Grateful Thankful Faithful
Thessalonians 5:18 says to, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
One of the things that I realized about myself is that whenever challenges come upon me and I begin to feel overwhelmed, my thoughts instantly go to the negative. I mentally list all of these reasons why I cannot accomplish what I need to accomplish. My thoughts go to how hard it’s going to be or how I am not going to have what I need to accomplish the challenge.
The more I fretted over it, the bigger the issue “appears” to be. I needed for this to change because I felt like I cannot be a child of the father most high walking around stressing over trial that comes my way. It is important to me that I walk what I talk and what I believe. I am wise enough to know that this is something that I cannot go at it alone. Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” So now I talk to My Father about what concerns me so that “…the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7
I thank the Lord for always making a way for me. I know that Jesus’ help is only a prayer away. I have been through too much in my lifetime to not believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Even in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic, job loss, sickness and even the death of loved ones – we still have much to be thankful for. Jesus is:
Our ally.
Our higher power that directs us.
One with whom we can build an everlasting relationship.
One who corrects us.
One who puts our feet on steady ground.
As He promises in 1 Peter 5:10, “…after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.” He is the one, Jehovah-Rapha, meaning the who heals. He is the one, El-Shaddai, meaning the Almighty, all-sufficient God!
I think that at some point we all fail to realize just how powerful the Lord is. He watches over us, protects us and saves us every minute of every day. Tomorrow is not promised, not even the next minute is. When I rise in the morning, I am fully aware that the Lord didn’t have to breathe His breath into my body on this day. I realize that I could have opened my eyes and not been able to move one limb of my body. It is way too many things that could go wrong in a day or night, but Jesus kept it all at bay. When I’m feeling melancholy, I remind myself, be thankful; be grateful for today; for right now, because that is the Lord’s will for your life. The Lord will feed me more grace for tomorrow.
Satan is busier today more than ever before. He’s busy buying souls. He offers worldly possessions that separates us from the Lord. However, those possessions never last. The Lord offers us His Salvation!
Jesus, I pray that my focus is on your unchanging word and promises that “…whoever believes in you shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Lord, keep the worldly noise and chatter down because your voice is the only voice that I need to hear. “I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” John 11:27 Thank you for seeking and saving us from and ourselves and our sins, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
GL