What if your upset plans 

are part of God’s plans?

 

Sometimes I’m sure the Lord has a sense of humour. He looks down at us, running around like busy little ants, merrily planning our days activities, possibly without any thought of what He would have us do, and He steps in and throws a spanner in the works, totally upending all our plans and turning them on their heads. He wants to change our perspective just a bit, so that we have to rely on Him and trust Him more than we have been.

It's amazing what a change in focus does for our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual state. If the upset plans force us to focus on him, he will give us the strength to bear it.

He gently, or sometimes not so gently reminds us that He is in control and that although we feel that we can’t handle the chaos that swirls around us, He is the peace in the midst of the storm. He is who we need to cling to when we’re overwhelmed.

Psalm 61:2 - From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Bad days have a way of reminding us of what is important in life. We tend to think that our nicely laid plans that we have jotted down in bullet point form in our daily diaries, the alerts and reminders on our phones are just the way our day should go. But this is where we’re wrong! Yes, it’s great to set goals and we should. But let’s not be so determined to achieve them that we forget who is in control. Heads up – it’s not you!

There’s a word I want to remind you of. Surrender. Yes, only 9 little letters, but put them together and they hold great significance.

Surrender means to stop resisting and submit. It means to give up or hand over. It means to relinquish possession or control of something, and to give up in favour of another.

Do you see where I’m going with this? We have to learn to surrender our strategy, our plans, even our goals to the Lord. Instead of planning out our day then praying our plan to the Lord, we need to pray that He will show us His plan and that we will learn to be content with exactly how He orders our day.

Before you open that diary or that calendar on your phone, close your eyes! Sit before the Lord, pray about what He would have you put into your day. Rest in who He is and His faithfulness.

I’m finding that I need to leave a lot more room in my day for the Lord to reshuffle. If my days plans are so cluttered that there is no room for more, I’m going to end up disappointed. Because not only does it become like one of those slider puzzles where you only have one spare space and limited moves, but God sometimes has to throw some pieces out to make room for His move.

We have to stop resisting. We have to submit. Like I’ve said before, it’s a lot more comfortable to come to God with our plans in open hands then for Him to have to pry them out of our tightly closed fists.

We need to surrender, and we need to trust. By trusting God, we begin to relax and wait on Him in faith, knowing that His ways are perfect.

Psalm 18:30 - As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

Isaiah 55:9 - For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

I love the words to this beautiful song, based on this verse in Isaiah, that reminds me that God is in control and his plans are so much higher than mine.

It's not what I prayed for
It's not what I wanted
It's not something I understand
My circumstances seem so confusing
I'm placing it all in Your hands

 

Your ways are higher than mine
I want mountains to move
You want me to climb
So I'm gonna trust Your work, Your will, and Your time
Your ways are higher than mine

 

One day I'm sure
I will look back and marvel
At how You knew best all along
You see from Heaven
You know it's the hard times
That make my face steady and strong

 

Your ways are higher than mine
I want mountains to move
You want me to climb
So I'm gonna trust Your work, Your will, and Your time
Your ways are higher than mine                    R.M.

 

Now, I’m not writing this post to boast because I have arrived. Oh no! Far from it. I often have days where I’m dissatisfied with God’s order and I pout and stomp my foot in a childish tantrum, hoping that He’ll change His mind and do things my way. But the older I get, the more I learn about God, and the closer my walk is with Him, the more I feel I can surrender to His will and His way. I trust more. I love more. I rest more. I rely more. I surrender more.

There are going to be days where you feel beaten down, trodden under, pulled in every direction. There will be days where all your plans go awry, and you want to throw up your hands in despair and just give up. But it’s on these days that you need to trust God more and cling desperately to Him, resting in His arms and relying on His strength to get you through.

He really does know what lies ahead and he is the best one to be organizing your day.

Our lives are so full and so busy but remember that the speed at which we travel is not as important as who is in control of our travel.

Let go of the reins, and let God take control. You will never be able to experience real peace until you fully surrender to His will.

Only then will a calm descend upon your soul. A peace that you know could only come from God. You’ll be able to take a deep breath and sink into His everlasting arms, content in knowing that He will do what is best for you and He will give you the strength you need for whatever your day brings.

Listen for his voice. Let him order your days. Obey him. Wait on him. And he will guide you.

Isaiah 30:21 KJV - And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is your sock falling off 

and what are you doing about it?

