Devotion for Friday, May 8
GRATITUDE LEADS TO THOUGHTFULNESS
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ.
This is what God wants you to do.
Bad things happen in life sometimes. We do not understand the why's or the hows. When we must face those times, they do not have to be our primary focus. Instead we can be thankful for the many things we have already. God loves us. Jesus died for us. Our sins our forgiven. Jesus has promised to never leave us. God is our Father and He is faithful. We have an eternal home in Heaven.
Back in my days of youth I had some days that if something could go wrong, it most certainly did. Just when my acne was beginning to show signs of healing, BAM it came back with a vengeance. I thought I would never have a good day where I would be confident when I was a teenager. I could not wait to become an adult! Just like what we said when we had children. "I can't wait till my baby can walk!"
Now I look back on my adolescence and think, hey, that was not so bad. We all experience ups and downs, good times and bad, but look at us now! We made it! That was not so hard. But did we ever thank God for those bad times or the downs we experience while getting here? I am sure I have not. And when I look back, I would not be the person I am today if it were not for the not so good times in my life.
Thanking God for the good is easy, thanking Him for the other? Not so much. We can look back and say, Phew. If it were not for some of those bad times, we would not be able to handle what life is throwing at us now. We could not feel what the young people are feeling right now if we had not ourselves been there and done that. We should remember that we have God in our corner.
When we dig into the scriptures deeper, we can understand why we should have gratitude and thoughtfulness for our situations. In Psalms 136 it says "Give thanks to the lord, for He is good. His love endures forever". When we recognize our depravity and understand that, we have reasons to be thankful; Gods goodness and His love of us! We know that all things work together for good to them that love God!
Everything in this life we encounter good, bad, or indifferent, we must come to understand that God is directing our circumstances for our good and most importantly for His glory. Amen
David Bigam,
Director of Children & Youth
Let us pray: Dear God, help us to grow in grace and stay in an attitude of thankfulness for all that you give us. Help us not to get discouraged when bad things happen for, we know that everything works together for good. Amen
|