It’s easy to thank God when everything is peachy keen. The sun is shining. I’m having a wonderful hair day. My kiddos are playing together in perfect harmony. My husband willingly turned on Downton Abbey and just passed me the last chocolate chip cookie. Thank you, Lord!
But there have been times in my life when I have felt cursed.
Jobs were lost. Loved ones suffered terminal illnesses. Relationships ended. Gossip spread. Life happened – sometimes all at once.
I didn’t blame God in these trials, but I certainly didn’t thank Him either. I pulled up my bootstraps. Put on a brave face. Relied on myself. Suffered alone. And let my grief completely overwhelm me until I “despaired even of life itself.” (2 Corinthians 1:8, NIV)
As Paul writes, though I was very much alive, I was living out a death sentence, of my spirit at the very least.
Until.
Until like Paul, I was forced to trust God totally.
Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since He’s the God who raises the dead! (2 Corinthians 9-10, MSG)
And it turns out walking through these hard seasons is often the best thing could ever happen.
Because it is there that we find Him.
It is there that we learn that the strength of our bootstraps will fail, but the joy of the Lord won’t.
It is there that we learn that we don’t need to put on a brave face, we simply need to seek His.
And ultimately, it is there that we learn that He knows our suffering, because He suffered too. For me. For you.
Maybe you and I will never be to the point in our faith walk where we’re able to say, “Okay, Lord, troubles and trials? Bring ‘em on!” But we can pray for each other to get to a point where we trust that we’re just seeing a few brushstrokes on the gigantic masterpiece He’s painting.
Where we don’t fear what’s ahead, because we know it’s already happened in the eyes of our Master Planner.
Where we acknowledge that He shares in our sufferings, but He also shares in our comfort.
Where we can remember that He’s rescued us before and that He’ll do it again…as many times as we need rescuing. (2 Corinthians 9-10, MSG)
And for that we can say thank you, even when nothing seems peachy keen. Because there is no pit we’re in that is deeper than His love.
Let’s give thanks that He is on our side. Today and every day.
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67 thoughts on "thankfulness"
It has been a very difficult time for us the past 5+ years and I know that only with Jesus have we come this far! I stumbled upon this devotional and I am grateful for Christian ladies to share and pray for. If I may ask for prayer for my husbands medical tests I would appreciate that very much! God bless!
God’s word is amazing!! I read this devo twice to help it sink down into my heart. I tend to pull up my boot straps and work harder. You know “if its going to be its up to me” thank the Lord for his Grace upon my sinful heart.
When I read this the first time on the first day, it made me ask what if…
What if the Lord, though these past years had not been on my side, our side?
We would have sank low to the bottom of life. We thought we were at the bottom, but that was not the bottom. It was the hand of God catching us before we hit the bottom and became nothing. Yes God, thank you. If you had not been on our side, much worse would have come upon us. Our help, any help that came to us, any good thing that came our way was you helping us. You are the source of all goodness and our help when we needed you O God who made heaven and earth.
Going through a hard time right now, God is really working in my life. I have found this wonderful bible study, I have started reading my bible more, going to Him in prayer more. I can't say to " bring on" more troubles in life, but I am very thankful that even though I am struggling and very low in spirit, I am not alone. I have a wonderful, gracious and loving Heavenly Father who loves me and is carrying me through it all. I am growing in faith and know that I am not alone.
Today’s scripture…so good. The Lord reminded me that He is for me, not against me. Oh how I need this as I feel pounded with lies and condemnation from the enemy.
As I was thinking on the verses, I was reminded of my 14 month old daughter and her blankie. She goes on a hunt for that thing when she’s tired or upset and she holds it up against her face. It occurred to me that we should be the same way with God’s word. Through it He comforts us.
“I need Thee, Oh I need Thee! Every hour I need Thee!”
One of the hardest things is to give control to someone else.
"But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God" 2 Corinthians 1:9
Not only do we need to be thankful when things are going great but we also need to be thankful during the not so great times. I truly believe that this is where we really grow as christians. It is not easy to have joy during the tough times but when we fight for that joy, that's when we really shine for HIM! He brings us through these things to turn to Him and turn away from the enemy.