 

Do you ever have one of those days where you walk around like everything is fine, but deep down inside your shoe, your sock is falling off? And no one knows it’s falling off, but you can feel it and it irritates you. You shake your foot, hoping that by some miracle your sock will magically rise above your ankle, and all will be right again. Or maybe, you reach down and give your sock a little tug. A half-hearted tug, you’re not really trying, just hoping. And all the while, your sock is slipping further and further down inside your shoe, making your life miserable, uncomfortable, unbearable.

Okay, let’s make an application out of this amusing, yet truthful little anecdote.

I had one of these days just yesterday. As I went about my business, delivering my freight around town, loading and unloading boxes, struggling with heavy bed frames, gym equipment, plumbing supplies and everything else under the sun, I feigned friendliness. I smiled as I handed the goods over, making conversation about the steamy weather, or the rain or how heavy an item was etc. But down deep inside, my sock was falling off.

Something just wasn’t right. I didn’t feel happy, although I put a smile on my face and made pleasant conversation. My mood was downright miserable. I was discontent. Frustrated. Tired and grumpy. I was snappy with my husband for no apparent reason, and it seemed things just kept going wrong. I dropped things, forgot things, had to double back and forth, wasting precious time and no matter how many times I shook my foot, that sock remained in its downward spiral into the depths of my shoe.

It didn’t seem to make sense. I really had nothing to be so miserable about. I had started the morning with my usual cup of tea and toast and enjoyed getting into God’s Word, studying, memorizing, taking notes, spending time in prayer before I headed out for the day.

Okay, so my day did take an unexpected turn in regard to the job description for the day, as my planned half day turned into a very long and full day. But it was nothing that hadn’t happened before. In fact, it often happens.

I just couldn’t shake that miserable, depressed feeling. And as inevitably happens when I begin to feel this way, I started to experience anxiety welling up inside. And then came the whispers. “Look at you. You’re spiralling. You’re going to be back where you were 4 years ago. You are worthless. You thought you were so good, being able to rise up from the darkness and live and breathe again, and now look at you!”

I tried listening to worship music, my favourite playlists, but to no avail. Music almost always works to soothe my soul and bring peace and comfort and ease my mind when it’s in turmoil. But today, it just wasn’t working.

That sock of mine was hanging on to my foot by barely one toe. Slipping. Slipping. Slipping.

Now, some of you may say, “It’s just hormones”. And yes, sometimes that is true. But I knew it was more.

As I searched my mind for what may have caused my inner turmoil and all-round miserableness, I started to remember an adversary of mine, an enemy of every Christian. The Devil.

We are reminded in scripture that the Devil loves nothing more than to devour us and to bring us down.

1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

As I struggled to find answers and make sense of my bad attitude and depressed mood, I thought about my morning devotions.

At the beginning of this month, as is my custom, I sat down and wrote some goals for the year. Some of these have to do with learning a new skill or improving and mastering a skill, others have to do with keeping in touch with people in my life on a more meaningful basis. But, quite a few of my goals are spiritual ones.

I wanted to start and finish a 2-year Bible Reading plan. I wanted to work on memorizing certain passages of scripture. I wanted to work my way through my ever-growing stack of books on all sorts of subjects to do with my Christian walk.

I had begun rereading a book on the way our thoughts affect us and was excited at what I was learning and this time, taking copious amounts of notes to cement it into my brain.

And just that day, I had decided to add another thing into my morning devotion time, which meant rising a little earlier in order to achieve it.

Well, now into the middle of January, I had consistently read my allotted passages for each and every day and I had been faithfully taking notes and finding myself excited each morning at what God would show me through his Word and what I could share with others as I write and teach other like-minded women with a desire to learn.

As I went back over my morning and over the goals I hoped to achieve in 2023, I began to see my mood for what it was.

I am not always the quickest learner, and I didn’t realise until it was brought painfully to my attention.

Now, I know when you read what I am going to write next, some of you may think I’m a little eccentric, or weird, or just plain strange. But, in the past, through my months of depression, I had experienced many episodes like this, and I suddenly knew what it was.

But not before I was made painfully aware.

As I loaded my trusty trolley back into the ute, I reached down to raise the very heavy, steel dropside of the ute (which is broken and doesn’t function the way it should). As I did, the whole side fell off it’s hinges and came crashing down onto the top of my foot!  (I’m sure it was the one the sock was falling off)

It was not a pleasant experience, but I managed to bite my tongue, and not yell aloud, not wanting to frighten the lady who had just gone back into her house with her prized possessions.

