Do I think about giving thanks for His goodness and mercy? How about for His holiness as stated here:

Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. Psalm 30: 4

Or what about "triumphing in His praise"? I think I am far from that, to

Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD. Psalm 106:47, 48

How often do we give God thanks and praise and affirmation? The angels in heaven around His throne continue day and night in praise of His Holiness. We should do no less. Morning, noon, and night, every day of every year of our short lives should be spent in thanksgiving and praise. I desire to be closer to that goal.

Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day. Psalm 71:8

Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws. Psalm 119:164

At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. Psalm 119: 62

Instead of being like that leper who never returns to the Healer, let's join those around the throne of God and worship Him for the beauty of His Holiness and enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.

And, the next time you run across folks who have something to complain about, whether it is their spouses or their children or their lot in life, or know some miserable creatures looking for pity (and they may even be at your own Thanksgiving table), remind them of the beauty of the Lord - maybe even print off all of these Scriptures and more (there are tons) and have each person read one or two and pick out the reasons in each that show why we can offer true thanks. Maybe even read that parable of the ten lepers!

I am encouraged to turn around and head straight back to Jesus and fall before Him in thanksgiving, bringing my children with me.

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Deborah Wuehler is the Senior Editor for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, Editor of the Schoolhouse Support eNewsletter, wife to Richard and mom to seven gifts from heaven. She loves digging for buried treasure in the Word, homeschooling, and of course, dark chocolate! Email senioreditor@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com, Blog: www.HomeschoolBlogger.com/devdoordeborah

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