Introduction

During the month of November, many of us celebrate Thanksgiving. We travel far and near to gather with family and friends to eat, dance, reflect and share what we are grateful for. Yet most of the time, many of us are living frustrated, confused and overwhelmed. We often let the circumstances of the year overshadow the great things that God has done even in hard times. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Our human nature at times dictates our response to circumstances.

Gratitude, one of the best qualities available to us is directly tied to our focus on God. Giving thanks points you back to God regardless of your circumstance. I pray that this 5-day devotional will encourage us to elevate our attitude of gratitude in every situation.

Philippians 4:6-7: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

When I was younger, I remember going on a camping trip to the mountains of Colorado. One of the activities I had an opportunity to partake in was climbing Pikes Peak mountain, which is 14,000 feet above sea level. This was the FIRST and LAST time I took part in a mountain climbing adventure. There was nothing easy about this climb. It took over 6 hours. It was hot, the climb made my legs tired and there were many times I wanted to stop and turn back. 

The thing about mountains is that when you are climbing, you are typically within a forested area until you reach the tree line (the portion of the mountain in which trees can no longer grow), so you cannot necessarily see how high you are or when you will reach the top. When I finally reached the tree line I could easily see how much further I needed to go to make it to the top. I was able to see the expansion of the horizon; it was one of the most amazing views I have ever seen. All that God had created right there before me. I stood in awe and gave praises to the Lord. 

Some of us may have had a year in which everything seemed to be an uphill climb. Everywhere you look or turn there are barriers and there may have been times that you just wanted to give up and not push forward. The scripture in Philippians 4:6-7 gives an instruction to thank God for what He has done and from that, there will be a peace that comes upon you. 

In the midst of this mountain, in the midst of this uphill climb, I encourage you to take a moment to be still and give thanks to God. It is my prayer that through our thanksgiving we conquer that mountain, through our thanksgiving, we reach beyond the tree line, through our thanksgiving, we surpass the barriers and that the peace of God will reside in us all. Amen.

Prayer: Jehovah, I thank You. Even when things seem like they are not going well, You are working things out. No hill, mountain or valley will ever conquer me because You are on my side. Father, thank You. Amen

Additional Reading: James 1:2-4; James 1:12

Colossians 2:6-7 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

In North America it is stated that early fall is the best time to plant new grass seed. This is because the temperature is not too hot or too cold and the temperature of the ground is favorable. It is recommended that before you plant grass seed you cultivate the soil. Cultivating the soil helps ensure that the newly planted seed will grow deep roots and is able to germinate through the surface. After about one week of watering you will start to see grass grow. 

A thankful heart produces fruit in the life of those who believe in Christ. It is extremely critical to be abounding in thanksgiving because as the scripture in Colossians 2:6 states, God wants hearts that are rooted in Him. God wants hearts that are prepared to plant the seed of His word so that the Fruit of the Spirit can grow. Thankfulness is an ingredient to keeping our hearts cultivated. A thankful heart produces the good fruit that the Lord wants to come from our lives. 

I want us to spend time today reflecting on our hearts. Talk to God for a moment, tell Him that you want a life saturated in thanksgiving. Reflect on the benefits of having a heart that is filled with thanksgiving. Are we prepared to plant seeds that will grow? Are our hearts cultivated? 

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your amazing power in our lives. Thank You for Your great love and care. Forgive us Lord when we do not thank You enough. Help us to set our eyes and hearts on You. Fill us with Your peace and joy. All praise and glory belongs to You. You alone are worthy. Amen.

Additional Reading: Colossians 1:10-12

John 6:10-11: “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.

The Bible account of the feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-16) is a demonstration of how God can take what is ordinary and make it extraordinary when we give Him the gratitude He deserves. The Bible says (starting from John 6:5) that Jesus asked Philip, “where can we find bread to feed all these people?” Philip basically said that nothing could be done for the people and there was not enough money to feed everyone. Then Andrew mentions that a young boy has fish and bread;  but Andrew also makes his own conclusion by stating from a practical sense that the little food would do nothing for all the people. 

