So it’s the day after Thanksgiving. Many resume their busy schedules which don’t leave them any time to thank God, to pray or to meditate on His word. Thanksgiving is only a holiday for them. It was the same way during Jesus’ earthly ministry. There were many religious people around Him. He knew their hearts. In Matthew 15:8, Jesus said: These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me”. Wow, that is very revealing. My question to you today is: Are you praising God with a grateful heart every day? Are you mixing your daily praise with genuine thanksgiving? Our Lord Jesus knows our hearts, and gratitude and thanksgiving pleases HIm. It pleases Him when we thank Him on Thanksgiving day, but true thanksgiving is an everyday relational experience, and thankful people will see all of the hidden blessings all around them, while the unthankful will miss God’s greater blessings. Remember this: This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalms 118:24), even the day after Thanksgiving is the day to praise Him and be thankful!
What does God see when you worship Him?
King David was a worshipper. As part of his daily worship, he would praise God on the harp. But not only did he praise God, he sung unto the Lord with thanksgiving and gratitude. Psalm 147:7 says: “Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God” The EHV Bible says it this way: “Respond to the Lord with thanksgiving”. So as part of our praise, we should respond to the Lord with gratitude and thanksgiving. This pleases God’s heart and is part of REAL worship and praise! Many people in churches today enjoy the worship experience, but they are not really praising God. They are just singing along as part of the group experience. They are not grateful to God, nor do they offer thanksgiving to God. Jesus once said in Matthew 15:8: :These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me”. Wow, that is very revealing. My question to you is: Are you daily praising God with a grateful heart? Are you mixing your daily praise with genuine thanksgiving? Our Lord Jesus knows our hearts, and gratitude and thanksgiving pleases HIm. What does God see when your praise goes up to His Presence?
