I Chronicles 16:41 - With them (David and a host of priests, at the temple of God) were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.

I came across this relatively obscure little verse the other day and it jumped out to me - presumably because I have been thinking and writing about gratitude.

Heman and Jeduthun (love those names) - the title of their job description reads Give thanks to the Lord. Wow. That is a unique, crazy job! They show up to work, Give thanks to the Lord and then punch out and go home to the wife and kids. Do they get a lunch break? Are health benefits included?

I’m not trying to be flippant or disrespectful, I’m just trying to get my head around giving thanks all day long, every day. What would that do to you and your outlook and your heart? I can only imagine that Heman and Jeduthun were different than other guys in the neighborhood...because gratitude changes you.

How?

One thing I’ve noticed in preparing to write thoughts about gratitude is that it is wonderfully re-positioning.

By acknowledging the good gifts around me, by recognizing that they are all given - it’s what makes them gifts after all - from Another, outside of me, gratitude naturally re-positions the eyes of my heart - away from me, outward, upward to the Giver - God.

This is right, true, correct. It’s the way we were designed by God so it should be of no surprise that we are healthier - physically, spiritually, emotionally, relationally. There is a wealth of scientific evidence that gratitude has marked and measured health benefits for us.

Gratitude broadens, widens, opens up your mind and heart to see more - more fully, more deeply - what is going on around me. The more grateful I am the more I see, the more I see the more grateful I am. It’s a wonderful upward spiral.

Gratitude is inviting, open, attractive, full. It invites and attracts people as well as more gratitude. It takes us into fresher, freer airspace. It is beautiful and eye-opening and vision expanding. It sees and recognizes and celebrates.

Gratitude begets gratitude begets praise!

PRAYER:

Father, if we look and pay attention we see countless (literally) opportunities for gratitude because you are the great Giver of good gifts to those you love - and you love us! Open the eyes of our hearts to see and give us the sense to recognize the Giver and be thankful. Could we experience more of the rightness and fullness of life that will come as we practice gratitude.

 NEXT STEPS:

How can you practice gratitude and cultivate a thankful heart more in your life?

How or where have you noticed the fruit of gratitude in your life?