A Heart of Thanksgiving

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." - Psalm 100:4

Summer has now well and truly gone for another year, and we are now in my favourite season, Autumn. I love the crisp, cooler days and the wonderful changing colours of the leaves, which display vibrant fiery red, burnt orange, deep yellow hues and earthy brown as they fall from the trees, and crunch under your feet as you walk over them. God's beautiful creation with colourful splendour!

Its a time to retreat into warm jumpers, wrap up in oversize scarves, as we sip pumpkin spiced lattes. Whether we are curled up indoors, or outside in the crisp Autumn air, this season brings with it a sense of coziness and calm. Wonderful!

"I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." is a quote from one of my favourite books, Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

We are so fortunate to live in a country that experiences true seasons aren't we?

Autumn is a season of change, a season of transition, a season of renewal. It's a season of harvest and thanksgiving, it's a time to gather ripe crops from the fields, and like harvesting crops, we need to take time to enjoy the reaping of what we have sown. Take time to look back, and reflect on all that God has done over the year, and ask ourselves, "How have I grown?" "How have I worshipped?" "How have I given thanks to God?"

During this harvest season, we are reminded that we cannot reap a harvest unless we sow seeds and water them. Then we must wait and be patient. There may be times when it seems that nothing is growing, that we might not reap a harvest. But, all the while, God's principles remain true. He promises that if we are faithful, we will experience harvest.

Instead of seeking to do something new, let's take time to celebrate what has already been accomplished, and to thank God for the abundance in our lives. Give thanks for

the food we eat, the beds we slept in last night, the families in which He has placed us, and the very breath in our lungs. Shouldn't we use our lips and our tongues to thank God for what He has done in our lives?

As we reflect on Psalm 100, we discover that thanksgiving flows from a deep understanding of God's character. We are reminded that He is our Creator, and we are His beloved children. He is our Shepherd, guiding and protecting us with His unfailing love. He is the source of our strength and the rock of our salvation.

Psalm 100 is a call to worship and urges us into action. As God's people, we are called to joyful worship and to thankful praise.

"Make a joyful noise" is an invitation to exuberant, vocal adoration. Such praise should be a response to God's activity in our lives, which leads us, to be "surprised by joy" (C. S. Lewis). When we embrace thanksgiving as the heartbeat of our worship, something beautiful happens. Our hearts are lifted and our spirits are refreshed as we draw near to God in adoration and praise. We find joy in His presence, and peace floods our souls.

Worshipping God helps us rightly align our hearts with Him, as the first priority in our lives. Participating in worship fosters more fruit of the Spirit, and if we want to experience more of the abundant life, we need to keep ourselves and God, in the proper order in our hearts. Worship and praise help to do that for us.

The invitation also beckons us to "enter....his courts with praise."

Through Jesus we have gained access to the Father, and the gates are thrown wide open in welcome. Our expressions of gratitude in joyful worship and thankful praise, are not to be tied to our circumstances or feelings. The real foundation for thanksgiving is in knowing that the LORD is God and that He has invited us into His courts, to surround His throne as His subjects, but also as His children.

One day we will stand in His courts, but until then, we can stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and anticipate that future day, by worshipping and praising our LORD with joy.

How joyful is that!