Worship Archives - Page 2 of 29

You Can’t Measure Hard, and You Can’t Measure Grace

January 30, 2018 by Tracey 6 Comments

There’s an abundance of hard things in the world around us. People we know and love are struggling or suffering in one way or another. Then there are our own personal trials we must work through.

There’s the hard of a job loss and limited income. There’s the hard of a family member getting a cancer diagnosis. There’s the hard of infertility, a wayward child, a physical limitation, or an unexpected tragedy.

I remember the hard of carrying a baby in my womb – a baby that kicked and moved A LOT – and knowing that she’d never live to grow up. There was the hard of random cashiers asking when you were due, not knowing what that date would bring for you. That was my hard in one season of life.

But what about a mom who’s lost her teenager in a car accident? How about the wife whose husband of 56 years just passed away? We all have hard, and there’s no point comparing.

‘Cause just like you can’t measure hard, you can’t measure grace.

Whatever’s hard for you and I today, God has the grace to get us through it. We don’t have to handle hard on our own.

We can't measure the hard things all around us, nor can we measure God's grace.

He tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that His grace is sufficient. Sufficient means enough to fully meet the need.

Isn’t that amazing? His grace isn’t going to fall short. My situation’s not going to be the one where there’s just not quite enough grace to cover it. A lack of heaven-sent grace to keep me going is not a problem I have to worry about. He will provide the grace I need today, tomorrow, and for every day in the future.

That verse also tells us that His strength is made perfect in weakness.

Relying on our own strength when we face difficulty is often our default method. But, if you’re like me, you know that doesn’t get us very far.

Instead, we can choose to admit our weakness, our lack of ability to handle the situation, and allow God to supply us with His strength. What a trade – my weakness for His strength!!

So whatever’s hard for you today, take it to God. Know that His grace is there for you. Admit your weakness. Lean into His strength. Let Him be glorified, whatever the outcome. And give Him thanks for His always sufficient, immeasurable grace.

“Hurry up, and Bring the Bill” ~ Not My Finest Patience Moment

January 26, 2018 by Tracey 5 Comments

So last week we talked about being longsuffering. I briefly mentioned longsuffering’s close relative, patience. (I like the distinction between the two I once heard – that longsuffering relates to how you deal with people, while patience is how you deal with things or circumstances.) Since I had a glaring real-life example of lack of patience in the past week, I thought I’d dig into this topic a little more.

Let’s lay some groundwork, like checking out this dictionary definition of patience – “the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.” If I could master that, I think I’d be much closer to spiritual maturity!

I’m guessing that patience isn’t a natural reaction for most of us. With our busy lives, getting things done and at as a fast a speed as possible is of primary importance. So with that introduction, here’s my latest story of patience run dry.

Last Friday night, after our daughters’ basketball game, they headed off with friends to a birthday party sleepover. My husband and I decided a nice dinner was in order, so I went online and put us on the wait list of a nearby restaurant. We still had a bit of a wait when we arrived, but got a table after about 20 minutes.

It was already late and we were hungry. And the wait to get our food was probably one of the slowest we’ve ever experienced. I don’t know if most of the kitchen staff had already left or what the issue was. As we waited for our meal, the restaurant started clearing out, so it’s not like they were overrun with customers any longer.

Overall, other than complaining to my husband (which I did repeatedly) (and it’s not like that doesn’t count as impatience!) I thought I held it together pretty well. Until dessert. Yes, we wanted dessert, and made sure to order it even before we finished our meal in hopes that it would arrive by the time we were done eating. Yeah, not happening.

Finally a guy brought our dessert out. As soon as he set it down on the table, I asked if he could have our server bring our ticket as quickly as possible. It was way past my bedtime and I was ready to go home! I’m sure he sensed my frustration. At least she did take care of that quickly, but I had already lost my patience with the whole experience.

Of course, I was convicted about this later, and had to ask forgiveness. I wish this was an out-of-the-ordinary story for me, but sadly, it’s not. That’s just a little thing, one of those daily examples that you might can relate to.

But how about when we’re facing a real trouble or prolonged suffering? How impatient are we to get through whatever situation the Lord has us in? Instead of waiting on God to teach us a lesson or work out a solution for His glory, don’t we just want Him to hurry up and deliver us?

Little circumstances or big ones, our struggle with patience is often about timing – what we want the timing to look like, and whether or not we’re willing to surrender to His timing for our lives. Big, big thoughts to ponder there.

