Morning Devotional
November  4, 2005
"Positive Words"      
    by Don Emmitte

Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. (Psalm 28:6-9 NLT).

 

Many years ago I read a booklet called "Powerful Phrases for Positive People." Recently I was reminded of these words as I attended a teleconference where several of the speakers were emphasizing the need for true leadership in our world. Each of them looked at the value of some very simple, but powerful, phrases that we all like to hear: "I'm proud of you." "I believe in you." "I trust you." "I love you." "You can do it."

 

With Thanksgiving Day approaching, we all should be focused on another one of these powerful phrases, in particular: "I thank you." We can never wear out that phrase. It should always be on the tip of our tongue if we are truly grateful to others who help us each day and to God who has richly blessed us with more abundance and freedom than any country in history.

 

Despite God's abundant blessings, we're often too slow to give thanks and too quick to complain. Maybe we're so focused on ourselves and busy with our lives that we forget to give thanks. Or maybe it's because those of us in America have become complacent with a level of luxury and leisure beyond the imagination of much of the world's population.

 

We tend to take our blessings for granted, like the story about a homeowner who hired a realtor to prepare an ad to sell his home. The homeowner was reading the ad in the paper about his home's many attractive features. He called the agent to say he no longer wished to sell. When asked what changed his mind, the homeowner said, "After reading your ad, I realized I already live in the house I always wanted to live in."

 

In this season of Thanksgiving in particular, it's time to count our blessings and pull out that simple phrase, "I thank you." Start now and begin to focus a little each day on those many blessings God has given you.