A Daily Devotion for Monday, October 19
Psalm 100:1-5
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Giving thanks can become perfunctory at times, and I will admit there are meals when I have to stop eating and say, “Did I say a prayer?” That cannot be what God has in mind for me. Giving thanks seems meaningless if I don’t even remember doing it. There are often times in the day when I thank God in the moment, when something positive and helpful happens. These are times when I truly feel thankful and know that the Holy Spirit is watching over me. I know several people who keep a gratitude journal, and find this practice very helpful. (This journaling thing is becoming a recurring theme!) Giving thanks to God really should be a more regular and sincere part of my day.
Holy Lord, you have brought me home after a weekend away with old friends. I am thankful for your presence with us at all times, the safe travel to new and unfamiliar places, the kind people we met and the beautiful things we saw. We had an abundance of food, and a day of perfect weather to spend outdoors. Another day there was rain and wind to give us a reason to stay cozy indoors with each other. You give me more than I need, and I will strive to be more mindful of that. Amen
Becky, transforming
Monday, October 19th, 2026
Psalm 100:1-5
Thanksgiving and Praises
(Focus To Practice Gratitude Each Day
Today’s Reading Psalm 100:1-5
Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
I just love the book of psalms, where writers honestly express deep sorrow, pain, anger, or confusion during crises of help from God. Plus there are plenty of praise and thanksgiving verses celebrating God's goodness, his creation, forgiveness, and deliverance. As I grow in spiritual maturity I find whenever I struggle with anxiety or fear, I give it to God, and I am soon reminded of God’s goodness and faithfulness, what peace this gives me. God knows us thoroughly, He knows every…
Psalm 100:1-5
The blessings for which to be thankful are too numerous to count. For me, they far outnumber the troubles that come my way. I realize this is not the case for some people, who are facing incredibly trying circumstances in their lives. What puzzles me is the fretting and grumbling of those who seem to be richly blessed, but, instead of being thankful and giving praise to God as Source of these blessings, they plot and scheme to obtain even more, believing they themselves are the source of what is good for them. Perhaps this is why Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man…