to be out of the lunatic asylum, to be out of prison, to be out of hell. By Charles Spurgeon. Psalm 103, verses 1 through 4. Praise the Lord, O my soul, all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. Most of us should blush under a sense of ingratitude to our bountiful Maker, Sustainer, and Savior.

Did you ever thank God for your creation, your reason, your continued life? I have known what it is to thank God with all my heart for being able to move my limbs and turn in bed. Perhaps you have always enjoyed good health. Do you thank Him for that? To be out of the hospital? To be out of the lunatic asylum? To be out of prison? To be out of hell? Do we ever thank God for these things? As for the unspeakable gift of Jesus and His dying love for such sinners as we are, who among us has ever worthily thanked Him on this account?

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift. Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. A grateful heart is one of the chief characteristics of a true believer. Ungratefulness is one of the most shameful sins, and yet it is one of the most common. The Lord loves a thankful heart. It is the music that delights His ear.

We often write our blessings in sand and engrave our complaints in marble. Gratitude sweetens every blessing and makes it more precious. The deeper our sense of sin, the louder our song of gratitude for redeeming grace. Let us be as grateful for the smallest blessings as for the greatest. The cross is the fountain of endless gratitude.