One particular morning I spent too much time caring for my pets. The clock kept ticking as I sat in my office chair feeling the time crunch. I looked at my gratitude journal and thought, “I don’t have time; I’ll come back to it.” I felt the Spirit asking me how I thought I could sit down and work for Father if I didn’t have time to express thankfulness first? A thankful heart comes to Jesus soft and pliable. He’s able to shape it and work with it when we willingly bring it before Him.

“In everything, give thanks, for this is what God wants from you who are united with the Messiah Yeshua “[Jesus].” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) Do you desire to be a fruitful worker in God’s field? The first step each day is to bring your heart before the King. Each of us has a different assignment today but we all have the same home office and Crew Leader. When we show up to work our Supervisor checks our heart for the message we brought to Him, before we are given the day’s agenda. When He finds thankful messages He knows your heart’s door is open to both give and receive. You are ready to work the field.

When you hustle to the throne room announcing you’re late as you frantically search for your directions, your heart is not properly prepared for the work ahead. You can rush off on your own, hoping you are headed to the right destination but without the map, you will be lost. 

If you show up but just can’t find anything to be thankful for, the Lord may be calling you out of the field today for a personal day with Him. Allow Him to get personal with you and you will have a reason to be thankful. Does your heart overflow today or do you need to sit with the King a bit longer?