Be Thankful in Every Circumstance

"No matter what our circumstance, we can find a reason to be thankful."  - David Jeremiah

A person was once stranded on a deserted island. He spent a day fasting and praying for his rescue, but no help came. Then it occurred to him to set aside a day of thanksgiving and praise. No sooner had he done this than help arrived at last.

You see, from the moment he began to acknowledge his gratitude to God, mercy was graciously restored to him. The Lord heard the voice of his praise.This illustration clearly demonstrates the importance of, and our obligation to acknowledge and express our thankfulness to God in all things.

Praise offers the believer assistance in his trials, as we see here. But, it is also his ally afterward. There are some excellent examples in scripture of individuals who understood the significance and impact of imparting thanks to God. See: Psalm 59; Daniel 6:10; John 11:41; Matthew 26:30 and Mark 14:26.

Contrary to what some think, giving praise and thanksgiving is not limited to special occasions, times of emotional extremes, or the most saintly. Nothing could be further from the truth. And while we're on the subject of thankfulness, we mustn't forget the object of it all: God. He should always be our No. 1 priority.

We must hold fast that God is the Father of the universe. He is the Giver of all the blessings which we receive, and all that we perceive around us. To Him we must certainly present our thanks because all things are His. Of which, He has generously provided for our enjoyment, being freely distributed to us through His unbiased goodness.

We should be always in a habit of thankfulness, and prepared for actual thanksgiving whenever providence requires it. We all know how easy it is to take things for granted, to let them slip further and further back into our thoughts. Soon, all we have left is just a whisper of what was once a loud proclamation.

Thanksgiving should always find a place in all our petitions to God. We need to distinctly recognize His special gifts to us. We should be thankful in every situation; never stopping to give our praise and gratitude. An important point to add is that our thanksgiving must be honest. If you do not feel grateful, don't force it or fake it.

There is no bad time for being thankful. We receive favors all the time, therefore we owe God thanks every minute. God is Our Father, and our Creator. He is the Great Provider; omnipotent and omnipresent.

And whether you choose to do it in a large group, or alone in your room, praising God takes very little time out of our day. Yet, the benefits we receive from God are immeasurable and priceless.

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Psalm 107:1; Hebrews 13:15; Psalm 116:12; Psalm 31:19

Prayer: Dear God, help me to grow in trust, that I can more readily put myself into your hands, being confident that everything will be okay, amen.

May your day be blessed!

Marcie