Hello beautiful people, I hope this post finds you all relaxed and ready to move into a new week tomorrow. There are a couple of food-related posts that I’d like to get up before Thanksgiving is here, but for now, I want to start this week off with a post about Gratitude.
Gratitude is something that, as Christians, we should be feeling and showing daily in our lives. Of course, around November each year, it’s easier to remember to give thanks with it being our designated Thanksgiving holiday in America. (I see you Canada, October). Thanksgiving, for me, means a time of year when I get to really check myself and my thoughts and be sure that I am truly grateful for all the many blessings God has given me in my life.
Showing gratitude does not mean just being thankful for the “good stuff” either. It also means showing gratitude for the trails that have brought us closer to the LORD and made us stronger in our faith. One of the stories I learned about in my Survey of the Old Testament course, is the story of Job. If you’ve never read it, I encourage you to get out your Bible and flip to it.
The LORD is in control of everything. Even when He allows the devil to tempt us, He is still in control. We see this in Job when Satan himself comes before the LORD. Satan tells God that he has been “roaming around on the earth”, I believe he is still here roaming and watching. As Job 1 continues, the first conversation between God and Satan ends like this,
Job 1:12, says “Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “Everything he owns is in your power. However, you must not lay a hand on Job himself.” So, Satan left the Lord’s presence.” (CSB)
If you continue to read you will see that Satan does absolutely everything in his power to push Job to question God, denounce his faith, and basically turn away from God. Satan proceeds to take everything away from Job. From his cattle to his children, everything. I believe it’s four messengers, one after the other, who come in and tell him that something of his has just been taken or killed. Then God gives Satan permission to attack Job’s physical body, but Satan must not kill Job. So Satan attacks Job with illness and sores, and it’s just one thing after another for Job. His own wife says something to him that I, as a wife, pray I would never say to my husband if I were ever in her kind of situation.
In the end, well I urge you to go and read the story, but the basic idea is that no matter what Satan threw his way, Job never lost faith in the LORD. He questioned a lot, but he never cursed God or lost his hope.
Satan will test us; God will allow him to do it. It is up to us to lean heavily on the LORD, turn to His word, sing praises to Him through the trials as well as the good times.
2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But He (God) said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (CSB)
In our weakness, in our hard times, His strength and grace can be seen.
Give Thanks to God as we come upon our Thanksgiving holiday and remember to give thanks every day, for everything.
Ephesians 5:18-20 says, “ And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (CSB)
Till next time,
~ Victoria