Positively Good Productions
Sowinig blessings and life lessons to encourage, refresh, and benefit our lives.
Gratitude is the recognition,
affirmation and expression of
appreciation, spontaneously
generated from within, for what we
have. It is anecessary part of any
joyful, healthy and happy existence.
God has showered us with blessings
upon blessings that we don't deserve.
Murmuring and complaining seemed to have been the
dominant theme of Israel’s life in the wilderness.
In Exodus 16, we find Israel began to complain and
murmur against Moses and Aaron about the lack of food,
which in reality they were complaining and murmuring to
God. Moses made this point very clear in Exodus 16:8:
“You will know that it was the Lord when He gives you
meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in
the morning because He has heard your grumbling against
Him. Who are we? Why are we growing impatient,
disgruntled and outright offensive towards God? You are
not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”
At one time or another, especially in times of crisis, we
have all grumbled, groaned, whined, complained,
whispered, murmured, held pity parties, been victimized
or played the role of the victim.
Murmuring is how one expresses their discontent at others
or situations they find themselves in; although,
ultimately, if the truth be told, murmuring expresses our
displeasure with God's direction for our lives.
When people grumble, murmur, sputter rumors, lies, and
make baseless claims... their hearts can become darkened
and twisted.
God is not fooled when our murmuring is directed at
others. We see this in God’s response when the Israelites
grumbled against Moses and Aaron in Numbers 14: “The
Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will these people treat Me
with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in
Me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed
among them?'” (v. 11).
All murmuring is against God. It is treating God with
contempt, saying that somehow God failed to make us
happy.
While in Egypt, the people of Israel were slaves to
Pharaoh and the Egyptians. When they complained,
Pharaoh made their conditions even harder. Then they
cried out to God, Who delivered them. He brought them
out of their cruel, suppression and crushing slavery to
lead them to a land flowing with milk and honey.
In keeping with His covenant with Abraham, the Lord
came to their rescue, redeeming them to worship and obey
Him only as their God and King. So in Exodus 15:26, God
told them, “If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord
your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay
attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will
not bring on you any of the afflictions I brought on the
Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”
Jesus refused to murmur and yield to the devil. Instead
Jesus prayed,
"Thy Will be done."
This is a vital point that each of us needs to be aware of.
Being grateful is good for us.
We should deliberately
cultivate gratitude.
Every breath, every moment, and every experience
is a precious gift from God.
Sometimes we feel that we don’t have much; however,
there are some people out there who would love to trade
places with us.
Life is a blessing from the hand of God.
Preservation from hurt, harm, and danger...
are blessings from God.
Our health and well being
are blessings from the hand of God.
Our liberty... is a blessing from God.
The ability to see, hear, walk, talk, think, and to imagine...
all comes straight from the hand of God.
Our capacity to love is a wonderful gift
from the hand of God.
Our lives are blessed
exceedingly abundantly,
beyond all we can ask or think,
by God.
Cultivating gratitude
is one of the most beautiful
and spiritually enriching journeys
we can take in life.
Cultivating gratitude
helps us to realize a greater sense of spiritual
and emotional well-being.
Thankfulness cultivates humility.
Cultivating a spirit of thankfulness honors God
and strengthens our faith.
Gratitude is a beautiful quality
that individuals can successfully cultivate further.
A grateful heart can become
one of the most powerful ways
to change our lives for the better.
A thankful heart of praise
removes mountains of concerns.
It provides a perspective from which
we can view life and not become overwhelmed
by worldly circumstances.
Giving thanks to God
is not just an occasional thing to do,
but it is to be a way of life.
Everyone can live in thanksgiving...
daily!
Our giving becomes receiving
when we live a life filled with thankfulness.
When gratitude comes from a pure heart...
it blossoms.
May we appreciate all God has blessed us with like...
breathing in fresh air.
Every breath we take is a gift from God.
Every breath we take is an undeserved miracle...
a blessing, and a wonderful gift from God.
We should be thankful that we are able to speak,
hear, do and be.
Our life, our breath, and all that is seen or unseen...
are gifts from God.
God is the Source of all good gifts.
It is God alone Who deserves praise.
When we praise and thank God
we come to realize a gladness of heart.
Those old burdens seem to roll away...
when we bless and thank God.
Thank You, God, for giving us the breath of life.
Thank You, for Christ Jesus.
We know that it is You
who has made our lives worth living.
Thank You, God, for all You have done,
for all You have planned,
and for all You are doing.
We know that everything we have
or will ever be...
are gifts from You.
Thankfulness allows us to be grateful,
to the Giver of all good gifts,
in any circumstance,
and it keeps our hearts in right relationship
to the Giver of all good gifts.
When we live with a spirit of thanksgiving
we can rejoice in the midst of tribulation.