When it comes to patience, Romans 12:12 gave me a lot to chew on.

“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”

I thought there were several key words in this verse that could help us grow in patience.

Rejoicing

It’s easier to be patient when we’re living in joy and being grateful. Looking around at all we’ve been given helps us focus on how blessed we already are. It can lead us to trust that God is working currently just as He has in the past.

Hope.

When a trial comes and we’re tempted to be impatient, we should remember that God is in control. He has allowed this situation to come into our life. There’s a reason why He has us here, and we can trust that the outcome will be best for us.

Tribulation.

Just know it’s coming. My trial will look different than yours, but we all are going to face difficulties. Each one is an opportunity to grow in our faith and our patience!

Prayer.

I’ve mentioned that prayer is a special emphasis of mine for 2018. We can pray for acceptance of God’s timing, and definitely for the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of patience in our lives!

Finally, a few quotes that help me visualize what patience should look like in my life.

“Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears.” – Barbara Johnson

“Regardless of how much patience we have, we would prefer never to use any of it.” – James T. O’Brien

“Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you, but not in one ahead.” – Bill McGlashen

With the Holy Spirit’s help, I trust that I can see more victory in this area of patience!

Will You Need This Fruit of the Spirit Today?

January 16, 2018 by Tracey 6 Comments

Today I’m getting back on track with our study on the fruit of the Spirit.

We’ve come to the fourth one, which is longsuffering. I really don’t like the words long and suffering put together. If I got to choose, I’d prefer a word like “shortsuffering!”

Over Christmas break, my older daughter and husband had the stomach flu. As I “nursed” them, I was very interested in noting how long they were actually ill. Was it running 12 hours, 24, or more?

Thankfully for both of them, it was only about 12 hours of actually being sick to their stomach. In case I came down with it, I wanted to know exactly how long it would last. I felt like I could make it through if I just knew when it would end! (And thankfully, our younger daughter and I never caught it!)

Obviously that’s not exactly what it means when we talk about longsuffering in a Biblical sense. According to this site, the word longsuffering is made up of two Greek words that literally mean “long tempered.” I also like the dictionary definition which says, “having or showing patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people.” So basically it’s having a long fuse instead of a short one.

God is longsuffering to us; let's show that same trait to others.

As with all of the fruit we’ve examined, God sets the example. He is the epitome of longsuffering. How thankful we should be that Exodus 34:6 describes Him as “…The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.”

God is not impatient with me. Psalm 86:15 says, “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” In my flesh, I sin and give Him so many reasons to give up on me. Yet He continues to extend grace, mercy, and compassion toward me.

So if I want to become more like Jesus, I need to be longsuffering. I once heard someone say that longsuffering relates to how you deal with people, while patience is how you deal with things or circumstances. The verses below definitely deal with how we’re to be longsuffering toward others. In fact, we’re commanded to act that way.

“With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;” ~Ephesians 4:2

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” “ ~Colossians 3:12

Do you see a similarity between these verses? What word is close to the word “longsuffering” both times? Mmhmm…it’s meekness. It seems to be tied in with longsuffering.

Perhaps I’m more longsuffering when I see my own weaknesses clearly. When I’m not prideful or worried about defending my own rights, it’s easier to be longsuffering. Putting others ahead of myself leads me to be tolerant and forgiving. (Ouch, stepping on my own toes here!!) But meekness is another fruit of the Spirit that we’ll get to later!

As wives and mothers, the opportunities to be longsuffering within our families arise almost daily. Sure, there are moments when I feel justified over losing my temper or showing my frustration. But that’s now how God is. When I think about how God is so longsuffering with me, I have no excuse to be irritated or provoked.

As we go through our day, may we yield to the Holy Spirit in those moments of irritation, and allow Him to produce longsuffering in us!

How I Want God to Answer My Prayers

January 9, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

Today finally feels like the beginning of the new year. Our girls headed back to school after a two-week Christmas break, plus an extra day off due to lingering ice from the snowstorm that came through last week.

It was a really good, much-needed couple of weeks of rest and family time. We watched movies, played games, and ate a few too many sweets! Now it’s back to early morning wake-up times and regular routines. The house seems mighty quiet today.