The reactions of Philip and Andrew are similar to how we react at times when faced with a challenge. They only saw the impossible, they had doubt, a resolution did not seem humanly possible. But Jesus saw something else. 

The Bible says Jesus took the loaves and gave thanks to God and was able to feed the five thousand and had enough left over. The key that activated the multiplier effect was Jesus giving thanks! He thanked the Lord for what he had and trusted that through his thanksgiving God would provide more. The act of gratitude turned ordinary fish and bread into an extraordinary supply of food that filled all who were present.

There are times that we look at our situation and think a turnaround is impossible. There are times that we think that nothing more can be done. We serve a God who can do the extraordinary simply by us giving Him the gratitude He deserves. 

Prayer: Father, I want to know your heart more and more. Help me to always remain grateful before the challenges. Although I may not see an abundance all at once, I will be thankful for what I have in hand, trusting that you will continue to supply my every need. Amen.

Additional Reading: 1 Chronicles 16: 7-36

Psalm 69:30: Then I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honor him with thanksgiving.

I did not have a vehicle for the first two years I lived in the Washington D.C. area. I took the metro to and from school and anywhere else I needed to go (there was no such thing as Uber or Lyft at that time). At one point I found myself grumbling about having to take the metro and walk everywhere. Having a vehicle would have made life so much easier. Then the Holy Spirit nudged me and I started looking at my situation in a different light. What I thought was an issue, really was not one at all. I had the ability to actually utilize the metro to get from one point to another, I had the ability to walk, which allowed me to get in daily exercise without having to think about it. Not having a vehicle may have been an inconvenience, but it did not prohibit me from accomplishing the things I needed to do. I simply gave God thanks as He reminded me that there were many others who did not even have the ability to walk or take the metro. Shifting my perspective changed my entire attitude. 

A thankful heart shifts our perspective. It takes our minds off our circumstance. In Psalm 69:1-29 we see a great example of this from David. We see he starts out crying out to God to save him. Then in verse 30 we see a shift away from himself as he begins to exalt God. His circumstance had not changed but his perspective changed through thanksgiving, which led to him seeing the Lord in a new light. 

It is the pure in heart who see God. Giving thanks soothes our hearts and allows us to see the Lord clearly. Will you take the time today to shift your perspective?

Prayer: Lord, I open my heart in thanks to You. I want to see You clearly. Thank You for helping me look at things from a different lens. Thank You for the plans You have for my life. Thank You because what I have and what I am is because of You. Amen.

Additional Reading: Psalm 13; 1 Samuel 16:7

Luke 17:11-19: As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

One thing that irritates me a little is when I hold the door open for someone and they pass through the door without saying thank you. In my head I say to myself: “I just held this door open for you so that you could easily pass through and not have to touch the millions of germs on the door handle…the least you could do is acknowledge that I helped you out!” 

A little gratitude goes a long way. It can actually be a precursor to future change or blessings. 

In Luke 17:11-19, the Bible tells of the story of the ten lepers who cried to Jesus to have mercy on them and heal them. The Lord gave them an instruction to go to the priests. As they did that they were cleansed of their leprosy. Yet only one of them returned to thank Jesus for the miraculous healing. For that one leper the door of wholeness and salvation was opened. 

This story is a great reminder of the importance of being grateful. The other nine lepers who were healed were enjoying their blessing so much that they forgot to come and give thanks to the blesser. Does this remind you of anyone?

Gratitude gives us access to things that we are not aware of. It is easy to be like the ten lepers and call on Jesus when we are in need, but when He answers and helps us many of us get a case of amnesia and do not even thank Him for taking care of our situation. Our gratitude is of the heart. When we openly thank God, we are glorying Him and noting that the change that has happened is only because of His will. 

Prayer: Father, I thank You. For pulling me through the tough times and even opening other doors when things were already going well. For all the times you blessed me but I was so caught up in the blessing that I forgot to give thanks to You, the blesser; Father, receive my thanks in the name of Your son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Additional Reading: Psalm 136:1