Life is like a journey made up of different steps.
One of the keys or steps to living wisely is to live with thankfulness and gratitude as our ‘default setting.’ This requires training and modification of our thought patterns. We are urged to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. (Rom 12:2)
The Bible acts as a rudder in how to think, steering us in the right direction. Many of the Psalms guide us in thanksgiving, providing solid reasons for thankfulness which can help us not only when we are happy, but when we face difficult situations. Paul tells us to ‘give thanks in all circumstances’ (1 Thess 5:18) and to ‘give thanks for everything’ (Eph 5:20). The Psalms of thanksgiving provide a firm foundation for thankfulness by focussing our attention on the character of God. Even when we face trials, suffering, temptation and heartache, God’s unchangeable nature gives us reasons for gratitude and hope.
Many psalms focus on specific attributes of God. We are looking at just twelve of them, asking God to transform our thinking so that we focus on these things as reasons for thankfulness, no matter what our external circumstances or internal feelings may say.