Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name– Psalm 100:4
The Bible has much to say about thankfulness, yet most folks don’t think much about it unless they are seeking it from others. They expect it without extending it. But were we more thoughtful we would be more thankful. A devotion from the Baptist Bible Hour has this to say about the subject:
The need of having a thankful heart is addressed both in the Old and New Testaments. Here in Psalm 100:4 we are admonished to “be thankful”. In the Colossian epistle, Paul again exhorts “be ye thankful” (Colossians 3:15).
A thankful heart is a humble heart. There is no complaining that “I deserve more than I have.” There is no grumbling against the providences which cannot be understood. There is gratitude for every blessing received. There is an acknowledgment made, as was spoken by the patriarch Jacob, “I am not worthy of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast showed unto thy servant” (Genesis 32:10a).
How gracious is the Lord to have bestowed His saving mercy on us as unworthy sinners. What a privilege to be able to offer “the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15). May we enter His presence this day with praise and thanksgiving.
