TODAY’S VERSE:
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Another year has ended and a new one has begun. Last year, we laughed and also cried, had fun days and some sad, served God faithfully and even failed Him miserably. Whether pleasant or unpleasant, we should be grateful for every one of the 365 days of last year. You see, He gave us each one of them to help us grow up and mature. There are many things to be thankful for in this life and the Bible reminds us of many of them. We should be grateful….
-that God is perfect, loves His people, and does good for them.
Psalm 118:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
Psalm 9:1 “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
-for our salvation through Jesus Christ
1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
-that He uses us for His service and even gives us the strength to do so.
1 Timothy 1:12 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service”
-for everything, both fun and not so fun, as today’s verse tells us.
Ephesians 5:20 “always giving thanks to God the Father
For everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Can you remember times that were unpleasant for you when you realized there were still things to be grateful for? How about when you were sick or sad? God uses these moments to get our focus back on Him instead of on the details of life. These times also allow us to understand how it feels to suffer so we may be able to comfort others who are also suffering.
If we trust God, then we can always find something to thank Him for in any and every situation we face. He knows the beginning, the end, and all of the details in between of every single person’s life. We will experience pain and suffering, but this is a part of God’s plan and necessary for our sanctification.
Romans 5:3-4 “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
So, let us start each morning with an attitude of gratitude! Let us wake up and pray, thanking God for all the wonderful things about our lives, starting with Him!