Several years ago, I started writing out a monthly prayer list for my family. On a page in my journal (fancy way of saying my notebook), I write each person’s name. Underneath, I list five specific prayer requests for that person for that month. For example, my husband has two out-of-town business trips in January, so two of my prayer requests for him revolve around those trips. (If you’re interested, you can read in more detail about how I make my prayer list here.)

While reading my Bible last month, I came to Psalm 143:1. Though I’ve read that particular verse many times, it spoke to me in a new way that morning.

“Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.”

As I mentioned in last week’s post, I’m now writing this verse at the top of my prayer list each month. It’s a daily reminder that I want God to hear my prayers and to answer them according to His faithfulness and righteousness.

We all want God to hear and answer our prayers. I love how the Psalmist here just asks God to “listen to my prayer.”

He uses the word “supplication,” which has the idea of asking for something earnestly and humbly. That right there should be our attitude when we come to God in prayer. We have humble hearts, and sincerely ask for our needs to be met. We don’t approach His throne lightly, acting like we deserve to have our prayers answered.

But what really got me was the way David asks for his prayer be answered. He wants God to answer in His faithfulness and in His righteousness.

So what does that look like?

Well, let’s look at the faithfulness aspect first.

God is constant and dependable. He is faithful to His character, Who He is. His goodness, mercy, and grace are continually evident in the way He chooses to answer our prayers.

God is also faithful to always do what is best for us. Isn’t that how we want God to answer each request? He is all-knowing, so we can trust that He will do what is going to be best for us.

And I love that this faithfulness involves God’s promises. I want God to answer my prayer according to the promises that I find in the Bible. And because He is faithful, I know He will. For example, if I pray, “Lord, please be with me when I go to this doctor’s appointment that I’m nervous about,” I know He will go with me. How? Because He says in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”

How about God answering my prayer according to His righteousness?

God always does what is right. He is pure, He is just, He is holy. No matter how I might want my prayer answered humanly speaking, the best answer comes through the filter of God’s character. All that He does is right. If my prayer is answered according to His righteousness, I know it will be the perfect answer. I don’t have to worry that God might get it wrong this time. It will be correct.

Will it always be the answer I want? Probably not. Maybe what I’m asking for is not good for me or for the person I’m praying for. Do I want God to answer it my way anyway? No! He by far knows what the best answer is for that request and what will bring Him glory. I see in the short-term; He has eternity in view.

How thankful I am that we have a God who hears us when we pray! We can trust that He will answer our prayers according to His faithfulness and righteousness.

A New Year’s Update – and My One Goal (so far!) for 2018

January 3, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

Happy 3rd day of 2018!! Hope you and your family enjoyed welcoming in the New Year!

As for us, we had an interesting end to 2017 and beginning of 2018.

Our family kept our regular Christmas Eve tradition of going downtown for dessert and to walk through Charleston Place hotel to look at the decorations and take photos.

Christmas morning was just our family at our house. Everyone seemed pleased with their presents! We traveled up to Virginia that afternoon to spend a couple of days with my family.

During our trip back home, our older daughter started with a stomach virus, which spread to my husband on Friday. I had some flu-like symptoms on Thursday, but thankfully never got the stomach-bug part of it! We’re actually not sick often, so hopefully we’ll be well for quite a while now!

The last week has been a nice mix of time at home and activities out of the house – like attending the wedding of our daughters’ piano teacher and a nice New Years’ Eve party. I’m really enjoying the family time – and we have lots of it today! Some freezing rain and snow moving through our area means we’ll all be together in the house 24/7!

Since our girls don’t go back to school until Monday, I’m still in holiday mode. I haven’t thought too much about goals for the new year.

But I have set one goal so far, and it has to do with prayer. The older I get, the more I realize the importance of prayer. I have so little control over mine and my families’ lives, yet God is in control of it all.

While I’ve read Psalm 143:1 many times before, it stood out to me when I came across it recently. I’m now writing it at the top of my monthly prayer list each month.

“Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.”

(I’m putting together a post about what I’m learning from that verse, and hope to publish it soon.)

So my one goal for 2018 right now is to read one book a month about prayer. I’m hoping this will help me learn more about the spiritual discipline of prayer as well as keep me focused on it throughout the year.

Here’s a list of the books I hope to read.

