Giving thanks will change an attitude

Psalm 92:1-4 (MSG) What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to you, the High God! To announce your love each daybreak, sing your faithful presence all through the night, accompanied by dulcimer and harp, the full-bodied music of strings. You made me so happy, God I saw your work and I shouted for joy.

 

This morning Sasha (my black lab) woke me up at 4:15 because she was thirsty. About the same time, my dachshund (Mika) began to whine downstairs (I think she heard Sasha stirring and wanted her fair share of attention.) Not wanting to wake the entire house at 4:15, I got out of bed and headed downstairs. After giving the dogs a “pre-morning snack” and something to drink, I made some coffee and began to settle into my quiet time.

Last night, I finished up a novel I’d been working on for the past week or so. On the final pages of this book, the author alluded to the importance of praying through scripture. This morning, I turned to Psalm 92 and began to pray. This Psalm is a gentle reminder that thanks should be on my lips every day. With Thanksgiving just a few months away, I couldn’t help but think about my attitude around this time of the year. Typically, I am more aware of the blessings in my life, the freedom I enjoy by living in the US, and the abundance of family and friends.

 
What if I gave thanks every day instead of just one season out of the year? What would happen then? I bet my attitude toward a lot of things would change. As I continued to ponder this thought, I saw a direct correlation between giving thanks and becoming a more positive, gracious, loving and humble person.
 
Lord, thank you for leading me to Psalm 92 this morning and for the gentle reminder that “giving thanks” should be on my tongue every day.