Such powerful words that we need to remember daily!
Grace and Peace, what an awesome testimony! I have that book to readd. Have it from audible. Adeline, yours was also awessome! I have been married for 16 years and am often reminded that I need to appreciate him more, but I doon’t do so as much as I could. What a concept that my husband is on loan to me from the Lord. Wow!
Love this. What a truly faithful christian indeed who can give thanks and trust.
This is amazing. God has been teaching me to be thankful. I’ve had health problems and I’m in pain every day, and I usually wake up grumpy (my poor husband!). But as I walk through the halls of the school I work at, I try to list everything I’m thankful for. No matter the circumstances God is good to me. Hearing all of your stories is so encouraging.
I love in the devo when it says to stop putting on a brave face. So guilty of doing that! I’m learning to be vulnerable and rely on God.
I have no doubt the Lord is at work here today!! :)
I don't always read all these things but today I really needed this message. i'm glad I paid attention. I didn't enjoy going through trials of the past but i look back at those times and smile thinking of how God carried me through them and it gives me hope for things I will face in the future. It's hard to have fear and anxiety of the unknown when I know that God already has already taken care of me, even before I need Him, even before I ask.
Thank you. The best part of this site is that in times when I need to be reminded, I can always find it again. After 3 months of marriage, my husband was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. The CAT scan clearly showed it and when we were told, I released my husband to the Lord which was not easy to do and I told the Lord that if my husband's time on earth is up, then I release him as he was never mine, just a loan from the Lord. However, if it wasn't his time to go, then give me a verse to stand on and I will fight for him with everything. The Lord gave me Psalms 91:14-16. We prayed and stood on it believing while he was in hospital. They took a second CAT scan a few days later to determine how to do the operation and there was nothing on the scan. God had healed him completely and the neurologist couldn't explain it.
I hate to say that it was the best thing that happened to us (the sickness, not the miracle of healing) but it was because of what happened that I learned to not take my husband for granted, to cherish him and to really, really be thankful for him and for everyday we are together. It made my husband realize that God is indeed a supernatural God. I also learned that I need to always ask Him what His plans are first for a situation (like David did) instead of superimposing my wants over His will and just bulldoze over what His plans are with my "positive thinking" prayers.
Oh Adeline. My eyes are welling with tears as I read this, for many reasons. I'm a newlywed (I still like to think so, even though it's been 1.5 years :) ), so imagining going through something of this magnitude at such an early stage of marriage is something I don't know I would have had the strength to do. Your reaction to the news/diagnosis was amazing, and so true. My husband is on loan to me from the Lord, how silly that I forget that. I love my husband dearly, but I know there are times I take him for granted, don't cherish him enough, or don't build him up enough. Thank you for a gentle reminder. And what a great verse the Lord gave you two to stand on!
God bless you, thank you for sharing.
This is me, right now, being forced to trust God totally. I've called it pruning in previous comments to the blog. I see how I have ignored God during previous troubles, instead trying to rely on myself and work through things on my own. Oftentimes I sense that God wishes I would have paid attention sooner so that I would not have to experience such severe pruning, such troubles in my life right now. I can't honestly say that the circumstances involved in this season of my life are the best thing to happen to me but I pray daily that through these hardships and losses, I will eventually be able to see how blessed I truly am. How trusting in God totally, receiving His pruning with an open heart and open mind, will reveal in me a beautiful tree – full of sweet, fragrant blossoms, bright green lush leaves, and a sturdy trunk able to withstand any winds that blow. I want to continue daily to give my life to Him, placing my confidence in Him, and I want to know clearly that He will continue to rescue me [2 Cor. 10] "Because there is no pit we’re in that is deeper than His love." Thank you for this post and these Scriptures today!
I have to say that each and every post touched my heart over and over again. This only shows how valuable this scripture and all the enjoining passages are, still in these days, and these times. We are all tested in the fires of day-today life, and it is there that we truly find the saving grace of our Lord and Savior.
