As we come into these days leading up to Thanksgiving, I wanted to share the following devotional with you that was first published on the Proverbs 31 Ministries website.
It especially spoke to me this year, and I hope it blesses your heart and gives you something to ponder on in these coming days...
Where Gratitude Grows Best
“In every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (AMP)
I heard the clank of the crash before the clamor of her wail. Following the thrum of sobs to my daughter’s bedroom, I found her sitting in a spray of tiny plastic bricks.
“My plans are ruined,” my 8-year-old whimpered. “What happened?” I asked.
“I was building a castle,” she explained. “But when I reached over to put the princess in the watchtower, I bumped the roof with my elbow, and the whole thing came tumbling down.”
I felt the ache of my daughter’s disappointment as I gazed at those bricks splattered like rainbow polka dots across the floor. But there was nothing I could say to fix her frustration, so I just pulled her onto my lap, and we sat there together in the middle of the mess.
When her sobs finally gave way to quiet sighs, I began to sift through the pieces of the capsized creation. I gathered tiny pink doors and wee plastic windows, tall slender spires and boxy blue bricks. Then, I slowly began to rebuild.
My girl lifted her head and watched me work. Her frown flipped upside down, and she flashed me an expectant grin. “Mom, thanks for making something marvelous out of this mess,” she declared. The blob of blocks I was fastening together didn’t look like a pristine palace or a fabulous fortress. In fact, it didn’t resemble anything marvelous yet. But my daughter’s eyes sparkled with confidence. “How do you know what I’m making?” I prodded with a playful wink. “Oh, I have no idea what you’re making,” my girl admitted with a carefree shrug. “But I know you …”
Her words dangled in the air between us. And my heart lurched with quiet conviction.
My daughter’s gratitude wasn’t based on what she could see; it was rooted in who she knew me to be. Perhaps this is the kind of gratitude Paul had in mind when he penned those challenging words in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 — “In every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”
It’s worth noting Paul doesn’t instruct us to give thanks to God
for
every circumstance. Instead, he urges us to give thanks to God
in
every circumstance.
Paul’s words remind us that gratitude isn’t anchored in ease; it’s anchored in intimacy. The more we know God, the more reasons we have to thank Him.
Gratitude may not be our first response when our circumstances are challenging or disappointing. But when we focus on who God is rather than on what He is doing, we discover that we can give thanks even from the middle of our mess.
We can thank Him for His wisdom even when we don’t see the reason for His ways.
We can thank Him for His faithfulness even when our faith is faltering.
We can thank Him for His peace even when our doubts are raging.
As we become familiar with the bent of God's heart, we learn to trust the work of His hands, even before His work is finished. I don’t know where you are right now, dear friend. Maybe you’re sitting in the midst of plummeted plans or picking up the pieces of your shattered confidence. But wherever you find yourself, I’m certain of this: God is with you. And He is for you. And He’s doing more than your eyes can see.
So fix your gaze on God’s faithfulness, and continue to seek His heart. Because if I know our Savior, He’s making something marvelous in the middle of that mess.
Dear Jesus, You are worthy of my praise even when I don’t understand Your ways. Turn my gaze from my frustrations to Your faithfulness. Shift my sights from my hurt to Your hope. And grow in me a heart of thanksgiving as I seek to know You more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Psalm 106:1, “Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (NIV)
You are loved,
Pastor Cathie
