of Jesus Christ, wife to her best friend of 29 years, and mother to two amazing, God-fearing sons. One of her greatest desires is to change the lives of people, both young and old, through sharing God’s Word. She enjoys breaking Biblical principles down so others can understand and apply them to their lives. Michele is the creator of Michminutes, an Instagram page that offers a daily word of inspiration. She believes that although our lives may be busy, we are never too busy to talk with the Triune God.
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