1. Prayer 101: Experiencing the Heart of God by Warren Wiersbe

2. Praying God’s Word by Beth Moore

3. E.M Bounds on Prayer

4. 31 Prayers for My Husband by Jennifer Smith

5. Prayer, the Great Adventure by Dr. David Jeremiah

6. When Mothers Pray by Cheri Fuller

7. A Call to Prayer by J.C. Ryle

8. The Prayer That Changes Everything by Stormie Omartian

9. Handle with Prayer by Charles Stanley

10. Anything: The Prayer That Unlocked My God and My Soul by Jennie Allen

11. Prayer: Communing with God in Everything by A.W. Tozer

12. How to Pray by R.A. Torrey

There’s always room for growth in our prayer life, and I hope that I cover new ground in this area in 2018.

I’ll leave you with this quote from Corrie Ten Boom.

I definitely want prayer to be my steering wheel!

So do you have a favorite book on prayer? Have you set any goals for this year? I’d love to hear from you!

Unwrap the Gift of Peace This Christmas

December 22, 2017 by Tracey 4 Comments

As expected, December’s pace has kept me away from blogging! I’ve not gotten to all that I wanted to write about peace, but I thought it would be perfect to use a verse from Luke 2 today to continue that conversation.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” ~Luke 2:13, 14

While this is a wonderful season of celebration, there’s often some hard things about Christmas. I personally know many who are experiencing physical suffering right now. Others have recently lost loved ones, and are still grieving. Figuring out how to make money stretch to meet all the financial demands we feel can also make this a difficult time of year. Yet peace is a big part of the Christmas story.

Let’s look at three ways that peace and Christmas go hand-in-hand.

**Because of Christmas, we can have peace with God.**

There is no way we could have a relationship with God without Jesus. We are born sinners. God is holy. Our sin is a barrier between us and a righteous God. Yet Jesus came as a babe in a manger. He lived a perfect, sinless life. Then He died a sacrificial death on the cross, taking all of our sin upon Himself. Three days later, He rose from the dead, gaining victory over death for all who trust in Him.

When I accept Jesus as my Savior, His righteousness becomes mine. All of my sin is forgiven, and I have full access to the God of heaven. There is now peace between myself and God. No better gift could be given than the one that was given that very first Christmas when God sent His Son!

Because of Christmas, we can have the peace of God.

Since Jesus came, we know about God’s love and mercy, His compassion and His grace. He wants us to experience His peace. I don’t know how those without Christ handle life’s struggles, but I’m so thankful that, through salvation, we can sense God’s peace no matter what our circumstances are.

As we talked about earlier this month, God can give us peace in our souls as we face trials in our lives. God makes inner peace available to us as we learn to trust Him. These thoughts have helped me over the last few weeks as I’ve prayed about a situation where I need peace.

Because of Christmas, man can have peace with others.

We’ll likely find ourselves coming into contact with some people over the holidays who aren’t exactly lovable! I can’t love others – especially those who “get on my nerves” – on my own. But remember, peace is a fruit of the Spirit. While that applies to inner peace, I also believe that inner peace flows outward, and affects how we treat others.

In Romans 14:19, we’re told,

“Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”

We choose how we respond to the cashier with a short temper, the fellow shopper who cuts in front of us, or the extended family member who dominates the conversation. By our words and our actions, let’s choose to respond in a peace-making way.

This Christmas, may we be grateful for peace with God, rest in the peace of God, and show peace to those around us!

Where I Use Words Like Surrender and Submission As I Search for Peace

December 14, 2017 by Tracey 4 Comments

Do you have a life verse? I would say that I don’t.

Instead, I tend to have a key verse for a particular life season. Right now, I would claim Proverbs 3:5,6 as the verses I cling to on a consistent basis. Having two teenagers reminds you how much you need to wholly trust God to direct your (and their!) path. I can’t lean on my own understanding. As I continue to learn in my parenting journey, what I think is best for my kids may not always be what God has for them.

Whether or not you have a life verse, you likely have certain Bible verses you’ve memorized and continually refer back to. I have a number of them! I think it’s because they contain truths that are relevant to any situation we face. One of mine has to do with peace.

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:6-7

While we already talked about some ways we can have perfect peace, this verse reveals to me that prayer leads to peace.

I believe there’s a little more to it than just the physical act of saying a prayer about something we’re concerned over. Making my request known to God is the easier part. The hard part is choosing to leave it with Him.

Sharing my heart’s desire with God in prayer is all well and good. But if I finish praying, then two minutes later I’m worrying and trying to work it all out in my own mind again, I’m not going to have peace.

