This is the last post in my series on gratitude. I hope you have read the other three posts. I also have a 30-day gratitude challenge you can download to draw closer to God and live a life of thankfulness.
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:44
God places people in our lives every day. Most of the time, it’s good; the relationships grow, and everyone is happy.
But every once in a while, God places someone in our lives who will test us. How we respond to these relationships reveals much about our character and how we allow God to live in us.
If you have one or two problematic relationships, thank God for them. And then demonstrate these relationships by showing them God’s love.
“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:31-33
Matthew 6:25-34 teaches a lesson about worry. Worry divides, distracts, and separates us from being thankful.
When we worry, we tell God we don’t trust Him, which takes away our joy. God knows our every need and wants to provide for us. When we turn our worries to Thanksgiving, we are blessed with God’s goodness.
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3
We feel unsettled and anxious when our hearts are weighed down by life’s burdens. Jesus is our Prince of Peace; when we seek Him and keep our thoughts on Him, we find His peace.
Letting go of these burdens and giving them to God fills us with peace. When we trust God, His perfect peace fills us, and we will freely give Him thanks for everything.
“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Being tired is part of being human. But being weary is a spiritual attitude resulting from blaming God for our sinfulness.
Life will never free us from fatigue, but fatigue can bring us to the point of setting aside the world’s cares to renew our hearts and souls in the Lord.
When we wait on the Lord, He promises to satisfy our weary souls. Sometimes, that means He will “make us lie down to rest” and then fill us with His strength.
Serving God in mountaintop experiences and soaring with Him is not difficult. But serving him in monotonous everyday trials can be challenging. However, when we wait on Him, we can exchange our weaknesses for God’s strength.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
Verse 7 speaks of the spiritual leaders who proclaimed the word of God through preaching and teaching. These leaders will come and go in our lives, but we have One who will always be the same.
As followers of Jesus, we can rely on Him and His unchanging nature. The world around us is ever-changing, but in Jesus we can forever trust His help, grace, power, and guidance.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1
As I end this series, I encourage you to practice gratitude daily. While we focus on gratitude this time of year, it should be a part of our lives all year.
Psalm 136 calls us to give thanks to God because he is good. He has shown his faithfulness through all generations. He is the God of gods, the Lord of lords, and because of his supremacy, shows why his steadfast love endures forever.
On those days when it’s hard to give thanks, read through Psalm 136 and turn it into a prayer. As you do, your heart will begin to change, and your life’s challenges will fade away.
For more study:
Matthew 6:25-34
Isaiah 26
Psalm 23:2
Psalm 40: 27-31
Psalm 136
Resources:
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.5.44
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.6.31-33
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/ISA.26.3
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/ISA.40.31
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/HEB.13.8
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/PSA.136.1
