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Psalms 9:1

¹I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

Everything we have is a gift from God. Everything! Even our afflictions serve to draw us to Him and to remember what is truly of value. If we can grasp this, then our lives will be filled with thanksgiving. We will give thanks to the LORD with our whole hearts, as well we should. Gratitude will permeate our attitudes and put a smile on our faces. It will overflow in generosity to others.

To not thank God for His abundant gifts is ingratitude. Israel exemplified this in the wilderness. That is why they were so often exhorted to recount what God had done for them. In the face of our trials and testing we forget all that we have been blessed with and the amazing intervention of God in our pasts.

Later in this psalm, David tells us to sing praises to the LORD. When we think of all His goodness to us, it should cause us to burst into songs of praise. In the same verse (Psalm 9:11), we are told to tell others what He has done. Share your testimony of God's goodness and intervention in your life. That is one way to be a witness. It also keeps fresh in our mind the loving kindness of God to us. That helps us interpret our present struggles in a positive light, knowing God will use it for our good.

Consider: Take some time right now to recount the wonderful deeds of God in your life, and then give thanks with your whole heart.