What storm is stealing your thankfulness?
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Ephesians 5:20
I mentioned in a previous blog, that I have been diligently seeking God for a matter in my life; seeking His wisdom, His plans. It was a really sweet time with God, it was also a time of the intense enemy attack; from the enemy of our souls.
During this time a very heavy cloud of discouragement came over me. No matter how hard I prayed and sought God, it would not lift. Discouragement turned into a place of despair. With so much uncertainty, change, and conflict in our world, over the past two years, we have all been touched by the enemy’s plan for destruction.
During these hard dark days, God showed me so many things that I would not have seen if things were peaceful. Some things in my life needed to change, some things had risen to a place of too much importance. God must be on the throne of our life, nothing else.
I learned so many lessons through that hard season. Some were refresher courses, some were new lessons. God in His faithfulness allows us to go through hard seasons, to humble us, and to prune us for more growth. It was a very painful season, now I see God taught me so much. The struggle caused me to run to God all the more.
We don’t know the future, God does, and is preparing us today for what life will hold for us in the future. I see this in my own life, as I look back on all the hardships, they were schooling for life today. As hard as today may be it has a purpose in God’s plans.
As I felt like I was in darkness that would not lift, I asked God what do I need todo differently? This is crushing me! The Spirit reminded me that I had stopped being thankful, in ALL things. I was waiting for things to get better so I could be thankful. God wants us to be thankful in all things. Even when bad and evil things happen, God will take the broken and make it beautiful.
Thankfulness in all things was the key to breaking through the cloud of despair. It’s hard to continue to be under the cloud of despair when you are thanking God.
We will pass through seasons of grief and loss, life will hurt, life is hard. However, we have a choice to focus on God’s goodness and faithfulness. If you are in a hard season focus on God’s faithfulness. Focus on how He has walked with you through the past trials, run to the Father and know His comfort.
What ever you choose to focus on becomes larger in your sight. If your focus is on your troubles they grow larger in your mind. If your focus is on the all-knowing, never changing, loving, Heavenly Father, you will see your problems through His mighty power. If you are in a hard season choose to give thanks. It’s a choice, not a feeling.
Thankfulness and taking our eyes off us, and our problems, will help lift the despair.
Stay focused on HIM, and be thankful! We aren’t HOME yet.
Let’s be faithful to the end. God bless you and keep you.
~ Lynell K.