A Heart of Thanksgiving

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  11/28/20

When the enemy lures us subtly away from God’s best plan for our lives, we begin to compromise in many areas, so we must be alert to his schemes. A tried-and-true trick that the enemy has used since the beginning of time is to convince us that we are getting a bad deal.

Human nature does not like to get taken by anybody or anything—and the enemy knows this. Once Satan convinces us that God is robbing us of some of life’s greatest pleasures, we plan and plot how to get what we think we deserve. It is dangerous to venture down such a path.

However, there is a way to combat such tempting thoughts. To have a heart of gratitude means that we appreciate what God has given us. In fact, each day is a gift from God to rejoice in whatever the circumstances.

Paul and Silas knew this full well. When they were tossed into prison, they sang praises and hymns to God. These grateful hearts prepared the way for God to do something incredible in that Philippian jail. Had they been murmuring and grumbling about how a loving God could let them land in such a place, they would have missed an opportunity to lead a man and his entire family to the Lord.

As we seek God more and more, we discover that for every temptation the enemy presents, there is a greater blessing God wants to give. We must remain faithful to the Lord in those trying moments, pressing ahead with the knowledge that God will not withhold His best plan for our lives as long as we are putting Him first.

Prayer: Lord, please help me realize when I have an ungrateful heart and give me a heart of thanksgiving. When I am tempted, show me how much greater Your plans are. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him” (Psalm 28:7).