Merriam-Webster defines peace as a quiet and calm state of mind. That sounds desirable!! I also love the word “tranquil” as a synonym for peace. I think of a still blue lake, with the sun shining down on it, and not a ripple on its surface. To go through my day with a mind that restful and serene would be a blessing!

As for “being careful for nothing,” or, in other words, turning all my concerns over to God, I believe that involves submission. It’s me surrendering to however He chooses to answer my prayer. What sweet communion I can have if I commit all of my cares to Him!

The peace we receive at that point will “keep our hearts and minds.” Here the word “keep” has to do with watching over or guarding. God’s peace can guard my heart – my emotions and feelings – as well as my mind or thoughts. That inward peace guards me from fear, worry, doubt, depression, and so many other attacks against my heart and mind. Our outward circumstances may be rough and stormy, but inwardly, we can have peace.

This peace is beyond our understanding. If you’ve ever gone through a trial and had that kind of peace, you know that’s the best way to describe it. There’s no explaining it to someone who hasn’t experienced it.

But, as with the verse we looked at last week, the ending here is key. I can’t manufacture this peace. It only comes through Jesus Christ. As our Savior and Lord, He gives us the peace we need.

December 9th marked 20 years since what has (so far!) been our family’s most difficult trial, at least humanly speaking. That was the day our first child was born and went to heaven, all within a matter of minutes. I continue to praise God for the peace He gave us during those days. I’m comforted to know that, no matter my trial, His peace is always available!

5 Ways to Get God’s Perfect Peace

December 8, 2017 by Tracey 5 Comments

The month of December is a good time of year to talk about peace! In spite of all my efforts to simplify Christmas, there’s still plenty of scrambling to get ready for events, pursuing just the right presents for everyone, and plain-ol’ stuff that has to be done. Sometimes there’s little peace left in my heart at the end of the day – if I even had some to begin with!

Peace drains out of me pretty fast as I rush to bake a treat for the school party, pick up teacher gifts, and make yet another run to the grocery store for that key ingredient I forgot. (And if you have it all together this season, please send my your secret!)

But what if I knew how to get – and keep – perfect peace? A peace that lasts through the day and into the night, even when I’m wide awake at 4 A.M. Thankfully, we have a verse with just the prescription we need.

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” ~Isaiah 26:3

I want that perfect peace. Any time of year, distractions like fear, worry, and doubt want to draw my mind away from God. Or it can be something as simple as my to-do list that steals my peace. My mind races, and I think, “How am I going to get it all done?”

I have an answer – not necessarily to getting it all done, but to finding that peace in the middle of it.

Keep my mind stayed on God. Give Him my fears, worries, and doubts, and simply trust.

But how do I stay my mind on God? Here are five things to try. None of them are new or groundbreaking, but just simple reminders of how we can grow in our faith.

Pray.

I’m blaming this on getting old, but for a while now, I’ve been waking up at least a couple of times each night. I’m trying to discipline myself so that when I’m lying there in bed awake, I start praying. Obviously that’s not the only time I pray! But if we try to fill the nooks and crannies of our day – while we’re driving, folding laundry, packing lunches – with prayer, our minds will be focused on God.

Meditate on Bible verses.

Meditating on Scripture helps me apply a verse specifically to my life. Just like prayer, it doesn’t often come naturally. The best way I’ve found to meditate on a verse is to write it down, and then post it where I can see it throughout the day.

Play music that glorifies God.

These days we can listen to music anywhere and anytime. Whether we’re at home or in our car, let’s have a good playlist of uplifting music that causes us to worship and praise God.

Listen to the preaching of God’s Word.

Whether it’s in a church service, through an audio sermon, or via podcast, putting Scriptural truth into my ears will cause me to stay my mind on God. Hearing the Bible clearly taught helps me realize areas in which I need to grow, and encourages me to continue walking with God.

Write down God’s promises.

Put pen to paper. Focus on the promises of God that you find in His Word. We know God is faithful to always follow through. Remember Numbers 23:19? “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?”

So what’s at the bottom of all this? Learning to trust God. Isn’t that how Isaiah 26:3 ends? Ultimately, if I will keep my mind focused on God and trust Him, He will give me that perfect peace that I desire.