Blessings to all my sisters today.
Thank you. This is my first post although I have been reading on this site for a while. I needed this today….I need this everyday just as I need to remind myself that the Lord IS ON MY SIDE!! What a wonderful thing that is. Thank you sisters in the faith.
Vicki-
Thank you for sharing! Glad that you are a part of this community!
Great reading today! I have had some very difficult trials with my career in particular over the past few years. I really feel like God is preparing for something amazing that is just around the corner. These trials have caused me to rely on him solely and to lean not on my own understanding. I’m learning to praise him in the storms, not just the sunshine!
Thank you, Grace and Peace!
Your testimony REALLY Blessed me today! I’ve been looking for that book- it’s sold out of the stores near me, but I WILL find it! How beautiful…
these moments really ARE gifts, aren’t they?
Ellen MR,
Thank you for your kind words. I hope you find Ann's book. I bought mine from Amazon.
Good times and hard they are all blessings from our Lord. (Just like that song by Laura Story called "Blessings." I listened to that song during that difficult time.
My pastor is fond of saying: "God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good." It's so true.
"If the Lord had not been on our side." Count the "would haves" that could have happened to the Israelites. Count the "would haves" that could have happened to us.
If the Lord has not been on my side…
I would have been swallowed alive by anger
I would have been overpowered by trials
I would have been overwhelmed by life
I would have been condemned to death and an eternity apart from God.
My deliverer is the Lord, Creator of heaven and earth.
Thank you, Father for delivering me from certain death. You have given me new life and a new hope. Thank you!
Sisters, if I didn't feel connected to you then, I certainly do now (and not just because you mentioned "Downton Abbey!"). Love the devo today.
I have a testimony to share ~
In February 2011, I read One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I started keeping a log of my gifts as well. Everyday I would write down something I'm thankful for. Some days I'd only have 4 or 5 but I kept at it. Little did I know God was going to use this practice of writing down His gifts to prepare me for what would happen a few weeks later…
My then 10-year-old son developed a brain inflammation diagnosed as meningitis. Coming back from an MRI, he had a seizure, aspirated and they had to call in Code Blue. He ended up in the ICU.
But as hard as that was, that is when God gave me the grace to live out Philippians 4:7. I really experienced the peace that passes understanding. And that night when I finished writing all my gifts for the day? I ended up with 55. It was the most I have ever written.
God is good. My son made a full recovery. It was also the wake up call that my husband needed. God has been after him for years. He finally listened. He now goes to church with us every Sunday.
To our sisters who are in the middle of a trial, hang in there. God will do something beautiful with it.
Isn’t your life a testimony?! Thank you for sharing. Your testimony brought tears to my eyes and encouragement to my heart
Ibukun,
Thank you ~
Yes, my life is a testimony that God is patient and His mercies are new every morning. He will wait for His most stubborn daughters and forgive them over and over again (sometimes for the same sin).
So thankful for Him.
Beautiful!
Yesterday I was floundering, today I am filled with Thankfulness He has heard me! Today I have perspective and purpose. Each and every verse I have read today, whether YouVersions daily verse or the scriptures in today’s devo, has convicted me! All of your posts have had something I can relate to or understand, and I’m so thankful to be blessed by your words. I am thankful He loves me enough to rescue me- again and again! Thank You Lord for your word, and Holy Spirit to really help me understand it, and how it applies to me…
I CANT do it alone!
“And knowing He suffered just like us, we can believe He knows our pain”
Sue, I sure appreciate you posting this today! For some reason, it hit me like a Mac truck between the eyes- W.O.W. It made Christ more human to me than ever before, Thank you!
Autumn Dawn, I could feel your pain soo clearly today. HE feels it too, and I’m praying for you.
Thanks to all of you for your prayers too! I’m praying for you ladies also. That’s the power and beauty of of this community- we lift each other up!
Thankful for all of you today! :)
Ellen MR,
I feel the same way! God has been stringing related verses and phrases to me throughout the day. What better proof do we need that He is paying attention to His children? Hard to fathom, isn't it?
