In all things give thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:18;

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Psalms 107:1;

O give thanks unto the LORD, for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever

Thanksgiving – one of my favorite days of the year. A day spent with family. A day spent indulging in delicious food. Time to sit and reflect on all things the Lord has provided and declare our thanks for all He has done. A day that unfortunately, for some is hard because they don’t see anything to be thankful for. Storms of life have come, depression has settled in, a loved one has passed, a job has been lost, a relationship has ended, there is no family to be with, etc. All instances that make it easy to lose the spirit of giving thanks. 

Thanksgiving is a powerful act, one that God speaks of repeatedly in His word. One that holds power. One that the enemy of our soul tries to steal from us in his attempts to overwhelm; used to create a fog within our minds. This fog has the ability to distract us from seeing the things around us that we do have to be thankful for, in turn stealing our joy.

It is in these moments we have to intentionally choose obedience to God’s word and declare the things we do have and our thankfulness for them; the home we live in, the food in our cabinets, the car in our drive, the money in our bank account; the answered prayer of a friend…Focusing on these things and declaring in obedience to God our thankfulness possesses within it a power to break the chains the enemy uses to bind us, a choice that has power to clear the fog that has settled on our mind. A choice that involves determination and intentional focus to count our blessings and reclaim our joy. We truly have so much to be thankful for, even if our earthly things are few, the promise of our Lord is great, and His sacrifice for our eternal salvation is more than enough. If you are struggling today, realize that He sees you, He loves you, and that my dear reader, is reason enough to be thankful. Take with you today Colossians 3:15; 

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Choose Him.