PRAISE…GOD…AND…MAGNIFY HIM WITH THANKSGIVING

PSALM 69:30 NAS
When Dr. Robert Schuller, founder of California’s Crystal Cathedral, was growing up, drought ravaged their family farm. They prayed for rain that never came. His Dad, who normally harvested 100 wagon loads of corn, reaped only half a wagon full. Schuller says, ‘I’ll never forget it. His calloused hands holding ours as he looked up and prayed, “Thank you Lord, I’ve lost nothing. I’ve regained all the seed I planted in spring.” While other farmers were saying, “We lost 90 or 100 loads,” my father told me, “Never count the might-have-beens or you will be defeated. Never look at what you have lost, only look at what you have left”’ Top advice! King David said, ‘Praise . . . God . . . and . . . magnify him with thanksgiving,’ because gratitude has: a) driving power. Paul says, ‘…thanks be to God, who always leads us in victory…’ (2 Corinthians 2:14 NCV). Thanksgiving helps you make the hard decisions. It gives you courage to believe against all odds b) energising power. Listen: ‘…Don’t ever stop thinking about what is…worthy of praise…And God, who gives peace, will be with you’ (Philippians 4:8-9 CEV). Stop and remind yourself of God’s goodness. It gives you perspective and strength c) persevering power. Gratitude gives you the oomph to ‘press on’. Paul could ‘press on’ because his goals included knowing Jesus (see Philippians 3:14 NIV), and seeing a lost world saved (see Romans 10:1). What goals are you striving for? d) arriving power. When you reach your destination you will find you have developed selflessness and humility.

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