Sneak Peeks

I want your promises fulfilled.

I want you to trust me in your times of trouble,

so I can rescue you and you and you can give me glory.

– Psalm 50:14 TLB 

  AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE                                        

         Whatever the circumstances, no matter what, we should always remember to have “Thank you, God” on our minds. After all, the Lord has given us our life, parents, our BFFs, pets, nature, health. We can see, hear, speak, smell, taste, and feel. (We could go on forever, but you get the picture.) Let’s just say, (and the Bible has) that “Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven.” (James 1:17 ). What’s more, on top of it all, God has given us the perfect gift: his Son.

Jesus continually thanked his Father for everything. That tells us how important an attitude of gratitude must be.

On the hill, in front of a hungry crowd he would feed with a few loaves and fish… “Jesus took the bread, gave thanks to God, and distributed it to the people who were sitting there.” (John 6:11).

Before he raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I’m grateful that you have listened to me.” (John 11:41 MSG).

Even at the last supper, when his thoughts must have been filled with the terror of what was to come, Jesus “gave thanks,” before he ate and drank with his disciples.” (Mark: 14: 22, 23)

Okay, but if we get a “F” on our finals, don’t make the cheerleading team, or our parents divorce, though, we certainly can’t think Gee, thanks, God for that.

Oh, but we can, and we should! The Bible says “give thanks in all circumstances,” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and that’s a good habit to form for some very good reasons:

It shows God we trust him—not just when things are going our way—but when the bad stuff comes along too. It proves we believe he’s a loving Father who has a plan for us, and though we might not understand what it’s all about, he does. It shows him we have faith that everything he sends, will, in the long run, be to our benefit.

See, what we’re trying to do is to get to the point where we’re thinking Thank You, God, not…. Oh my God….automatically, even when we can’t imagine what good can possibly come of a situation.

The Bible says, “all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.” (Romans 8:28 TLB)

And we just have one thing to say about that: “Thank You, God.”

P.S. Jesus healed ten lepers. But only one returned to thank him. When God does something spectacular in your life, do you say thank you?

 
From WHATEVER IS LOVELY: a 90-day Devotional Journal, from the FaithGirlz collection, written by Allia Zobel Nolan, and available December 9 @ e http://tinyurl.com/qetr75f. Zobel Nolan is the author of close to 200 titles. She writes mainly about God and cats. Visit her @ www.AlliaWrites.com.