A Grateful Heart (2) Why give thanks? Because God’s mercies endure forever. Where do we give thanks? Amongst the people, amongst the heathen and in the congregation of men: Therefore I will praise you, Lord among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name. (2 Samuel 22:50) Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done. … Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever. … With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord, “for His love endures forever.” (1 Chronicles 16:8, 34 & 41) Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name. (Psalms 18:49) I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you. (Psalms 35:18) Can’t we say thank you in our hearts, yes, we can! But who would not want to tell the whole world about all the marvellous things God has done. The truth is, you would not be able to keep quiet after you have seen God’s mercy and deliverance. Who would want to stay silent after waiting to have a baby for twenty-five years? Even if you wanted to, the congregation of men around you would not. How can a whole nation keep quiet after being set free? They, their fathers, their grandfathers have been slaves for 430 years. All they knew was slavery. All of a sudden, the turnaround came, they just saw the enemies drown at the Red Sea. How can anyone not shout God’s praise? Remember when He snatched you from the jaws of death? Do not forget when he healed your diseases. Keep in mind when He fed your hungry soul. There is no way Hannah would not praise. Do you know how many years she had to endure Peninah’s taunts? They were like daggers in her heart every time she had to endure them, but, she no longer had to. God had answered her. Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn[a] is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. “There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed. “The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away. “The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world. He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.” (1 Samuel 2:1-10) I know you are grateful, or at least I hope you are thankful, but who have you told of God's mercies in your life? Who heard you sing of His faithfulness? A grateful heart is a songs-full heart. You don't need encouragement to sing when your heart is full of thanks. Who has come to trust in Him because of His deeds in your life? When the man that was born blind regained his sight in John 9, his testimony could not be contested. He even told them he did not care what they thought of Him; all he knew was that the man who gave him back his sight must be holy since God does not answer sinners. Your testimony should draw folks to God and make their hearts yearn for Him. Your joy should be contagious.
