“Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:3-5
Thankfulness (or the lack thereof) is a theme that is almost constantly on my mind. Maybe it is because I am aware that I am consistently not thankful. The battle within my mind is this struggle between being thankful or satisfied with my situation and wanting something to be different. Often, wanting everything to be different: from the pain in my knees to the weather outside, my desire for comfort and success keeps me second-guessing God all the time.
And that is exactly what it is: second-guessing God. Just like watching a football game and troubleshooting the decisions of coaches and players, I troubleshoot (second-guess) what God allows to happen in my life all the time. It is fascinating that people believe they know better than God. Everybody does it, AND I am the guiltiest one of them all.
So where does relief from this dynamic come from? Relief from the battle in my head comes from Scripture. The reminder that God is real and that He is allowing the circumstances of my life to happen, here is the kicker à for my GOOD because of His lovingkindness. The psalmist declares that “The Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.”
Almost every page of the Bible confirms this truth. From the Israelites in the Exodus, David as he is fleeing from Saul, to Job in the midst of suffering and Jesus willingly suffering and dying on the Cross– God shows Himself to be the only Sovereign God who knows His perfect plan and how it works together for Good for the people who He has made His children. All of it proof that God is working to fulfill His promise to be the God who is with His people convincing them of His goodness in every situation even while His people are second-guessing Him in every situation.
True thankfulness comes as a gift from God as He helps me believe that the specifics of my circumstances actually point me to Him as the One who is delivering me from myself—that I need to be delivered from myself and the temptation to believe that I know better than God. Thankfulness comes as He lovingly convinces me that He has indeed blessed me with “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:2-3). That I am His child whom He is causing “to know the love of Christ surpassing knowledge, so that I may be filled unto all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).
I am trusting that God is helping you to be thankful today. Thankful despite any outside circumstances that would facilitate the normal “second-guessing” of God. Scripture shows us that God is working His good purposes in our lives because of His lovingkindness all the time. Take some time today to ask Him to help you believe this incredible Truth.
Happy Thanksgiving!!