Gratefulness 

In Exodus 5:21-22 Moses was asking God why He had brought trouble on His chosen people and had not delivered as He had promised. I recently experienced one of these 'Moses times'–a tantrum–when we remind God what He already knows. Just as God responded to Moses and revealed the next course of action, He also deeply impressed me that what He desired of me was to be grateful and to praise Him.  

How is that possible, Lord? When all I feel is a sense of emptiness.  He reminded me I could ask Him to remove the blindfold on my heart.  I did. Through Ezekiel 36: 26-27 and Phil 2: 13, I received the miracle of a praise-transformed heart that became my blessing and education.  

Although the Bible very scantily mentions the word 'gratefulness,' gratitude, thanksgiving, thanks and praises are numerous and are often interchangeable. Delving further into what gratefulness really means reveals that gratefulness is not just a feeling, it is a state of being.  A consistent and deeper state of gratitude for blessings received. 

During my tantrum moment, God opened my heart to the gift that He is. Yes, God is sufficient reason to be grateful. He is more than enough. As Christians then, our heart must be rechristened as a 'grateful heart,' because of the 'God reason.' 

God hasn't stopped sending timely reminders to offer Him a grateful heart, He prodded again when I was asked to write, and gratefulness flooded my heart. He knows there are benefits from a heart well-oiled with appreciation and He also knows the adverse consequences of ingratitude (Proverbs 17:22). He therefore asks us to enter His gates with thanksgiving (Psalm 100). Many scientific studies have confirmed the physical, social, and psychological blessings linked to a grateful heart, including improved sleep, better mood, reduced inflammation. 

As the year winds down, there's the tension to be grateful (or not) for promotion received or denied, mortgage paid or still pending, healing received or yet expected.  While these are blessings to be grateful for, never forget that the BEST blessing is the gift of the Sovereignty of the universe, Jesus, who gave us Himself.  That's a Gift to be eternally grateful for!  For it is in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).