4 Bible Characters Who Practiced Gratitude
Gratitude is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a state of gratitude:
gratitude”. It can be difficult to practice gratitude in our daily lives, especially if we are in a hurry or in a bad mood. The Bible teaches us a lot about gratitude and the importance of thanking God for all that He has done and continues to do. Many biblical figures practised gratitude, but today we will highlight four:
- David
A prominent biblical figure who practised gratitude is the King. David. David is known for giving thanks throughout his life and walking with God. Although David often erred and made many mistakes, he was always able to express his gratitude to God. Many of us think Biblical characters are “untouchable,” but they are human just like us. They had their own struggles and struggles with their own sins. We too have our own struggles with sin, but we can follow David’s example by repenting and showing gratitude to God.
King David is credited with writing most of the Biblical Book of Psalms. Throughout the Psalms, we see David thanking God and urging others to do the same. Psalm 7:17 records, “I will praise the Lord for his righteousness; I will praise the name of the Highest. As David writes in this psalm, he tells us that he thanked God for His righteousness and that he would sing praises to God forever. From David’s words, we know that he had a grateful and grateful heart for God.
Apart from Psalm 7:17, many psalms are devoted to giving thanks to God. These psalms are called “thanksgiving psalms”. Psalm 34 is another psalm that highlights David’s gratitude. Throughout this psalm, David testifies to the greatness of the Lord and encourages all of us to praise His name. Gratitude and gratitude are common themes throughout the Psalms, in which David continually offers grateful praise to God. In our walk with the Lord, we must do the same. God is fully worthy of our recognition and praise.
2 . Daniel
The second person in the Bible to practice gratitude is Daniel. Daniel was a devout follower of the Lord who was taken captive in Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar ordered people to worship the golden image he had created, and he forbade people to worship any “god” other than his own. Daniel and his friends rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar’s orders and chose to be loyal to God.
Although it was illegal for Daniel to pray to God, he still prayed to God and gave thanks as he always did. The book of Daniel tells us: “When Daniel heard that the decree had been issued, he returned to his room upstairs, where the windows were open toward Jerusalem. . Three times a day he knelt in prayer, giving thanks to his God, as he had done before” (Daniel 6:10). Daniel still chose to give thanks even though it was illegal and he knew he could be sentenced to prison or death for praying to the true God. This fact did not make Daniel hesitate, for he knew that his first priority was always God.
Most of us in America don’t have to worry about being physically abused or imprisoned for our faith, but we can still have a hard time giving thanks to God. If Daniel could practice gratitude and give thanks to God even though he knew he might be imprisoned or killed, then surely we can make the practice of gratitude to God a reality. become a daily occurrence. Daniel remained faithful to God even when he was thrown into the lions’ den. God saw gratitude, gratitude, and faithfulness in Daniel’s heart, and He sent an angel to silence the lion’s mouth (Daniel 6:-22).
3 . Paul
The third person in the Bible to practice gratitude is Paul. Paul understood what it means to be saved by God’s grace. Prior to his conversion to Christianity, Paul was a persecutor of the faith and a murderer (Acts 9:1-4). Paul knew the gravity of his past and the pain he had caused God. Despite Paul’s past, God chose him to bring His Name to the lost. Because of Paul’s past, he was deeply grateful for the new life in Christ. Paul tells us, “Though I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, a violent man, they showed me mercy because I acted foolishly and unbelievingly”(1 Timothy 1:13).
Paul’s gratitude was evident throughout his life. The appreciation and gratitude he had for God were evident in his actions and life. He was so grateful to the Lord that he was willing to dedicate his life to bringing the gospel to the lost. It was out of gratitude for God’s mercy that Paul lived this way. He understands the gravity of his past sins, and he is grateful that he has been forgiven in the name of Jesus’ death on the cross.
Likewise, we must follow Paul’s example. He was grateful for the forgiveness and new life that Jesus Christ had given him. He did not take this lightly, for he knew of the great efforts Christ made to redeem us from our sins. Each of us has a sinful past, but God gives us a new beginning in Him. Since we have received this great gift from God, may all of us practice gratitude to God today?
- Leprosy
The fourth person in the Bible who practices gratitude is a leper. Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one of the ten returned to thank and praise God (Luke 17:11-19). This single leper practised gratitude when he returned to Jesus to give thanks after presenting himself to the priest. Nine other lepers left after being declared pure by the priest, never to return to Jesus. The Gospel according to Luke tells us: “One of them, seeing that he was healed, immediately returned, praising God with a loud voice. He fell at the feet of Jesus and gave thanks — and he was a Samaritan” (Luke 17:15-16).
The Gospel of Luke tells us that the only leper to return was a Samaritan. The other nine lepers were supposed to be Israelites, but they did not return to praise God. The Lord said, “’Aren’t all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has anyone returned to praise the Lord but this stranger? So he said to him, “Get up and go; your faith has healed you” (Luke 17:17-19).
This single leper, a Samaritan, returned to praise the Lord. From the actions of this leper, we can see that he practised gratitude. Unlike the other nine lepers who did not return to praise Jesus, this leper did. As the Bible tells us, the leper was so grateful to Jesus that he fell at his feet, thanking and praising him. The leper is a perfect example of someone practising gratitude in the Bible.
Practising Gratitude
Gratitude is a skill we all need to cultivate in life. There are many reasons to be grateful. Since we know Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, our hearts and mouths must express gratitude to Him. God is fully worthy of our love, praise, and worship. We have every reason to be grateful to Him. Even when things go badly, we can still turn to God with a grateful heart. Through the peaks and valleys, God promises to never forsake us.
These four biblical figures are just a few biblical individuals who have practised gratitude in their lives. We can also practice this gratitude by singing praises to God, being faithful to Him, following Him wholeheartedly, and falling at the feet of Jesus because of our gratitude to Him. I encourage you to come to the Lord today and express your gratitude to Him. It is God who is the reason why we live, exist, and walk every step of our lives. Thank You for such a daily miracle and full of grace.
