Thankful, Day Seventy-Two

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

Is my life a blessing to the Lord? It's an interesting question to consider. After all, He's God. He doesn't need anything from me. I mean, not really. Heaven won't shutdown if I don't give in. My lack of support will not create a crisis situation on the throne. If I don't give my time, talents and treasures to God, the Kingdom will not go off the air. God is sovereign, and He is supreme. He is almighty. He doesn't need me. But He does want me.

So how can we be a blessing to the Lord?

We can honor Him with our words and our works. We can praise Him, and offer Him our worship. We can commit ourselves to obedience and sacrifice. We can follow where He leads, go where He sends, do what He bids us do. We can tell others how great God is, how wonderful, how glorious, how beautiful He is. We can testify about His goodness and His greatness. We can live a life of thanksgiving before Him, and continually lift Him up. We bless the Lord by making this life about Him rather than about us. As we decrease and allow Him to increase in our lives, we bless Him. As we surrender and submit to Him, we bless Him. As we lay our bodies and our lives on His altar again and again as living sacrifices, we bless Him.

And when we bless Him, we are blessed in return.

Thank you Father for your kindness toward me. Your gentleness has made me a gentle man; your tender mercies have taught me to be tender; your immeasurable love has shown me how to love unconditionally. Let my life be a reflection of you, let me bear fruit for the kingdom, manifesting the character of Christ in every area of my life. And help me to be a blessing to you.

Thank you Father for your power at work in me. It is your power that has saved me, that sanctifies me, that fills me and enables me to do what you have called me to do. Let me lead a life of power in your Spirit, operating in the power of your name, and doing all for the glory of your honor!

Thank you Father for your hand that is fulfilling your ultimate plan for me. You see all things, know all things, and have control over all things. My life is yielded to you, my destiny is in your hands, my future is ever before you, and you are working all things out for my good because I love you and I'm called according to your purpose. Let me know your will, your way, your purpose and pathway, and help me never to stray, but always stay the course until the end.