The halfway mark for 2017 is quickly approaching. It’s amazing how fast the year has flown by and before you know it we will be preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas again. The children are all enjoying their summer vacations and many families are also enjoying time together. This week I wanted to remind us and challenge us to continue to remain faithful in living a life of thankfulness. Thankfulness should not just be a response of when good things happen to us, although those are great times to offer thanks to God.
Thankfulness is An Attitude Not A Response To Good Things in Our Lives
Thankfulness is developing and nurturing an attitude that always appreciates what God is doing in our lives. His plan is always on course to do something amazing, but the route he takes is often challenging. When my wife and I made a commitment to spend this year intentionally offering thanks to God on a daily basis we were already in a challenging situation and it has become much more challenging as the year has continued. We have never wavered one bit in our hearts to offer God the very best we have each day because we know that although we are in a season where things aren’t completely clear which way we should go, our vision is very clear on who we should follow.
Each day AuDera has been sharing a different promise from the scriptures and today I would like to piggy back on one that she used this week. Psalms 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” Remember, this is a promise to you from God not just words in a book. It is so easy to worry and fret about what may possibly come our way in the future. Maybe you are facing a very challenging illness or financial crisis. Can I offer you hope today? I am not throwing a pie in the sky to make you feel better, I am telling something that I have seen over and over again in my life and even as I write this I am expecting God to once again do something amazing in my own situation.
How Do We Bring Our Burden to The LORD?
How do you cast your burden on the LORD? If you are overwhelmed with a challenge today then follow these steps. Write down the challenge you are having then go to a quiet place and read this to the LORD. When you get finished reading it, tell him exactly how you feel about it. Don’t hold back He knows it anyway. If you are afraid or angry tell him and explain why. When you are finished, and let me explain when you are finished. You are finished when the burden is gone. If you are crying, then the tears have stopped. If you are angry then you are now exhausted. I’m just being real with you, don’t hold back, when you read the Psalms David didn’t hold back! Now that you have cast your burden on the LORD finish your time of prayer by acknowledging that you know and believe that He is going to do something to answer this request. You will probably feel his Spirit welling up in you even as your burden was being cast out. Now let faith arise in you! Tell him how wonderful He is and how much you will trust him through this entire process. You will not be moved and you will not lose heart. God is for you and He will fight this battle.
If you ain’t feeling it then don’t stop until you do. He will show up to sustain you and you will know that He’s got this. If he directs you to do something then do it, if not, when you feel a release end your time with him. Now you can go about doing what you do because he will not allow the righteous to be moved. My friend you are now unshakable and nothing will move you! Remember, this is His battle, so however He chooses to resolve this issue we must be prepared to accept it and thank Him for it.
A life of thankfulness is also a life of full trust and confidence that God knows what is best and His intentions are to bring the best out of us. Be strong, immovable, always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.