The Power of Being Thankful: 365 Devotions for Discovering the Strength of Gratitude (41 page)

Consider your life. Are there situations you now handle well that would have previously made you feel fearful and anxious? Of course there are. As you have been walking with God, He has been strengthening you and hardening you to difficulties—you can be thankful that you are stronger than you used to be.

In the same way, I can assure and encourage you that some of the things bothering you right now will not affect you the same way in five years. We often struggle when we do certain things for the first time, but after gaining some experience, that struggle is no longer present. We can press through obstacles and never allow circumstances to control us. Instead, trust the Lord and know that He is working in your life in every situation.

Father, help me to learn from You in every situation I face. I thank You that I am stronger than I used to be, and I thank You that You are making me even stronger through my present circumstances. I put my trust in You, knowing that nothing is too difficult for You.

It’s difficult—if not impossible—to be truly grateful and thankful until we fully understand the grace of God. Grace is unmerited favor, but it is also God’s power made available to us so we can do with ease what we could never do on our own. Once we grasp the fact that every good thing we have comes to us by the goodness of God, what is left for us but gratitude and thanksgiving?

It is hard to give credit to God when we think that we deserve whatever we receive from Him. But it is hard not to give credit to God when we know that we do not deserve anything we receive from Him—it’s all by His grace. Our lives should merely be a thankful response to that.

Father, I am thankful for Your grace. Without Your grace for my life, I would be without hope. But because of Your grace and power, I am grateful that I can accomplish the plans that You have for me.

I was at war with myself for many years. I did not like myself and tried to change myself continually. The more I struggled to change, the more frustrated I became, until the glorious day when I discovered Jesus accepted me just as I was. He, and only He, could make me what He wants me to be.

Don’t rate yourself as unusable just because you have some weaknesses. God gives each of us the opportunity to be one of His successes. Our weakness gives Him the opportunity to show His power and His glory.

Instead of wearing yourself out trying to get rid of your weaknesses, give them to Jesus and be thankful that He is going to demonstrate His strength in you. Take your eyes off what you think is wrong with you and look to Him. Draw strength from His boundless might. Let His strength fill up your weaknesses. You cannot successfully change yourself, but you can trust God to do it for you.

I thank You, Father, that I don’t have to be frustrated in life, trying to change myself in my own efforts. Help me today to release my weakness to You, knowing that in my weakness, You show Yourself to be strong.

The world is filled with pain and hurting people; and my experience has been that hurting people hurts others. The devil works overtime among God’s people to bring offense, strife, and disharmony, but we can be thankful that God gives us a tool to disappoint and defeat the devil: We can be quick to forgive.

Forgiveness closes the door to Satan’s attack so that he cannot gain a foothold that might eventually become a stronghold. It can prevent or end strife in our relationships with others. No wonder Scripture tells us over and over that we are to forgive those who hurt or offend us. Jesus made forgiveness a lifestyle, and He taught us to do the same. This is essential to living a joy-filled life.

Father, I am so thankful for the forgiveness You have given me through Jesus and for the grace to be able to forgive others. Regardless of what others have done to hurt or offend me, today I choose to forgive those who have caused me pain. Thank You for helping me to live out that forgiveness each new day.

Love and acceptance are the greatest gifts parents can give their children. Acceptance liberates our children and allows them to be who God designed them to be. Love sees the gifts in our children, thanks God for those gifts, and seeks to help them use those gifts for God’s glory.

In order to have harmonious and positive relationships with our children, it is absolutely critical that—even when correcting them—we accept them for who they are and that we embrace their unique personalities. Love does not try to force our children to be what we want them to be. It helps them be what God wants them to be, and to overcome their weaknesses and thrive in using their strengths.

I thank You today, Father, for the children You have given me and the unique gifts and personalities each one has. Give me wisdom to raise them to the best of my ability for Your glory. I am so grateful that You have placed them in my life.