My friend makes it a practice to mentally give thanks to God each night, before she drifts off to sleep, for 5 very specific things that she experienced during that day. She has found that these thoughts help her to turn her heart to God so that the anxieties of life and the challenges that she faces become less important. Instead the reality of God’s kindness and His tender mercy become her focus. It’s an easy thing to do when it has been a “really good day” . It’s not as easy to do when you have received very upsetting news or you’re really in pain or overwhelmed, is it? But, according to Isaiah, that’s exactly the best time to concentrate on the hope that we have in God. It seems that “reverential awe” is closely related to gratefulness! “I will praise the LORD every day. Yes, I will praise Him forever. Great is the LORD!” – Psalm 145: 2 – 3.
