Pearls of Grace - March 16

March 16

The Grateful Heart

"Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people."

I Chronicles 16:8

There is a fable told of a man who found the barn where Satan kept his seeds ready to be sown in the human heart, and on finding the seeds of discouragement more numerous than others, learned that those seeds could be made to grow almost anywhere. When Satan was questioned, he reluctantly admitted that there was one place in which he could never get them to thrive. When urged further to answer where, Satan replied; "in the heart of a grateful soul." Discouragement can find no rooting place in the soil of the heart that is plowed in thanksgiving. Just like the lone leper that came back to thank the Lord for what He had done, so we too are to remember His goodness to us. Entering His gates with thanksgiving in our hearts will lend itself to praise in His courts.

The greatest weapon you can take in hand in the battlefield of discouragement is the weapon of gratitude. It will defeat the greatest foe of the hopeless soul and build a wall of strength and confidence that cannot be penetrated no matter how dismal the circumstance. Honoring the Lord with our remembrances of His goodness defeats the lies of the enemy when he whispers discouraging thoughts to our hearts. Return the serving of lies the devil gives with a praise of thanksgiving to God and watch him flee before you! What a powerful tool in the hand of the child of God when he picks up gratitude and works the fields of life.

The sweetest times with the Lord are not those times where we pour out our needs before Him, but when we just sit and praise Him thanking Him for who He is and for all He’s done. Remembering Him in all of His goodness will be medicine to the disheartened and strength for the weary. He who has forgotten the goodness of the Lord will be prey to the enemy’s attacks. When was the last time you celebrated "thanksgiving" with the Lord? May your lips never lack for praise and your tongue for gratitude for all the Lord has done. Remember the Lord in your good times, and forget Him not in the hard times.

Today, fill heaven with words of gratitude for a God who loved you so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for you. This is reason to praise and thank Him every day upon the highest mountain tops!

I will thank you in the morning for the gift of the day
I will praise you for remembering me along the way
No word can give You the honor that You are due
Mercy and grace each morning are new
What a God I have that you would love me so
I’ll sing your praises that the world may know

PJ

With Every Beat of My Heart I Cry "Thank you"

     Special Offer

Pearls of Grace Devotional Book

Pearls of Grace is a book of devotions for the entire year, including a read through the Bible in a year calendar, broken down for every day. Beautifully written with encouraging words of hope and empowering words of joy and strength for every woman. Pam draws from the truth and richness of God's Word and gives real life examples in her down to earth style. A must have in your library, click here for more information.

For more from Pam Jenkins and Jabbok Ministries, please visit www.jabbokministries.com!

Listen to Pam Jenkins's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com.

Read More Pearls of Grace