The more we focus on our blessings
and the many things we have to be thankful for...
the less fear, negativity, and anxiety we will nurse.
When trouble comes or if it never does...
let us think about all we have to thank God for.
Who, but the Creator gives to all men life and
breath and everything else?
(Acts 17:25)
To God be the glory for every blessing, abundantly and
unceasingly, bestowed upon us.
When we concentrate on finding the good in every
situation, we discover that our lives are filled with
an ocean of reasons to praise God!
The practice of giving thanks to God
acknowledges the benevolence
of God.
Sincere gratitude, and thanksgiving, are born of humility.
These are the healthiest of all human emotions. People
who give thanks count their blessings rather than listing
their grievances and misfortunes.
Counting our Blessings...
PRODUCES CONTENTMENT!
We believe God wants us to learn to be thankful... and it is
in our best interest to be reminded:
Every good and perfect gift is from God.
James 1:17
A person can almost be defined by their attitude toward
gratitude.
The evidence of greatness is demonstrated by our ability
to see and acknowledge causes for thankfulness in our
lives.
Being grateful is a sign of one's closeness and love of God.
Many enjoy the blessings of life, shelter, food, and good
health and never even say
"Thank You" to God.
How this lack of appreciation must grieve our heavenly
Father!
Whenever we fail to give adequate gratitude for the
blessings we have received from God... we become
ingrates.
Without gratefulness,
one can become arrogant, vain, and self-centered, with an
excessive sense of self-importance. They tend to take
blessings for granted and embrace an attitude of
entitlement. They tend to believe they have achieved
everything... on their own.
Entitlement is at the core of narcissism. Entitlement and
self-absorption are major impediments to gratefulness.
Thankfulness keeps our hearts in right
relationship/alignment to
the Giver of all good gifts...
We have not earned,
nor do we deserve all that God has given;
nevertheless,
the Giver of all good gifts...
just keeps on giving.
another day of life.
Let us be grateful each day for the gift of life.
We are richly blessed by God,
Who fills each and every day with blessings.
Each day offers us authentic and beautiful moments
to experience and embrace.
Every day is a new canvas—
each moment of every day is
a new opportunity to reflect upon,
to live in thanksgiving,
and be grateful.
In our greatest distress...
let us praise and thank God.
Let us bless the Lord at all times...
even when trouble seems to overwhelm us.
Let us praise and thank God...
even before we cry.
Let us never ignore the countless blessings
that God freely and lovingly gives, daily.
Let us seize each day and understand that
it is God's grace and mercy
which is allowing us to see the sunrise and the sunset.
Without God's grace and mercy we could not even exist.
Diligently giving thanks to God
for everything in our lives, daily,
helps us to realize that
nothing in our lives should be taken
for granted
or looked upon as anything short of
extraordinary.
Everywhere we look...
there are so many beautiful things to be grateful for,
and as we practice being grateful...
we will notice our cup running over with
more and more blessings.
The more grateful we are...
the more power we acquire to press on
to greater heights.
Gratitude is a mark of a noble soul
and a refined character.
Gratitude is the recognition that life owes us nothing,
and all the good we have is a gift.
Where there is a grateful heart,
there is courtesy and concern for others.
Without it... there is arrogance and haughtiness.
When we open our eyes and give thanks
for the bountiful beauty of this life,
we live in thanksgiving, daily.
The Scriptures are filled with commands
to give thanks to
God.
Psalm 106:1; 107:1; 118:1;
1 Chronicles 16:34; 1Thessalonians 5:18
Most verses go on to list reasons why
we should thank God, such as
“His love endures forever”.
Psalm 136:3
“God is good”.
Psalm 118:29
“God's mercy is everlasting”.
Psalm 100:5
Thanksgiving and praise always
go together!
We cannot adequately praise and worship God...
without also being thankful.
By giving thanks continually we are reminded of
how much we do have.
When we focus on blessings...
rather than wants,
we are happier.
One of the most beautiful Psalms of
Thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm.
When we are grateful...
focusing on all we have to be thankful for,
it is easier to keep our problems, wants, and concerns
in the right perspective.
God is constantly giving us overflowing reasons
to be thankful...
in good measure....
pressed down, shaken together, and running over!
When we begin to realize the many causes for thankfulness
the more grateful we begin to feel.
The more grateful we are...
the nearer we will draw to God, our Source.
In everything...
we are asked to give thanks...
because...
everything is working together
for our good!
Let us search...
until we find cause for thankfulness.
Let us go from a complaining life
to one which cultivates
and is grounded in a spirit of Thanksgiving.
Trust...
there are always causes for
thankfulness.
With the blessing of God
we can be rich even when we are poor.
To God be the glory for every blessing abundantly
and unceasingly bestowed upon us.
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