YOUR HEART OF GRATITUDE IS THE RIGHT SACRIFICE TO UNLOCK YOUR MIRACLE
Text: PSALMS 50:5-15.
- He says, ‘Gather my faithful people to me, those who made a covenant with me by offering a sacrifice.’
- The heavens proclaim that God is righteous, that he himself is judge.
- Listen, my people, and I will speak; I will testify against you, Israel. I am God, your God.
- I do not reprimand you because of your sacrifices and the burnt offerings you always bring me.
- And yet I do not need bulls from your farms or goats from your flocks;
- all the animals in the forest are mine and the cattle on thousands of hills.
- All the wild birds are mine and all living things in the fields.
- If I were hungry, I would not ask you for food, for the world and everything in it is mine.
- Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
- Let the giving of thanks be your sacrifice to God, and give the Almighty all that you promised.
- Call to me when trouble comes; I will save you, and you will praise me.
INTRODUCTION
Gratitude by definition is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness (Online Dictionary).
When you develop a very strong heart of GRATITUDE, there will be flow of songs of praise in your heart, and you will leave beyond the situation you are going through.
Your serious HEART of GRATITUDE is a SACRIFICE full of fragrance with sweet aroma to appease God to launch you into divine BLESSINGS.
Your HEART of GRATITUDE is the fruit of Harvest you bring to God for your land to be more productive in the years ahead. A lot of people are missing this point because they think HARVEST service is for the Front Line Churches. That’s why you see those Churches flourishing and gaining more grounds. Yeah, because they are working with biblical covenant.
THE MESSAGE
1 Samuel 2:1-11
Hannah dedicates these 11 verses to show her heart of GRATITUDE in the form of poem and brought her SACRIFICE to God by dedicating Samuel to the service of God. She was so overwhelmed with joy to the extent that she looked for what befits God who wiped her tears and opened her womb. God changed her story to glory.
Vs. 11: Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah, but the boy Samuel stayed in Shiloh and served the LORD under the priest Eli.
Because Hannah did that without being forced to do so, God arose in His Glory and blessed her with 5 more children.
Vs. 21: The LORD did bless Hannah, and she had three more sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up in the service of the LORD.
IMPORTANCE OF GRATITUDE
In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, and improve their health.
Like what Hannah did, you will always be positive in your thoughts if you fill your HEART with songs of praise and develop a very strong HEART of GRATITUDE. If you can do that, you are next in line for a MIRACLE.
YOU CAN SING EVEN IN TROUBLE.
TEXT: Job 19: 19- 27 (NIV)
Though it is not easy at all (to be sincere) because we are humans. Even our Lord Jesus Christ, when it got to a time at Gethsemane, He cried out as human and won the cross for us.
To sing in time of trouble is very hard; it happened to me too. But when you develop a strong heart of gratitude through the presence of the Holy Spirit, it will be easy to do.
Job cries out in a very serious agony of pain and rejection by friends, family (especially wife), and loved ones. He, therefore, came to a conclusion in verse 25-27
- “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
- And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;
- I myself will see him with my own eyes–I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
Praise is the confession of your mouth that flows out of your heart of gratitude at any situation you find yourself, be it palatable or otherwise.
As earlier mentioned, gratitude is being positive in your thoughts. Job switched from negative thoughts to positive thoughts, then, help came to him.
Let’s sing this HYMN by Mary Bowley Peters (1847):
- Through the love of God our Saviour,
all will be well.
Free and changeless is his favour,
all, all is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
perfect is the grace that sealed us,
strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
all must be well.
2 Though we pass through tribulation,
all will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
all, all is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
all must be well.
3 We expect a bright tomorrow,
all will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
‘All, all is well.’
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
in our living, in our dying,
all must be well.
What the Devil does is that, he uses the instrument of fear to make things look like there’s not going to be a way out for you, but If you can boldly say you are no longer a slave to fear, you shall sing and laugh at the storm, no matter how the storm rages.
Arise now and say it boldly!
YOU CAN BE MADE WHOLE WITH YOUR HEART OF GRATITUDE.
Luke 17:11-19.
To be whole means: completeness, entirety, completely free, to be well (Online Dictionary).
It’s very true that one can be healed and not be made whole or completely set free.
It has been said repeatedly that the heart of gratitude is to be positive in your thoughts. To be positive in your thoughts mean to be aligned with the mind of God for you by acknowledging His lordship in your health.
Back to the Bible passage,
10 men with leprosy met with Jesus for healing, and He had mercy on them. He pronounced healing to their bodies. He asked them to go and show themselves to the priest for the confirmation of their healing. In other words, He was telling them to go and share their testimonies. This is like someone who is being discharged from the hospital.
Lo and behold, only one of the 10 returned with the heart of gratitude. Jesus Christ was moved by this act of gratitude, and pronounced total restoration to his health.
When you cultivate the act of thanksgiving with a heart of gratitude for ‘little’ things, it will pave way for bigger testimonies. God’s hand is always ready to be stretched on you for a touch of healing.
Can you activate your faith right now and feel His touch on you?
The woman with the issue of blood experienced the healing hand of God, you also will experience His healing hand on you today. Just switch on your faith and acknowledge His presence with you.
CONCLUSION
Stop complaining. If you always complain, you won’t be able to establish the right HEART of GRATITUDE. God doesn’t listen to Complainers; He gives attention to serious Worshipers. So, if you have not given your life to Jesus, please do. Give Him the chance to rule your life and make a way for you. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
SHALOM!
JOHN ADEROGBA
2020.