Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Psalm 118:1
There is a song in my heart about how thankful I am to God for His goodness and mercy.
From last Fall to this Fall, in the lives of our daughters, there has been great joy and heartache. Thanksgiving can happen because my girls remember that God is indeed good.
What was meant for evil, God used for good.
The good that came from heartache was:
- Learning that they wont literally die from what happened.
- They are not to put total trust in “man”, but in God. (Jeremiah 17:5)
- God will never leave or forsake them. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
- To count it all joy when they fell into trials. (James 1:7)
- Take responsibility for their own emotions and not be led by feelings.
- To live a life surrendered to God. (Philippians 3:8)
I know that this was a different slant on being thankful, but we are encouraged in God’s word that “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
It gives God an opportunity to show that He can turn things around when we let go and trust Him.
Will you allow God to take the mess and heartache that you may have experienced this past year and turn it into something that you can be thankful in?
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.Psalm 100:4-5
Kela home educates 6 children in South Carolina. You can find her blogging at Pursuing What Is Excellent
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I was thinking about this just this morning for myself. I was thanking God I have learned to be guided by my husband and realized I learned that through/because of a woman who is no longer my friend and who hurt me. Heartache and good can come from the same situation. The trick is learning to see both. I pray I can teach my girls this as they grow up.