"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise, give thanks to Him and praise His name." (Psalm 100:4 NIV)
We are implored to give thanks in all circumstances because gratitude is the passport to His presence. Thanks invites God into the room.
Think about the example of Jesus: He thanked the Father amidst ministry rejection, supply shortages, in the face of betrayal and false accusation. Jesus gave thanks in the strange situations and when He spoke gratitude, He invited His loving Father in to those situations.
I don’t know about you, but for me, the worse the situation, the more I require God’s presence. Thanks and praise seems to be the fastest way to realize He is in the room.
I’m thinking back to my first infilling of the Spirit. After fourteen years of asking, I had reached a place of desperation. I could not move forward in obedience without more of Him. I locked myself in my room, committing to stay until I received. Even then, I did not experience the fullness of God until I employed the passport of thanks and praise. Pouring out my gratitude in that empty season actually opened the door to heaven in a way that reformed my personhood forever.
Plus, gratitude does wonder for our soul. I was reading this week about how the regular habit of thankfulness lowers our blood pressure, blood sugar and creatine. It even fights off inflation and protects against infection. Gratitude also boosts oxytocin; the happy hormones that help us feel connected. Our body actually functions far better when we give God thanks. It’s almost like He knew. 🙂
"Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:20 NIV)
Lord, today we thank You for issuing us a passport into Your presence: gratitude. Giving thanks is a powerful tool. May we yield it often. We are glad to have this instant access to You. May we learn to implement it in all circumstances. Amen.