What a great reminder. It is so hard to trust amidst the trials and pain, but trusting in God is the one thing that is going to help us regain the sight of hope and work in the trials we are in.
"Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead."
My hope is built on nothing less!
Somehow these days I always manage to get here when everyone has commented and has started their day. I’m having such a crazy day I don’t have the time to read through everyone’s comments right this moment. Hopefully I’ll be able to do this later. I just wanted to let y’all know that I have done the devo and that my heart is with y’all. Esp. Ellen, praying your sister had a succesful surgery
It's may sound odd, but am thankful my son passed away. It's been the most challenging 2.5 years, but I know it's all for my daughter to come out of her gay lifestyle, and back to God. (She used him as her shield as he agreed with her). We are getting along better than we ever have, we have moved back home to San Diego, so many lessons, so much love shown and I know this couldn't have taken place without his early departure (age 28, enlarged hear…went to bed and never awoke). Everything that is hard is worth it when you have Christ. Ad my theme song (other than "if you're going through Hell keep on going ;))…"no matter what, I will love you, No matter what I'm gonna need you"…. We all do die, and what an honor that God felt it was worth the loss to now be here for our family.
As I was reading the verses in 2 Corinthians, it triggered another verse that I'm studying in a class.
"John’s two disciples found Jesus and said to him, 'John the Baptist sent us to ask, ‘Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?' At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John’s disciples, 'Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.' ' " Luke 7:20-23
This absolutely blows my mind. My savior, THE MESSIAH. This is not some man I am trusting in, this is the foretold one of Israel who holds death, live, nature, everything in the palm of His hands.
My memory is the first thing to go when things get hard. I forget what He has already done on my behalf in the past. So on go my bootstraps and my tough girl mentality. And out the window goes my thankfulness for what He's done. Thank God for His faithfulness though! He knows I'm doing to dash myself on the rocks of my own independence yet He calls to me throughout the whole process to come back and to trust, to be thankful, to let Him be God.
Thank you God that "there is no pit we're in deeper than His love." Praise You for that and please help me to remember it every step of the way today and everyday!
It was because of that that I was able to write this "Today I am thankful for our precious Evan, for the time he was here with us, for the honor of being his momma and the strength to fight for his life, for the blessing it was to see him grow, feel him kick, and see his handsome face. For the cherished time we had to hold his body on this earth and for the promise of the day we will see him again. We love you precious boy and we will always love and remember you, thank you for all the lessons you taught us in your very short time on this earth! Mom.".
Getting to that place is NOT easy and it takes time but the decision to refocus our attention on all that we have been given no matter how small it is starts stearing our heart in that direction! If you don't know our story you can read it here: http://www.apromisetoholdonto.blogspot.com/ I hope it blesses you wherever you are!
What a great devotional today! Have a great day!
You brought tears to my eyes, you woman of great faith. My prayer is that God will continue to hold you in the palm of his hand. What a wisdom you hold…
I posted this "This year I've been through the most painful time of my life but there is one thing that has helped me to keep going: thankfulness. It hasn't been easy and I have failed at it but when I've been able to take my focus off of what was taken from me and put it on what I have been given it has changed everything in me and little by little it has become easier to be thankful. So today I'm thankful because what we went through showed my husband's true colors and now more than ever I know that he loves me, not just because he feels love but because he decides to do it through thick and thin. Thank you God and thank you my love!" on my FB last November. I truly believe that focusing on what I have instead of what I don't led me to having a thankful heart and that tankfulness helped me to stop seeing God as the one who took our son away (and questioning his decision not to heal him the way I wanted Him to) but to see HIm as the one that knows what's best for us and that delivered both our son and us from even greater suffering.
Hard times, loss, really bring out the truth of who we are…so thankful for your husband's true colors and you sharing a journey no mother ever wants to endure with this community. How precious your story of deliverance is to me. Blessings on you!
