Always Giving Thanks to God
 
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 5:19-20
 
In this fifth chapter of his letter to the church at Ephesus Paul is giving instructions concerning the walk of the believer. In fact, he seems to be describing what our faith walk should be. Take a look at some of the things he says:

• Be imitators of God (v1)
• Live a life of love (v2)
• With no hint of immorality (v3)
• Do not be deceived with empty words (v6)
• Live as children of light (v8)
• Find out what pleases the Lord (v10)
• Have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness (v11)
• Be very careful how you live (v15)
• Do not get drunk on wine (v18)
• Be filled with the Spirit (v18)

That is a lot of instruction in a very short span of words.
He concludes these remarks on Christian lifestyle by calling the believers to fellowship and worship. He says, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” When we are together for fellowship or for worship, our conversation should be about spiritual things. His instruction here is that there is a lot of good news to talk about so don’t muddy the waters of fellowship with bad news.
If we are singing and making music in our heart to the Lord we will always be giving thanks to God. Many times through the day I am singing praises to God and often I’ll just offer him a praise like, “I love you Jesus,” “Your so good to me,” “Thank you for your grace and mercy.” In the process of establishing a lifestyle that is pleasing to the Lord Paul is telling us to include praise and thanksgiving.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for all that you have done and are doing.
Message:  If we are singing and making music in our heart to the Lord we will always be giving thanks to God. In the process of establishing a lifestyle that is pleasing to the Lord Paul is telling us to include praise and thanksgiving.
Affirmation:  I am often praising God and thanking him for his goodness.
Reflection:  This entire month of devotions has been on being thankful to God for who he is and what he has done. I encourage you to practice being thankful throughout the day. You don't have to wait until a time you have set aside to pray just begin to worship and praise him as you drive along, are walking, when you go to bed, when you rise up... At all times have a praise and thanksgiving in your heart.

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 I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. – Psalm 9:1-2
 
Some scholars believe that this psalm was written after one of David’s victories over the Philistines. In these first two verses David is praising God from the depth of his heart, then beginning in verse five he gives the cause of his praise; “My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you; For you have upheld my right and my cause.”
David was a man of well documented weaknesses, but he was also a man of great faith. God calls him a man after His own heart, and so he was. David trusted God when he went into battle and when he had won he did not take credit for himself but rather gave God the glory.
He writes, “The Lord reigns forever, He has established His throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; He will govern the peoples with justice. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you” (v7-10).
“Those who know your name will trust in you.” The psalmist here is not just referring to those who have heard of the name of the Lord. He is speaking of those who “know” Him in a close and intimate kind of way, the way one knows a close relative or a dear friend. To know Him in that way is to trust Him because He is altogether trustworthy.
I pray that all of us who know Him and His name would have the kind of confidence that David had. That his full trust was in God is evidenced when he faced the giant, Goliath, with only five stones and a sling.
Did God honor David’s faith, prompting David to worship Him wholeheartedly, or did David worship God wholeheartedly and because of that God gave him great faith. Either way David worshipped. Wholehearted worship does inspire faith.
Prayer: God, grant me the heart of David to worship you. Amen.
Message:  David speaks of those who “know” Him in a close and intimate kind of way, the way one knows a close relative or a dear friend. To know Him in that way is to trust Him because He is altogether trustworthy. 4
Affirmation:  I have met Him and I have learned His ways and now I can say I know Him as a dear friend.
Reflection:  Think about how David gave in to his weaknesses at times, yet he knew how to repent and he knew how to worship with all of his heart. 

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