THANKFULNESS

Today's Tapestry reading is so good I want to share it with you. It has a very important message. It reads as follows:

"The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Praise the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21)

Part of God's will for you, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, is giving thanks no matter what happens in your life. The hard part about this verse is being thankful when what's going on in your life seems like a prime reason to complain.
Being thankful in all circumstances doesn't mean you become an insincere person. Quite the opposite. It means realizing that the circumstance is difficult, giving it to God in prayer, and then accepting it as a time to grow in your dependence on God and learn some things personally in the process. And for that you can be thankful.
It doesn't mean you're glad about what's happening. But you're thankful that despite how out of control life seems, God is in control. Despite how painful the circumstances are, God wants you to find shelter, strength, and comfort in Him.
For some reason, we think we deserve good times and an easy life. So when things go wrong, we act as if we've been robbed of something that's ours.
But we're the creatures, and God as our Creator doesn't owe us anything. On top of that we're sinful. If we want to talk about what we deserve, it's death (Romans 6:23). Everything good in our lives is a blessing from God. And everything bad, God promises He can use for good because of Jesus' death on the cross. Even in hard times, we have much to be thankful for.

During the next few months keep an eye on your reactions to all kinds of circumstances in your life - even the really difficult things.
Look for a way to see the circumstance from God's perspective. Ask yourself if you're letting your emotions get in the way of having a thankful heart. Remember, thankfulness is only attainable when we sidestep our rebellious tendencies to hold onto the hurt and use them as an excuse to react in anger, bitterness, and manipulation. God wants you to be thankful no matter what's going on, not because you're glad you're in the situation, but because you're thankful for the God who can help you endure any situation.

Steps of Faith
Lord, let me be thankful in all situations and help me to see things from your perspective.

Deeper Walk~read Psalm 100


I love this reading. I know that I need to work on seeing things from His perspective. I tend to want to complain a lot. I want to be thankful in ALL things. I hope and pray that this message was meaningful to you too. I challenge you to "keep an eye" on your reactions and "ask yourself" if your emotions are getting in the way of a thankful heart.