< Back

Read:Psalm 104
Listen: Psalm 104

Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. Psalm 104:1

Psalm 104 is a fantastic example of worshiping God. Interestingly, the psalmist starts by telling himself to praise God. He’s making a deliberate choice. Yesterday was Thanksgiving, a day dedicated to giving thanks. But a lifetime of praising and thanking God is a cultivated habit. In Psalm 104, it’s like the psalmist is looking around and trying to worship God for as many things as he can think of. He takes time to examine his life and the world around him for reasons to praise God. It begins with a choice.

The worship in Psalm 104 reminds us that responding to God isn’t about extraordinary circumstances. Developing a grateful heart won’t happen if the only time we are thankful is when it seems like something good happens. Like the psalmist telling himself to praise God, we can develop a grateful heart through a gratitude habit. It’s a skill we can develop to take gratitude beyond Thanksgiving Day. One helpful tool is a gratitude journal. It’s a journal for writing down a few things that help us reflect on God’s generosity in our lives. This practice slows us down for a few moments each day to think about God and what he’s given us. It may not change our hearts instantly, but over time, something inside shifts.

TODAY: Pray and ask God to help you be thankful for the many ways he’s provided for you. Choose to worship God by building the habit of gratitude through a daily journal. Start by writing down the three things you are grateful for today. Say a quick prayer, asking God for the gratitude habit to change your heart.

JESUS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:

Read Nehemiah 13.Highlight anything that points to Jesus. Consider Nehemiah’s final reforms and his purification work. Note how Jesus’s blood purifies us (1 John 1:7-9).