BIG HEARTED

 OCTOBER 7, 2022

Psalms 9:1

I will praise you, LORD, 

with all my heart;

I will tell of all the marvelous things 

you have done.


If your doctor told you today that you had an enlarged heart, this would not be good news. Cardiomegaly is the medical term, this can lead to a significant list of problems. When it comes to your physical heart, you do not want it to be any larger than it is at present.

However, when it comes to our spiritual heart, our inner being, our soul, enlargement is a good thing. In the Westminster Catechism there is a wonderful phrase used under the question "How are we to pray?" "We are to pray, it says with “thankful, and enlarged hearts.” I like that wording, it speaks to the benefits of Thankfulness and Gratitude.

Gratitude enlarges our hearts, making us more open, more thoughtful, more loving. Our bible passage for today asks us to consider how important Thank You is. “I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds." The point being made is that thanksgiving and an enlarged heart go hand in hand.

When we consider all that God has done,

when we acknowledge him with gratitude,

not only does God receive the honor he is due,  our hearts become unified and enlarged too.

Think for a moment of the people you know that you would describe as "big-hearted, people", who love well, who enjoy life, who share themselves freely, who live with this openness for whatever God has for them. My experience has been, perhaps yours too, these “big hearted people” are grateful people, they are people who are aware of how richly they have been blessed, and they speak and live gratefully.

I want to be one of those people. I expect we all  do. Well, a good starting point if you want an enlarged heart, is by thanking God for all of his marvelous works! Let’s do that today and everyday.

TAKE AWAY

What are you thankful for right now?

Who is/are the “big hearted person(s)” in your life? Thank them, thank God for them.

LET US PRAY

God, I want to have an enlarged spiritual heart, a heart full of love, a heart brimming with joy, a heart open to even more of what you would pour into me. So, as I ask you to expand my heart, I ask you to stir up gratitude in me. Amen.