What a Mighty God we serve. The Corinthians passage reminds me that in good times or bad God resides with me. Not only in suffering but also in joyful moments. Not only that, but also He calls me to participate, to walk with others in joy or in pain, to acknowledge active engagement in the work of God. I have experienced times when life drove me so far down that me only prayer was a feeble, whispered, doubtful, "help." In those times others stood in the gap, praying, in those times God allowed others to experience His deliverance of me from His side. I praise Him for the times He has seen me through the raging seas and for the times He let me raise His staff to part the water for someone else. As Paul wrote: "You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation—I don't want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God's deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part." Have a glorious day, Sisters of the Faith!
Amen!
Despairing of life…being crushed and overwhelmed….these are often daily things for me. And, certainly it is the case today.
Today's devotion follows yesterday's beautifully, I think. I'm having a really, really bad day. It started ok, but went downhill very quickly, reducing me to a shaking, rocking mass of tears…and, although it's hard for me to admit it here, it reduced me to swearing…turning the air blue with empty, ugly words, spoken in pain, anger, frustration and out of an inability to cope (although none of those things are an excuse for swearing… I didn't want to admit that, but I feel I should confess my faults here that, as the Word says in James, I may be healed); I'm feeling crushed and very overwhelmed…and, yes, as I so often do, despairing of life. I need to change my perspective! Quick.
First of all, it's good to know that it's not just me, the wreck that I am, that feels this way. Paul the Apostle, great man of God, also had times of feeling that he just couldn't cope. Now, I need to look up… where my help comes from: the God Who raises the dead. Wow…I just need to let that sink in.
"we can remember that He’s rescued us before and that He’ll do it again…as many times as we need rescuing. (2 Corinthians 9-10, MSG)
And for that we can say thank you, even when nothing seems peachy keen. Because there is no pit we’re in that is deeper than His love.
Let’s give thanks that He is on our side. Today and every day."
I can do that. I may not be able to stop crying at the moment, but right in the midst of those tears I can say, "Thank You, Jesus. I know You love me, I know You are with me, I know You are helping me, I know You have a plan… thank You….and, Heavenly Father, thank You that Your power – the VERY SAME power that raised Jesus from the dead is working in my life right now! How awesome that is. I may not see it or feel like it's happening, but it is! And, so, I will trust and give thanks, through the tears until I can smile again. Help me to receive Your great grace abounding to me now. Amen."
Thank you for your honesty. Thank you for your transparency. Praying for you today because I know there are days when I have felt down.
You remind me how fragile we all are…how much we need God and each other. Praying for you and thankful for your openness and courage. May God bless you exceedingly and turn your tears to laughter and the words of your heart to praise.
Your honesty and courage is inspiring. You have such strength & it comes from God. He is FOR YOU. His love FOR YOU is larger than any pit you are in today. I am sorry this day has been hard. I hope you feel our prayers.
First of all WHAT is Downtown Abbey? I get the feeling I'm the only woman in the world that has never seen this :) But more importantly – There is no pit we're in that is deeper than His love. This really resonates with me. It's a simple statement but it is filled with such truth. Thank you SRT!
Don't do it Rhonda, Downton Abbey is a pit you will never be able to get out of. ;-) I kid, I kid. It's basically a British soap opera period piece….thing. Interesting show.
Why oh why do I seem to always forget this? Well not always. But often! Thank you Lird for your faithfulness in the past and your mercies which are new every morning.
Welcome, Pamela! I'm a newbie as well.
What a great reminder today to trust in my Lord.
"…a few brushstrokes on the gigantic masterpiece He's painting." I love this! Such great perspective, and yet so hard to see when you're in the thick of things.
Glad you are here, Sherry! Thank you for sharing!
Dear Lord, today, I am already feeling overwhelmed this morning because I feel I am still catching my breath. Yet I choose to thank and trust Y. Lead me in this day. Amen!
Praying for you, as I pray for myself…I'm having one of those days, too.
