It has been a quiet morning. Tori and I sat outside for a while, and now she’s next to me on the sofa with all four legs up in the air. I’m on my second cup of coffee and have been listening to music. One song keeps replaying in my mind, and it seems to offer a welcoming thought for the day:
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He’s given
Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say, I am strong
Let the poor say, I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us
Give thanks. (By Henry Smith)
Sometimes the Spirit uses something as simple as a song looping in your mind to get your attention.
The lyrics are deceptively simple; they don’t try to impress; they repeat, linger, and settle into you. “Give thanks with a grateful heart…”
These words echo deeply with Paul’s Letter to the Colossians 3:15–17, where he writes about letting the peace of Christ rule in our hearts—and then, almost as if it’s an afterthought, he adds: “And be thankful.” But it’s not an afterthought; it’s a way of life. Gratitude, in Paul’s vision, isn’t occasional; it’s foundational.
There’s something quietly radical about starting the day this way.
Gratitude shifts the center of gravity. It moves us from scarcity to abundance, from anxiety to trust. It doesn’t deny what’s hard or unresolved, but it offers a different mindset for when we face those things. It refuses to let them have the final word.
And maybe that’s why the song won’t leave me alone this morning.
Not because it’s catchy—but because it’s reminding me of something I need – and you need – to remember.
Give thanks…
Before the headlines. Before the weight of responsibilities settles in.
Give thanks…
Not because everything is perfect, but because Christ is present.
Gratitude isn’t about having more; it’s about recognizing what has already been given. So, today, try letting gratitude lead. Let it shape your words, as Colossians urges: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks…”
Maybe the best way to pray this morning isn’t with new words at all, but with the ones already circling your heart:
Loving God, I give thanks with a grateful heart. I give thanks to you, the Holy One. I give thanks for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ. I am rich. Amen.