And this was my epiphany. My moment of great realization. I saw my mood and the reason for it. I saw it as a direct attack of the Devil.

And boy oh boy did my hackles rise. I snapped. If I could have shouted aloud, I would have. But inwardly, I shouted with all my might “That’s it Devil! No more! You want to fight? Well, you got yourself a fight! And you’re about to bite the dust! I have God on my side!”

I realised that the Devil had been taking notice of my morning devotions and my consistent early rising in order to spend time with the Lord. And there is nothing the Devil hates more than a Christian who is striving to walk with the Lord and obey his voice. He hates the Word of God going into our hearts and minds. He hates a passionate Christian. He hates a praying Christian. And he will do anything he can to bring them down. He will use whatever lies he has to, in order to do it.

John 8:44 - Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Now, I have nothing to boast in. To my regret, for years I wasted precious mornings not spending time in God’s Word and it is only by his mercy and grace that I am able to do it now, and the marvellous work he has done in my heart through many hard trials.

But I know from past experience that the Devil loves to weave his little lies into my thoughts and those thoughts become actions, hence the bad attitude. Our thoughts truly do affect how we behave.

Well, once I realised I was under attack from the Devil, I may have told him in not so polite terms just where he could go, and remind him he was already defeated and then I found my ‘fighting song’ in my playlist and played it over and over as I tried to sing along, trying not to let the tears stream down my face, as I still had deliveries to make and thought it best not to be a slobbering mess. But I did manage to sing the words with much force and passion, although shaky and out of tune.

Promises in scripture began to come to mind and I repeated Philippians 4:8 to myself, reminding me of what I should be thinking on. What is True. Honest. Just. Pure. Lovely. Good report. Praiseworthy. Virtuous.

And as I did, my spirits began to rise. The sun came out and chased the dark clouds away. I began to find a spring in my step. And that sock, well, it was well and truly pulled up!

Now, in case you’re wondering, was I able to keep my spirits up all day? Well, the pain in my bruised foot was a constant reminder of the Devil’s attack, so that kept my fighting spirit alive, and with God’s help and his Word in my heart, I made it through the day in a much better frame of mind.

But after a night of sleep and another early morning start, the fight began again. But this time I was ready. And as little things started to go wrong, and the clouds threatened to darken the sky, I was able to hold my head up, and shout the Devil down.

And, if you were my neighbour, this morning at about 7.30, you may possibly have heard me shout, aloud this time, “Not today Devil. Not today. You’re not gonna win today!” I didn’t even let him get a foothold. Not even one toe!

So, can I encourage you, when you feel under attack from the Devil, and you begin to believe his lies, open your mouth, shout him down, quote scripture to him, play your worship music loudly in his ears and make sure he hears you singing with all your might songs of praise to God.

Don’t let him get the Victory. He is already defeated. God has already prepared a place for him and his angels and he will get what he deserves.

You are a Child of God. You are an heir. You are not worthless. You are made in the image of God. You have a Heavenly Father. Satan can never take that away from you. You are held in God’s hand, and it is an Almighty hand, from which no one can take you!

Pull that sock up and keep it there!

Replace thoughts of worthlessness with reminders of God’s goodness and love to you.

Rejoice in the victories God gives you.

Shout in praise that you are an overcomer and God is on your side!

 

Romans 8:31

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

 

Psalm 47:1

O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

 

 

 

You see more of what you’re looking for

 

If you’ve read any of my recent blog posts or sat through any of my Ladies Bible Studies lately, you will know that I’ve been slightly obsessed with the subject of gratitude and thankfulness for some time now.

I didn’t start out to become so interested in studying what the Bible has to say on the subject, but the more I studied and the more I wrote in my gratitude journal daily, the more I wanted to learn about how God sees thankfulness and what is to be my response to the precious gifts he showers upon me, as undeserving as I am.

For some time, I have had it in my mind to write about something that goes along with this theme of thankfulness and as I was checking my emails today, I read a blog post from a woman who seemed to have stolen my thoughts, and I decided it was time to put pencil to paper, so to speak.

My thought is this. You see more of what you’re looking for. I know. Not very profound. But let me explain.

Have you ever noticed that if you are hunting for a particular thing to buy, such as a new car for example, that all of the sudden, you see so many of that certain make and model that it seems uncanny.

You’re wanting to purchase a Toyota Hilux 4WD, dual cab, 2.8L within a certain year range, and as you drive down the highway, and around town, at every turn you see them. What is going on?

And not only cars. Maybe it’s a breed of dog you’re in the market for. And now, they’re everywhere.

