Isaiah 12:4-5

And in that day you will say, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name (in prayer). Make His deed known among the peoples (of the earth); proclaim (to them) that His name is exalted!” Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done excellent and glorious things; let this be known throughout the earth.

When we share with others all that God has done for us, we become His greatest witness. Everyone is searching for help and guidance in a lost world. We are thankful for all that God has done and show through our lives what He wants to do for everyone. When we sing the Praises of God, we give our thanks and draw closer to Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer; in every situation (no matter what the circumstances) be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

When we are thankful for something, we draw closer to it; when we are negative about something, we turn away. Jesus brought us salvation, hope, healing, and fellowship with God and the Holy Spirit. The Word of God has transformed our lives, and we should be thankful every day for God’s Love toward His people. 

Psalm 40:2

He brought me up out of a horrible pit (of tumult and destruction), out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path. 

Jesus is our support system in life. He and the angels work daily on our behalf, saving us from mistakes and missteps. As we place our trust and focus on the Word, any fear and trepidation disappear. The more we draw closer to God through the Word and build our faith, the stronger our unshakable foundation becomes. 

Job 11:18

Then you would trust (with confidence), because there is hope; you would look around you and rest securely. You would lie down with no one to frighten you, and many would entreat and seek your favor.

Jesus came to give us hope and security in an uncertain world. He died on the cross and recovered the authority that Adam lost in the garden from Satan and transferred that authority over to us who believe. We don’t have to feel insecure or alone; we can feel cared for, loved, and protected by God. 

Ezekiel 36:26-27

Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and you will keep My ordinances and do them. 

When Adam and Eve sinned against God in the garden, their hearts hardened with sin. They lost the connection, guidance, and knowledge of God. They needed a new heart to regain what they lost. Jesus came to restore our relationship with God and restore our hearts. It is up to us to keep it protected and focus on Jesus. Sin may knock at our door, but we don’t have to answer. 

Isaiah 6:9-10

And He said, “Go, and tell this people: Keep on listening, but do not understand; keep on looking, but do not comprehend. Make the heart of this people insensitive. Their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and return and be healed.”

God warns His people to soften their hearts towards Him to avoid judgment. Sin will blind the eyes, ears, and heart, making the person unable and unwilling to change. We have the right to choose life and death with God. If we maintain a guard through the world around ourselves, we will protect ourselves. When we stand up for ourselves and choose to do right in the sight of God, we will be rewarded. 

Daniel 5:20

But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken away from him.

The devil will suggest pride to us in our minds. It’s a suggestion that we ’re better—either we know more or we make more money —so people should listen to us. The king and the devil both lost their positions due to pride. The truth is that God is the source of our wisdom and guidance. A humble heart before the Lord will catapult us further in the kingdom of God than one thought of our own personal greatness. 

Matthew 13:15

For this nation’s heart has grown hard, and with their ears they hardly hear, and they have (tightly) closed their eyes, otherwise they would see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn (to Me) and I would heal them.

Sin, pride, and disobedience ignore the tug of Jesus on the heart. When we refuse to receive correction, confess our shortcomings, and acknowledge our errors, God is unable to help us. We have wandered out into the depths of sin through unbelief and self-worship. When we soften our hearts and turn back to God. He will turn toward us. 

Psalm 119:9-10

How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping watch (on himself) according to Your word (conforming his life to Your precepts). With all my heart I have sought You, (inquiring of You and longing for You); do not let me wander from Your commandments (neither through ignorance nor by willful disobedience).

Seek God first! What we turn to in times of trouble, and the words we speak, reflect where we are with Jesus. When we keep a watch on ourselves in accordance with the word and follow its commands, we keep our feet firmly planted. Not knowing the truth or being disobedient to the word allows trouble into our lives. 

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active full of power (making it operative, energizing, and effective). It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit (the completeness of a person), and of both joints and marrow (the deepest parts of our nature), exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

The intentions, beliefs, traditions, and values that we harbor in our hearts build us up in our relationship with God, or tear them down. In our hearts are internalized beliefs that may or may not be biblical. We need to judge our beliefs according to the word. We don’t want traditions to hold us back from a close relationship with God.