Gratitude

Jerry Bridges - “Thankfulness to God is a recognition that God in His goodness and faithfulness has provided for us and cared for us, both physically and spiritually. It is a recognition that we are totally dependent upon Him; that all that we are and have comes from God.”

So many things happen every day, and we can get caught up in all kinds of different circumstances that can blind us from things we should be thankful for. I, for sure, have had moments, days, and even weeks of struggling to see or find things to be thankful for, but we need to remember to look for things we can be thankful for. When we do that, it helps us to see what the Lord has given us and the joy He brings to us.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."

When we hope in the Lord and our faith is firmly placed in who He is, we can find it easier to be joyful and thankful in all things. When we focus on that, the weight we carry can feel lighter because of our faith, hope, and thankfulness found in the Lord.

Last week was a long, busy one for me, and I found myself exhausted at the end of each day. When the weekend finally arrived, exhaustion hit me hard. Thankfully, I was able to rest and recuperate some. I am deeply thankful for the time of rest I was able to have. The Lord tells us it is good to rest the body, mind, and spirit.

Usually, during those non-stop weeks, I tend to focus solely on all I need to get done and how exhausted I am, and in doing that everything can easily frustrate me. However, last week, I made a conscious effort to see that all I was doing was because God had placed me where I needed to be.

Lamentations 3:22-23 says, "The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning."

I am immensely thankful for God's mercy and grace. When I feel tired, frustrated, weary, and worn, He sees me and will help restore me, allowing me to rest and recuperate.

As I was saying last week, I had committed to help out with something for three evenings. On my drive there on Monday afternoon, I found myself wondering why God had brought me to this place. Now I know it was to offer help where I could, but at that moment, I wondered if there was something else. And there was. I had the opportunity to talk to someone about God Monday evening, and I was deeply thankful that God placed me there at that time. I had never discussed God with this person before, and I wasn’t even sure if she was a believer. However, she began to share with me where she was with her walk with the Lord, and a door opened for me to reassure her in her walk with God. When I got into my car afterward, I said, Wow, God, thank you for that. Thank you for allowing me to talk with her.

God will guide you and open doors; He will lead, provide, protect, and amaze you with all He can do.

Colossians 1:11-12 says, "We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light."