So where am I going with this? Well, I truly believe that if we set our minds and our hearts to develop a heart of gratitude, determined to be thankful and take notice of the gifts God gives us, we will begin to see them in the most unlikely places.

When we choose to be grateful in all circumstances, we start to see things to be thankful for in situations that we normally would only find fault in and frustration and ungratefulness.

As we start to look deeper, under the surface, digging into our daily lives and the problems that we face, we begin to unearth little blessings that we can praise God and thank him for.

Before I started writing down daily a few things I was thankful for, there were many things I took for granted and never even gave a thought to thanking God. But as I sat each morning, determined to write down at least 3 things, I found that I kept thinking of more and more things that I could thank God for. I couldn’t stop at just 3.

Now, if you read some of my lists, you may sit and scratch your head at how seemingly insignificant they appear. For example, on one of my days I have written, “Vegemite toast and tea”. Now, I know that sounds too small and unimportant and you wonder, “does God really care to be thanked for that? “

But I believe he does. And I also believe that there is nothing too small to praise God for.

If I can sit and eat Vegemite on a piece of toasted white bread, lathered with butter and wash it down with a lovely, warm cup of tea, then I ought to be thankful for it. It didn’t just appear out of nowhere. God provided the money to buy the ingredients and the energy to work for that money, and the job needed to be able to provide the funds, and the appliance to toast the bread and boil the water and on and on the list goes and grows.

It really is true, that you see more of what you’re looking for. If you are on the lookout for things to be thankful for and you are searching each situation for something to be grateful for, then you’ll find it. It doesn’t matter how depressing or dire the circumstance is, you can always find something in it to thank God for. Otherwise, why would he give us this verse in Scripture?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

If the Bible commands us to give thanks in everything, then there must be something in everything to gives thanks for! We just have to look. Open your eyes. Dig deeper. Look harder. Don’t stop looking until you find something.

If you find more things to be thankful for because you are looking for them, then the opposite is sadly true too.

If you are always seeing the glass half empty, if you’re always finding fault in others, if you’re letting your thoughts dwell on your woeful circumstances and how life is treating you, then guess what? That’s right. You’re going to see more of what you think about because you have trained yourself to look at the negative and see the burdens. You have closed your eyes to the blessings, and your outlook is depressing and miserable. All you will see is the bad. You won’t even notice when God sends a small blessing because you’re too focused on what you don’t have rather than what you do.

If you have trouble seeing beyond the bad in your life, ask God to open your eyes to the things he’s doing that you can’t see. He’ll help you see the things you haven’t noticed. He’ll draw your attention to a beautiful sunset, the comfort of a cup of tea on a cold day, a beautiful bird song outside your window or a thousand other things.

I have so many things to say on this subject of thankfulness not because of any greatness or eloquence on my part, but because of the work the Lord is doing in my heart and the change it has made in my life as I learn to be truly thankful in everything.

Can I encourage you, if you’re struggling with developing a thankful spirit, maybe because of the circumstances you find yourself in presently, that even though you can’t see what God is doing in your life right now, at this moment, even though you find it hard to count your blessings, you can still thank him for the things he’s done in the past. There is no expiration date on God’s blessings. You can still mention them in a prayer of thanks, no matter how long ago you received them. 

Look back over your life and give God praise for what he’s done, and where he has brought you from. Praise him and thank him for all the blessings you have received over the years. Thank him for all the little blessings that maybe you had forgotten about and never stopped to thank him for.

And if you are still ungrateful and your glass is still half empty, then stop right now, fall on your face before him and thank him for your salvation. (And while you’re at it, repent of the sin of ingratitude. Yes, it’s sin. Read your Bible if you don’t believe me). If you are a child of God, then you have something that many in this world don’t have.

We were undeserving, sinners headed to hell, and God, in his love and mercy, came down to die on a cross for us. Instead of pouring out judgement, he extended grace. When we realise what he has done for us, we should be the most thankful people on earth.

When we focus on the blessings rather than the burdens, we are happier. When we start thanking God for the things we usually take for granted, our perspective changes. We realize that we could not even exist without the merciful blessings of a righteous, holy, loving God.

Start looking for things to thank God for. Intentionally search out the blessings in every situation. They are there. Believe me when I say that you WILL find them. You may have to pray that the Lord will open your eyes to them, and when he does, you will be amazed at the sights you see.

You will see more of what you’re looking for. Look for things to praise him for every day. Look for evidences of God’s love. Look for his blessings.

