https://odb.org/2025/12/12/cultivating-gratitude
Psalm 9:1–4 (NIV): 1 I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. 3 My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. 4 For you have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
“Dad, can you get me some water?” my youngest daughter asked. “Sure,” I said, bringing her a full cup. She took it wordlessly. Then my oldest daughter made the same request. She didn’t respond either after I got her some water. Annoyed, I blurted out, “Is anyone going to say, ‘Thank you’? Why is that so hard?”
Sometimes there’s nothing like parental frustration to open the door for God to work. Immediately I felt the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit: Yes, Adam, why is it so hard to say, “Thank you”? Busted. Turns out a lack of gratitude isn’t just my kids’ problem; it’s mine too. (Adam R. Holtz, Our Daily Bread 12th December 2025)
Yesterday we just spoke about being kind and generous as a reflection of our thankfulness to God for His blessings upon our lives. Click on the link below if you had missed that devotional write-up: https://ronnielim.com/2025/12/11/kindness-and-generosity/
Today the topic is on the same theme except that it concerns us thanking God and Jesus for His goodness and blessings upon our lives. Specifically, verbally confessing with our lips our thankfulness and appreciation. Just like we are happy and glad that people acknowledge us by thanking us, the Lord is also likewise happy and glad when we do so.
Although He knows we are thankful and grateful, we must nevertheless thank Him verbally in words. It’s not a difficult thing to do. We hust add thanksgiving into our prayer routine amd praise the Lord every time we see and experience a good and positive outcome. Thank the Lord when our boss praises us for closing a deal because it was the Lord who enabled us to do so. Sometimes we see everything just goes to plan and we know it was the Lord aligning all the bricks for us. Trust in the Lord and He will make our paths straight! Thank the Lord. As the Psalmists say, never cease thanking and praising God for He is our deliverer and the protector of our faith, He is our stronghold and our salvation!
Have a good weekend ahead! Remember to physically attend church, to congregate and worship the Lord together with and amongst His people! Praise the Lord as we thank Him for His goodness, mercy and grace in our lives! Amen!
Ronnie's Thoughts 