Joy at the End of the Journey

November 30, 2017 by Tracey 6 Comments

Our visit with joy has been short this month! But the Christmas season is naturally a good time to continue focusing on this fruit of the Spirit.

I thought it would be appropriate to end our series on joy with the following verse.

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” ~Acts 20:24

What a powerful verse! What better goal could we have as Christian women than to finish our course with joy?

We each have a different path through life. That path takes different twists and turns as the years pass. Right now, you could be a working single, a newlywed, or a mom with small children. You might be an empty nester, a grandmother with young grandchildren, or some stage in between. Whatever our path or “course” today, we can, with the Holy Spirit’s help, walk it joyfully. We don’t know which day will be our last.

Yet assuming we live into our later years, how sweet it would be to move through our final days with joy in our hearts. Does that necessarily mean that the “finish” of our course, the end of our lives, will be pleasant, humanly speaking? It could be. Or it could involve poor health, a long-term sickness, or a host of other unpleasant things we don’t want to think about!

As far as we know, Paul lived his last days as a prisoner. Not the outwardly joy-producing ending one might wish for. But he says that he didn’t “count his life dear.” In other words, the only measure for the value of Paul’s life was in how he could use it to complete God’s will for him. His ministry was to share the gospel, and to be a testimony to the grace of God. Fulfilling that calling with a joyful spirit was Paul’s goal.

As we’ve discussed before, it’s not circumstances that should determine our joy. Joy is the fruit of the Spirit that’s grown in our lives as we trust God, believe His Word, and serve Him. So no matter how many years God gives us, I pray that at life’s close, we’ll be able “to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” As we reach the end of our own path, may we be a testimony of God’s grace, and evidence that by the joy we know deep in our souls.

Thanks for looking at joy with me this month! Below I’ve listed all the posts in this series for quick reference. I hope you’ll join me next week as we begin talking about peace.

3 Ways to Find Joy
7 Truths About Finding Joy in God’s Word
Add Some Joy to Your Service

When You Don’t Feel Like Giving Thanks

November 22, 2017 by Tracey 4 Comments

Tomorrow’s the day.

Thanksgiving 2017.

‘Tis the season for saying out loud what you’re thankful for, counting your blessings, and making a gratitude list. (Though I hope we do that on a regular basis throughout the year!)

Sometimes it’s easy to feel thankful. The list of blessings seems almost endless.

But there could be other years when it’s hard. While we know deep down that we really do have so much to be thankful for, it’s hard to make the mental shift and focus on our blessings. Adopting that attitude of gratitude just seems like an enormous task because of our current situation.

We have an unlikely candidate to help us today. Let’s see what Habakkuk had to say when he thought about how difficult things might get in his life.

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” ~Habakkuk 3:17-18

Wow. Habakkuk basically had nothing going for him. It sounds like not only is there nothing for today, but there’s little hope for the future. Not only is there no fruit in the vines, there aren’t even blossoms on the fig tree. The fields are bare and the stalls are empty.

Sometimes we’re in situations that feel like that. Maybe money’s tight, a child keeps getting sick, a job situation is stressful, or there’s a spiritual temptation we just can’t seem to get victory over. Maybe our attitude becomes “Woe is me.” It’s easy to get discouraged, to feel like life is against us and we’re not prospering as we should. It’s easy to get to that place, but let’s don’t stay there!

When everything was against Habakkuk, he didn’t lose his joy because he chose to focus on God. He made the decision to “rejoice in the Lord.” He knew that ultimately his salvation would come from God.

Is that our approach or not? Do we only find joy in good health, material possessions, and blessings we can see, or do we actually joy in HIM?

Let’s follow Habakkuk’s lead. Let’s rejoice in the Lord when times are good, and still rejoice in the Lord when times are bad. Right now, my circumstances are good. But sometime between now and next Thanksgiving, I can pretty much guarantee you I’ll have some struggles. So will I rejoice in the Lord then? I pray that I will.

What’s going on around us may not be good, but God always is. My prayer for all of us is that we won’t live in the despair of difficult circumstances, but that we’ll choose to find our joy in God and rejoice in the Lord!

I had to share these two songs that fit so appropriately with the theme of this post. [If you’re reading this in e-mail, you’ll need to click over to the site to view the videos.]

I’m so thankful for each one of you who read here, and trust that you’ll make many sweet memories with loved ones this season. Most of all, may you rejoice in the goodness of God this Thanksgiving!