Look for sunshine after rain. Look for flowers in barrenness. Look for rainbows even when the sky is dark. Look for seashells hidden beneath the sand. Look for the beauty in the colours of a sunset. Listen for the birds as they sing their praise to God. Listen to thunder as it roars overhead and be reminded of God’s power. Listen for a child’s laughter and give thanks for the gift of life.

There is no limit to God’s goodness and there should be no limit to our thankfulness. Our voices should be always singing God’s praises. Don’t let a day go by without thanking God for something. Make a conscious effort to develop a heart of gratitude and watch how God changes your attitude and your perspective.

Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

 

I see the sun rise in the morning
And a million stars at night
I hear the birds they can't stop singing
Hallelujah

I see his goodness
When I fall down
And his grace that picks me up
Every day I can't stop singing
Hallelujah

How can you not see God
In every little thing
In every little moment
How can you not feel loved
How can you not
How can you not 

'Cause he's in the middle of
Every little thing
And every little moment
How can you not see God
How can you not
How can you not 

I see the sunset and I wonder
If he paints it just for me
Nobody else could make a world so beautiful
How could I question his love when
It's everywhere I go
Wherever I look I find another miracle 

Everything is evidence

Showing me that you exist

All creation singing hallelujah

How can you not see God
In every little thing
In every little moment
How can you not feel loved
How can you not
       How can you not         

               Leanna Crawford

 

 

 

A Promise for the New Year

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

As 2022 closes and 2023 opens, a new year full of unknowns and what ifs, it is helpful to draw on God’s precious promises that we find in his Word. This verse in Jeremiah is a comfort to the troubled soul.

I’ve heard it quoted many times, but I think it’s important to understand the historical context of this verse and not just the literary context. Why did Jeremiah the prophet write this verse and who did he write it to?

Often, we take a verse from the Bible and claim the promise for ourselves, taking comfort in what we read, and that is good and helpful, but if we look further into the context of the verse, we will gain more understanding which brings about a deeper, more relevant and powerful meaning for our lives.

Learning the context of the verse can help us avoid the tendency we have of reading into scripture our own desired meaning, and instead, find what it is God is saying and what is really intended.

I think sometimes we read this verse and think that it promises blessings abundant and a life without problems. “thoughts of peace and not evil”. But if we’ve dug into our Bibles enough, we know that in this life there will be tribulations. It is a given. It’s a when, not an if.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

There will be difficulties, but God has a plan and a purpose, and we can live in the hope that he knows what’s best and he can work through our circumstances to bring glory to his name.

Now, back to our context.

Jeremiah was a prophet sent by God to deliver his message to his people throughout their hardships and trials. He spoke to the Jews who had been living under oppressive Egyptian and then Babylonian rule and had been carried away into exile from their home country, Jerusalem, into Babylon.

In the previous chapter, we find Jeremiah rebuking a false prophet called Hananiah. Hananiah was spreading false hope to the people of God, telling them that God would deliver them from their enemies after 2 years and they would return to their home. (Jer. 28:11)

But God spoke to Jeremiah and told him some hard truths to share with God’s people. Jeremiah had the difficult job of informing the Jews that instead of 2 years captivity, they would be enslaved for 70 years.

Jeremiah 29:10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

And straight after this we read our key verse.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

God’s people would not be delivered straight away. Not for 70 years. But God would be with them and would not forget them in their distress.

As Christians, we often cry out to God to rescue us immediately, without delay, right now. We are a generation addicted to instant gratification. We want fast food. Fast service. Same day shipping. Instant drying nails. Instant curls etc etc.  But God doesn’t always take us out of a difficult situation speedily. God knows the importance of the wait. He knows the power of silence. The strength in stillness.

Instead of God giving us what we want instantly, he makes us wait, but as we wait, he promises to be with us through our trial. He promises that regardless of our current situation, he can work through it to prosper us and bring about the end that he desires.

He doesn’t always choose to calm the storm that rages around us, sometimes he wants to calm the storm inside us and bring inner peace. He wants to bring peace to our hearts.

His thoughts toward us are not evil. He has thoughts of peace. He wants us to live in hope. The ‘expected end’ is one of hope.

Jeremiah told the people that they would be in Babylon for quite some time, so they were to settle down. Build houses, plant gardens, marry and seek peace.

Jeremiah 29:5-7 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters……..

And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

Maybe you’re facing a difficult situation right now. Maybe you are struggling financially, or you are dealing with sickness. Maybe it is a relationship that you’re struggling to restore. God promises that the pain will pass, and it is all in his plan and purpose.

