“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  (5). For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth  endureth   to all generations.” 

Psalm 100:4-5 KJV

One of the hallmarks of being truly “born again” is a heart that is full of gratitude!  When we consider where we once were, (blinded to the Truth, walking in darkness,  totally separated from God and on our way to an eternity in hell,  which we justly deserved) and then to be redeemed, washed, and cleansed by His Precious blood; forgiven and made totally righteous in His sight and transferred by the power of the Holy Spirit into His eternal Kingdom,  we should be forever filled with heartfelt gratitude for what He has done for us!   The awe and wonder of that reality should cause us to be eternally grateful to Him! 

Gratitude toward God the Father for His goodness and grace is the normal response of those who follow Christ.  Paul the Apostle was forever in awe at the grace of God which would transform him from being one of the greatest enemies of Christ (Acts 9:1-2; Gal. 1:13) to becoming one of His greatest defenders (2 Cor. 11: 23-28).  Paul was overwhelmed by the depths of such love!  He was eternally grateful for God’s goodness and grace that had been poured out upon him. 

Gratitude is expressed through our worship!  Genuine worship flows from a heart that is grateful for being redeemed.   Such gratitude is spontaneous, genuine, and ongoing.  And gratitude  is expressed through service

Paul’s unwavering and unselfish service to the Lord Jesus was an expression of his deep gratitude!   The Scripture says that those “who have been forgiven much, love much.”  (Luke 7:44-48).  All that we do for the Lord flows out of our love for Him and is an expression of our gratitude toward Him!   Could it be that one of the reasons that so few are willing to serve the Lord in any capacity is that they have forgotten what it means to be grateful?  When God’s people live in conscious gratitude, there is never a shortage of servants. 

Rev. James W. Black