Praying that His guidance will be clear.
i can't help but think of St. Therese the Little Flower over the past few days of this study. she just keeps coming up over and over in my head, because of how we've been reflecting on suffering and thankfulness and what that means in our relationship with God. she devoted her "little sufferings" all to God, so that each discomfort or small suffering (stubbed toe, sickness, etc.) was a tool to make her turn her face to God. and even this study, "songs of ascent", is reminiscent of her. she said that she "wanted to find an elevator that would raise me to Jesus", which she said would be Jesus arms lifting her in her littleness up to Heaven. ascending to Him.
everyone's reflections on the readings today are wonderful, and i know they will continue to be!
I'm not Catholic, but I love your walk with God. It is so amazing that our God isn't defined by lines in the sand drawn by different religions. Thank you for all your perspective!
thank you for this! that's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. i love that about Him too…i love and believe in my Christian tradition, but love equally that He is available to anyone, no matter race, creed or gender.
i love to read everyone's perspectives, so i hope i can just add to that sharing with mine! :)
“In EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS for this is the will of God concerning us.” (1 Thes. 5:18) God is in control! Even when we can’t see the outcome I should be able to be thankful. Thankful because He is faithful, thankful because He loves me, thankful because He knows what’s best for me.
Today I am reminded that He is sovereign, nothing catches Him by surprise. I surrender everything to Him and realize that no matter how bad it may appears to be…”there is NO PIT that is deeper than HIS LOVE!”
Welcome Pamela!
No pit deeper than His love….love it. Have a glorious day, Cynthia.
" We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God…", 2 Corinthians 1:8, 9 NLT.
I love that scripture is connected to today's devotion! That so describes me when facing things in my life, when I think I am not even going to make it through, maybe even not live through….ok sometimes I exaggerate…but the problems seem that big to me! But when I stop relying on ME and start relying on HIM it is a whole different ball game.
And if I forget when the next time rolls around? He is there to pick me up all over again.
How true it’s been…
“And it turns out walking through these hard seasons is often the best thing could ever happen.
Because it is there that we find Him.
It is there that we learn that the strength of our bootstraps will fail, but the joy of the Lord won’t.”
During the most painful, difficult season of my life, thus far, I felt the the love and presence of my Lord like never before! The pain & turmoil was absolutely aweful, but if I hadn’t gone through it, I’m positive I would not have experienced the growth and love and longing for more of God that I have now. And for that I can’t be anything but thankful. Have a blessed day, my sisters!
"and for that i can't be anything but thankful." what a great outlook, exactly what the readings are about today!
So true, praying for you, Leah.
Amen, LeahTvt.
He truly uses everything, doesn't He?
So so so thankful for the love of Christ that he would suffer as a human so that we could be forgiven. And knowing that he suffered just like us we can believe that he knows our pain. Praise GOD!!!!
We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Ps 124:7-8
Love this! Christ, through His sacrifice has broken the thing, whatever the sin contraption was, that trapped us, ensnared us! We are forever free! Thank You Jesus! Help me be mindful to walk in Your victory today! Not defeated but victorious!
Because it is there that we find Him.
It is there that we learn that the strength of our bootstraps will fail, but the joy of the Lord won’t.
It is there that we learn that we don’t need to put on a brave face, we simply need to seek His.
And ultimately, it is there that we learn that He knows our suffering, because He suffered too. For me. For you.
Wow… This is my life. Praise God that He is there. Praise God that He understands. Praise God that He accepts us despite all our faults, our sins, our mistakes, and deems us worthy by the blood His Son shed for us. That we don't have to suffer alone, that we can turn to Him for strength and comfort… Wow. Praise God.
Thank you LORD for your promise that said you will never leave us neither forsake us.
Thank you for this! This is my first time here & this is a message I need to hear over & over. I was wondering – is it possible for you to put links to the Bible chapters for easy reading? Thanks!
Hey, Pamela!! Welcome to the group!! Get the YouVersion bible app. You can follow this reading plan and it gives you easy access to each scripture being highlighted. You can read the passages and the devotion content there and then come here to join in the conversation. You are sure to be blessed!!
Welcome, Pamela