An Attitude of Gratitude

 

     Psalm 34:1 I WILL bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. The Psalmist David, is resolute and determined without any bit of wavering on his part to bless the LORD his God. The Lord has heard his cries and even though David had sinned, he cried out to God for mercy and God answered his prayer as he departed from the Philistine king.  

    It is often easy to praise God and proclaim his goodness in times of triumph or plenty, but we ought always praise him, especially in times of mercy. God is always only good! He is due our praise, not only from a grateful heart but from an open mouth as well.  When you and I have an attitude of gratitude, when we determine as David did to be thankful for the mercies of God, and let our praises well up from our hearts to our lips, it is a blessing to God. Blessings are not just received by us from the hand of God, but you and I can bless God in return by singing his praises, proclaiming his goodness, shouting his mercies, and sharing his love. 

     Think about it, it is very difficult to complain or criticize when our mouths are filled with his praises.  David said “at all times”, simply put, he is settled and resolved to not let bitterness in, to not whine, to bridle his tongue, and refuse to let his words be negative towards Jehovah God.  What a different place the world would be if we, like David, determined in our hearts and mouths to be positive and be vocal to each other and the world around us of the goodness of God. God deserves to be blessed by us. Every born again believer should strive to not just please God with our actions every day, but we should make it a lifelong resolution to bless the Lord with our mouths as well.  In a day and age when so much filth and nonsense seems to just flow from the mouths of the world around us without hesitation or shame, as Christians we ought also be ashamed if we were to go any length of time without blessing the Lord vocally and singing his praises, even when it is most difficult to shout and sing.

     Another example of this attitude of gratitude would be of Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail. They had been beaten, their hands and feet bound in stocks, yet in the deepest, darkest recesses of that jail at the darkest hour of the night, they too refused to let a negative word leave their lips. As they lay there in pain, the joy of God’s continual goodness and grace, along with his mercies swelled within them, and burst forth from their lips as they began to sing and pray. God was blessed and those prison walls shook with the ground and a great miracle took place! 

     Friend, you and I would enjoy the blessings of God as well as the christian life more abundantly, if we determine within our hearts to bless the LORD!