Gratitude is a Choice

Albert Barnes said, “We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning.”

The poem that follows, entitled, Blessed is the Man Who is Driven to His Knees in Prayer, by E. M. Bounds (from "The Complete Works of E M Bounds on Prayer" pages 104-107) states it well.
Trials must and will befall,
But with humble faith to see
Love inscribed upon them all –
This is happiness to me.

Trials make the promise sweet,
Trials give new life to prayer;
Bring me to my savior’s feet,
Lay me low, and keep me there.

Blessing in disguise!

O who could bear life’s stormy doom,
Did not the wing of love
Come brightly wafting through the gloom,
Our peace branch from above?

Then sorrow touched by Thee grows bright,
With more than rapture’s ray,
As darkness shows us a world of light
We never saw by day.

Unburdening the heart in grief?

O Thou who driest the mourner’s tear,
How dark this world would be
If, when deceived and wounded here,
We could not fly to Thee.

The friends who in our sunshine live,
When winter comes are flown;
And he who has but tears to give
Must weep those tears alone.

But Thou wilt heal the broken heart
Where live the plants that throw
Their fragrance from the wounded part,
Breathe sweetness out of woe.

Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. ~Psalms 91:14-15

I’m sure you are familiar with the axiom, “Attitude of Gratitude.” It’s an excellent way to express the notion that we need to live every day in a specific manner. Gratitude is a choice. With it as the main ingredient in your life, you will be blessed and will be a blessing to others. Remember, blessings come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it’s the small, seemingly insignificant things which, seen in perspective, may come to mean the most to you. Every need, even the smallest unspoken one, is important to God. Ask the Lord to show you a sign of His good for you today. Start by purposefully looking for examples of His nearness and care for you in your daily life. Once you begin this practice of seeking, you’ll be amazed at how often you sense His loving presence and detect tokens of His constant care for you!
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Ask for a blessing!

I don’t remember now how my friend, Helen, and I discovered Psalm 86:17, but what an exciting and essential verse it has become in our lives. It’s a red flag, of sorts, that we throw upwards in difficult situations and say, “I’m in need of a blessing today, Lord!”

Psalm 86:17:
Show me a sign for good, that those who hate me may see it, and be ashamed,
because Thou, O Lord, hast helped me and comforted me.

“Show me a sign for good” – some translations say, “Show me or send me a sign of your favor;” or, “Give me a sign of your goodness.” Literally, this phrase means, “Make with me a token by Thy providential care.”

Over the years, especially during particularly stressful and difficult times, this verse has surfaced time and time again. It speaks to me and floods my being: Show me a token for good; send me a sign of your favor. Make it appear to others, as well as to myself, that God is doing me good and designing further good for me. Let me experience some illustrious instances of God’s favor to me, a token of God’s goodness.

This principle is straight from the Word of God, and it works, if for no other reason than it changes my directional views. Instead of looking at the situation in front of me or getting caught up in the stress swirling around me, I begin to look for signs of how good God is to me – to all of us – daily. Think back over your own life. How have you been blessed? What are you thankful for? If you look for them, these tokens or signs of God’s good are all over the place! I challenge you to open your eyes and your heart and see them.