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With today being Thanksgiving, one of my go to Bible verses has been on my heart as I considered & prayed over what to write for this special day. With the modern commercialization of holidays, it seems like this important day is often overlooked- everyone goes right from Halloween to getting ready for Christmas. As Thanksgiving approaches, people seem more concerned with the upcoming Black Friday sales than with the important day before- a day for giving thanks for what you have, not for rushing out to beat the crowds & get the best deals on a bunch of stuff that, let’s face it- we really don’t need.

As we give thanks for what we have, for what we’ve accomplished, & most importantly, what God has done, have you ever paused to give thanks for what you don’t have, for what you haven’t received yet?

Paul instructs the church, in the book of Philippians, to give thanks in ALL things, as we bring our requests to God.

In every situation, give thanks, for this is God’s will for us in Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

In the paycheck to paycheck struggle, when  you don’t know how you’re going to make ends meet, & you need a miracle to get through the holiday season, Momma, give thanks to Jehovah Jireh, your provider, Whom you know has gotten you this far, & He won’t stop providing for you now.

When the doctor gives the bad report, & you don’t know where to turn or how to deal with the diagnosis, give thanks to Jehovah Rapha, Momma, that He’s not just the Great Physician, He IS our Healer, & all who believe in Him have the ability to receive Divine Healing from Him. (I highly recommend God’s Creative Power by Charles Capps, if you or a loved one is in need of healing. The scriptures in this collection helped me through three months of medical leave while going though chemo & radiation therapy, just a year ago.)

When your child goes astray, & you’re worried about the condition of their soul, give thanks to our Savior, for He has promised that when we receive Him, our households will be saved with us (Acts 16:31). You’ve done your job, to raise them up in the way they should go, Momma, give thanks that God is doing His part to draw your baby back home.

When life seems a mess, & you’re tired of being tired & can’t seem to find peace, give thanks, Momma, to Jehovah Nissi. He IS your Prince of Peace, He will bring you to the calm place in the midst of the storm as He carries you through.

In all things, give thanks. Not just when everything appears to be going great. Not just when good things keep happening, the money’s right & kids are being angels. Yes, give thanks then. But when they’re in the backseat fighting & you don’t know if you’re going to make it home without pulling all your hair out, still give thanks. When the bank account is empty, or maybe even negative, but you’ve refused to stop tithing, & the bills have been paid & your kids aren’t missing any meals, give thanks then.

It’s so easy to look at the “good” things & be thankful, but it’s much more important, to have a heart of thanksgiving in the seemingly “bad” things. It’s in those things, that God is doing something. He’s working out a story, a testimony, a miracle, a great thing, that will bring glory to His Name, that will make it impossible for the unbelievers around you to deny Him. In those things, praise Him & give thanks, BEFORE you see the great thing He is working on behind the scenes, & watch Him fill you with His peace that passes all undertsanding as He carries you through to the place where His glory is displayed!

–Walking with a Thankful Heart by Faith & Finding the Blessings, Gerri