Praise Him, even in the tough times – Part I
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (NIV) Phil. 4: 6, 7
There is Always Something to be Thankful for (Count your blessings)
Beloved, have there been times in your life when you felt like everything was going wrong and that there was nothing that you could be thankful for? I have felt this way sometimes. In such times, I constantly have to remind myself that despite the challenges of life, there is still a lot to be grateful to God for.
This month, we have been focusing on thanking God for having taken us through the year successfully. But the fact remains that not all of us feel there is a lot to be thankful for. The first part of this two-part devotional is aimed at reminding all of us that no matter how dire our circumstances were over the course of this year, there is still a lot to be thankful for; we are still blessed more than we can imagine. We all need this constant reminder.
Dear child of God, I am convinced that Paul’s use of the word thanksgiving in Phil. 4:6 was by design. Paul wanted to remind us that even when we have “big” issues to put before God, we should do so with gratitude in our hearts, mindful of the fact that even if we cannot see them, God has still showered several blessings on us.
The following is a very common message that I have seen on several posters and I believe it is a great reminder of the need to be thankful in all situations:
If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of the world.
If you have money in the bank, your wallet, and some spare change you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the millions of people who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture, or the horrible pangs of starvation you are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering.
If you can read this message you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read it at all.
Child of God, things might not have been perfect this year but God is reminding us and encouraging us to focus on the positives of the year; to see the glass half full instead of half empty. Today, embark on a small exercise; try to look back on this year and count the blessings that God has showered on you. Even if you don’t feel there are any blessings to count, just try it anyway. You’ll find that your heart will be filled with joy because there’s a lot to be thankful for.
Hymn:
When upon life billows you are tempest tossed
When you feel discouraged thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done
Chorus:
Count your blessings name them one by one
Count your blessings see what God has done
Count your blessings, name them one by one
Count your many blessings see what God has done.