A constant attitude of thankfulness is an essential part to letting peace rule in our hearts. People’s natural bent is to be unthankful, especially in a world which cultivates an attitude of “I’m owed” and entitled. Thankfulness is then perhaps something we must develop and work at. It will undoubtedly take our time and effort to develop and maintain such a thankful attitude.
I know that when our children show a thankful attitude, and don’t just demand or expect everything from us, we feel valued both as their parents and as people. An unthankful person is often demanding, selfish, and lacks peace in their life. Actually they can be quite tiresome. Nobody wants that for those they love and desire to be around, and I think God is much the same.
God values it when we value, respect and acknowledge Him. He wants everyone to know His love and big heart, but we can distance and limit our awareness of His presence when we walk in unthankfulness and self-centeredness. When we are unthankful we are prone to be full of the kind of mental attitudes that lead to complaining and grumbling.
“Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.”(Psalm 91:14)
Brother Lawrence who understood how to live in God’s presence said, “it is necessary to always be aware of God’s presence by talking with Him throughout each day. Brother Lawrence endeavored to stay as close as possible to God; doing, saying, and thinking nothing that might displease Him. He has no reason for doing this, except to show his gratitude for God’s love towards him. He said, “Out of love, I try not to say, do, or think anything that might offend Him”. Brother Lawrence declared that he felt much closer to God in his day-to-day activities than most people ever believed to be possible. The worst trial he could imagine was losing his sense of God’s presence, which had been with him for so long a time.
An attitude of thankfulness will motivate us to dwell in His presence. It is extremely difficult for those who are ungrateful to practice the presence of God.
The peace and depths of joy and happiness people spend vast amounts of energy, time, money, being well educated, fashionable, healthier, well traveled, or seek in relationship after relationship can be found much closer than many of us realise. So many people are trying so hard to find God, but they are running in the wrong direction or doing spiritual gymnastics which only leaves them discouraged and bent out of shape.
“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything…so that they (we) should seek God, in the hope that they(we) might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:23-31)
God is closer than you think!
The joy, fulfillment, and peace that so many desperately are searching for can be found in an abiding relationship with Jesus. It’s found in making being in His presence a priority. Not just for an hour once a week, or a few moments during our day, but endeavoring to stay aware and close to Him at all times.
When David said to the Lord, “In your presence there is fullness of joy, in your right hand are pleasures for evermore,” (Psalm 16:11), he meant that nearness to God himself is the only all-satisfying experience of the universe.
Let’s make every effort to live in His presence 24/7. We can learn to do this if we will spend time in solitude, in worshipping him, and in cultivating attitudes such as thankfulness and gratitude.
There is so much more to our existence and our spiritual life than many people ever experience.
Let’s take God at His word and choose to believe that “in His presence is fullness of joy“, as we endeavor with our whole hearts to practice living more and more in the presence of God. He longs for us to have that close relationship with Him. God wants Buddies!
“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18-19)
“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)
Prayer: Lord I thank you for all you have done; for everything you are going to do, and most of all for who you are, and your love for me. Help me to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness so that I am more aware of your presence every minute of the day. In Jesus name Amen.
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