March 16, 2021 – Gratitude, The Accent of Heaven!

   Only words of gratitude,
Only words of gratitude.
There is nothing I have to offer you, my God
Except words of gratitude.
a praise song of Nigerian believer.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.   Philippians 2:14-15.

         Gratitude versus Grumbling? How shall we live our lives? This is determined by whom or what we place first in our hearts.

Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His, we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give Thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:3-5.

We are not our own, but we belong to our Lord who made us. Nowhere in this scripture or any other, that we are to enter His gates with complaints or grumbling, but with praise and gratitude.

What does the act of grumbling look like? The first three verses give a picture of grumbling. They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 16:1-3.

The children of Israel were not satisfied being set free and on the way to the promised land, instead they recalled the food they ate as captives working for the Egyptians without any hope for deliverance.

Then Jehovah-Jirah, The God who provides for His Children with Bread from Heaven, called Manna.  So, Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning, you shall see the glory of the Lord, because He has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?”  And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against Him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.” Exodus 16:6-8.

The Father God, who created the universe we live in, gives gifts beyond our understanding for every need we have. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:16-17.

Have you ever looked upon a sea of faces in an audience? I often did, and the one thing that impressed me the most as I compared the angry faces versus peaceful and contented-heart faces. It was as if I could see what they held in their hearts.

Our God is Omnipresent, everywhere, in and around everything, and close to everyone. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:7,9-10.

Our God is a God of redemption. Just as He led the children of Israel from captivity in Egypt and guided them to the Promised Land. In His Time, God sent his Son Jesus as our Redeemer. He is our I Am… Light, Shepherd, Life.  The following is a song I loved to sing.

When Jesus comes, the tempter’s pow’r is broken, When Jesus comes, the tears are wiped away.
He takes the gloom and fills the life with glory, for all is changed when Jesus comes to stay. (Rodeheaver/Smith). 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:15-17. NIV.

In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth. Ephesians 1:5-10.

What is the accent, the emphasis of Heaven? Gratitude and Thankfulness. As I considered the Accent of Heaven, I realized that a cook usually has one flavoring that they enjoy using in any dish they make.  The flavoring for Heaven is Gratitude. The first prayer my brothers and I learned, taught us thankfulness. How many times did we fold our hands and repeat, For all we eat, for all we wear, for all we have everywhere, We thank you, Father. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 3:13-14.

 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7.

Gratitude is the Accent of Heaven! This is the earmark of one who follows Jesus Christ.