Giving Thanks Always

Choosing a heart of thanksgiving.

It had been a long week already, and when the phone rang before 6:30 am, I knew it was only going to get longer. Life constantly throws things at us; some of those things are difficult and completely out of our control. Maybe you are also feeling overwhelmed as the holidays approach? Or feeling discouraged or down? Maybe you feel confused about a situation or are longing for something important to happen. While our circumstances can cloud our judgement and try to control our emotions, we can find gratitude in them too.

Psalm of Thanksgiving

The fifth book of Psalms (Psalms 107-150) starts with a psalm of thanksgiving. The psalmist writes, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” (Psalm 107:1 NLT). Give thanks, for God is good, and His love never ceases. How often have people failed us or measured their love by what we do for them? People are constantly breaking up because they fall out of love. The Lord will never fall out of love with you.

The psalmist continues in verse two, “Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.” (Psalm 107:2 NLT). Those whom the Lord has rescued are being called to speak about it. Aren’t we to share the Good News, and what better way to share about the Lord than to share how He’s rescued you, how you were never too far gone for Him to save you?

The psalmist continues to remember back, “For he has gathered the exiles from many lands, from east and west, from north and south. Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless. Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died. ‘Lord, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress. He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live.” (Psalm 107:3-7 NLT). The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years because the Lord was angry with them (Numbers 32:13); yet He never left them there. He always provided for His children and still does today.

We are never too far gone for God to save us, even when we walk through difficulties of our own making.

Praise and Worship

The psalmist drives their point home in verse eight: “Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.” (Psalm 107:8 NLT). No matter what our circumstances are or how they came about, the Lord is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9). His love endures forever (John 3:16). He will never leave us (Deuteronomy 31:8), and He will fight for us (Exodus 14:14). He is our strength and song (Psalm 118:14). So no matter the circumstances you face right now, God still loves you. No matter what you’ve done or not done, God is there for you. When you don’t think you can go any longer on your own, God is right there to give you strength.

Even though my circumstances didn’t change that day, my perspective did. I set my mind on God, praying constantly throughout the day and thanking Him for the situations I was facing. That praising and worshipping the Lord completely changed my week around. The things I was facing were still ahead of me, but the way I was handling them and thinking about them was completely different.

Thank you, Lord, for your steadfast love. May I surrender the things going on in my life today and allow Your will to be done. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Reflection

What do you need to turn over to God today?

Do you feel your situation is too much for God? I promise you, it’s not.

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