Being Thankful in Hard Times

Being Thankful in Hard Times

 

            When I listen to people talk about their needs; sometimes serious and at times not so serious, I wonder why no one talks about being thankful for what they do have.  Not long ago I called a friend in Illinois and asked her how she was.  Her reply was, “Praise the Lord; I got out of bed today and had food to eat and a warm house.  What more can I say?”

            So I said, “How is your health?”  Her answer was, “Better off than many others.”  She never complained, but only talked about being thankful to God.  I hung up the phone and thought that I needed to think about what thankfulness really meant.

      I began looking up the words ‘give thanks’ which was listed 425 times in the Bible and ‘thankful’ was found 39 times, while ‘be thankful’ was written 33 times.  Not only were these words just used in the Bible, but many times were written to believers as a command.

            “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

                                                                                                         1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”  Colossians 3:15 (NKJV)

I noticed it does not say, “You probably should be thankful and give thanks”.  It wasn’t even a question, but was stated as ‘do this’.

            As I thought about it, I realized I talked more about what I needed and wanted, than how often I gave praise and thanksgiving for what the Lord has done for me and continues to do daily. 

            I must mention here about my mother who has gone to be with the Lord; she was the most grateful person I have ever known.  No matter how small the gift or how little the deed, she was filled with gratitude.  If she received a card in the mail or a phone call, it was precious to her.  She thanked God for everything; it was part of her character.  She truly fulfilled Ephesians 5:20 “Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [TLB]  She came from very humble beginnings and her family struggled to survive in the early 1900’s.  She never asked for much in life because in her eyes she had abundance.  Her greatest treasure was her family whom she loved so dearly.

           So many people today are only concerned about what they want and not what they have.  How can we praise God and not be grateful?  Today, give God thanks for what he is doing in our lives and give him praise.

“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 (NKJV)