Give
thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His
love endures forever…
Psalm 136:1
Sometimes when life knocks us down we
reach into our closet of emotions and pull down the box labeled pity party. One
by one we open the contents of the envelopes marked: Oh my! Why me? Why now?
Why this? How long? How far? How could I have done that? Some grab it more
quickly than others, but most have reached for it at least once.
Perhaps satan set a snare for you, and you
stepped into it. That innocent lunch became dinner and then dinner became
something more and before you knew it... Maybe someone you love has a heart
hurt that has driven him to the bottle. You want to help, but nothing is
working. It could be that a devastating disease or loss of a loved one has you
teetering on the brink of depression.
Any one of life’s hurts and tragedies can
drive us over the edge of our emotional stability. Many situations require
medical treatment or professional counseling. There is no shame in seeking
help. Other predicaments seem less lethal and we struggle to handle them on our
own.
I have found a good way to begin the
emotional healing process is by giving thanks to our great God. You may think
it strange to give thanks when you are in the pit. You may believe there is
nothing for which to be thankful. Psalm 136 reminds us that God’s endless love
never fails. I don’t know about you, but when I am in the midst of struggles or
failure, I need to know that!
When we look for reasons to be thankful,
we begin focusing on the goodness of God and often discover that along with our
attitude of gratitude comes weight loss—our heavy heart grows lighter. While
thankfulness may not change the situation or circumstances around me, I have
found that thankfulness changes me.
When I begin to thank God, not for the
situation but in the midst of the situation, I find that I am able to put away
the envelopes of self-absorption and focus on my Heavenly Father’s love and
mercy and goodness and grace.
My
God gives drink to the dry and thirsty soul. He gives meat to the emaciated
spirit. He gives strength for today and hope for tomorrow. He removes the
clouds of doubt and fear and causes the sun to shine again.
He is God and He is good. His love endures
forever. Give thanks!
©JP
2013
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