Rest assured, you are not the only one facing hardship. All around us are hurting people. We are all in this together, but as Christ-followers, we can take comfort in knowing that God’s plans for us are not evil and that he will bring us to HIS expected end in HIS perfect timing.

Remember it is HIS expected end and HIS perfect timing. Not ours! God works with a different timepiece, and he uses a different daily planner than we do.

We would love for Christ to return today, and carry us up to Heaven, taking us out of this fallen world. But it may not be today. Or tomorrow. Or this year. We may have a longer captivity here on this earth, and it is our job to live as shining lights here, going about our business, fulfilling our God-given callings, with the promise of God ringing in our ears, that he will protect and provide, comfort and guide if we seek him with a whole heart and obey his voice.

Just as the people of God had to trust the Lord and wait 70 long years for their deliverance, we too have to learn to trust God, and as we trust we can not only feel his presence, but we can have the peace in knowing that he is in control, and he will be with us.

Take a look at the verses that follow and the blessed promises they hold for the child of God.

Jeremiah 29:12-13 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Did you see what it said? God promises to be found when you seek, and to hear when you call. When we, with all our hearts, seek him and call upon him, he WILL be found, and he WILL listen. Not might, but will!

So, as you venture forth into a new year, filled with many unknowns, remember that God is the God of the known. He knows. He sees. And nothing is hidden from him. So, whatever it is that you’ll face this year, he knows all about it and he has plans in place already. God is never surprised.

 

Psalm 147:5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

 

Trust him. Obey him. Love him. Call out to him. Hope in him.

 

Psalm 31:24
 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

 

 

 

 

 

In one word – Gratitude!

In a recent post on Instagram, written by my niece, she mentioned that at the end of every year, she likes to reflect on what the Lord has taught her throughout the year and try and sum it up in one word.

As soon as I read it, I knew what my word would be. Gratitude. I didn’t even have to stop and think about it. Not even for a split second. Gratitude sums up my 2022 year. Thankfulness and gratefulness.

And in case you think that I must have had a good year, overflowing with blessings and devoid of problems, then think again!

This past year has been a very difficult one for our family. Let me explain just a little, before I go on.

The year began with my husband and I and our daughters, all out of a job, due to the government mandates. The business we had started and grown over a period of 5 years, came crashing down. We were forced to sell 2 of our trucks and we had to borrow money off our daughters as we struggled to keep afloat financially. We were left with a very uncertain future. We weren’t sure if we’d be able to afford to keep renting the shed for our business or even if we would be able to pay the rent for our house.

These circumstances led us to question God and do some soul searching. We weren’t sure if God was moving us on to a new place or leading us through a dark valley in order to strengthen our faith.

As time went on and the fears and doubts grew, we began to lean more and more on the Lord, trusting him as we walked through the dark, holding tightly to his hand, letting him light our path, one step at a time, one day at a time. And each day, God provided. Like Elijah and the ravens that brought food as he sat by the brook Cherith, God kept providing. We were fed. We were clothed. We were housed. We were sustained.

And although the trials seemed overwhelming and the mountains unclimbable, we began to feel a sense of peace wash over us. We began to be thankful for the little things. The little blessings, the little provisions that at one time, we had taken for granted.

We realised the blessing of quality family time spent together. 4 months of living and working together side by side on various projects gave us the time together we didn’t realise we had been missing and needing.

We realised we didn’t need so many ‘things’ to satisfy. There was a lot we could do without and still be content.

And as the days rolled into weeks and the weeks into months, we felt like the woman with the pot of oil that never ran dry. Each day, there was more than enough to sustain. Just when we thought we were down to our last dollar, God would provide in ways only he could.

And so began my desire to change the way I looked at life. After years of being the ultimate pessimist and living through seasons of unthankfulness, God began to open my blinded eyes to his mercies, his love, his kindness. I began to thank him daily for those little blessings. I realised that I needed to develop a heart of gratitude and as I searched the scriptures, I saw that not only was it a good thing to pursue, but it was commanded in scripture over and over. So many verses talk about singing God’s praises and thanking him and worshiping him and speaking of his goodness.

You can’t go very far in your Bible without reading about the importance of having a thankful spirit.

1 Chronicles 16:34

 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalm 50:14

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

Colossians 3:17

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

I have written on this subject quite a bit lately, so I won’t go into it in depth in this post, but I just wanted to share what God has taught me this past year.

Although 2022 was a very difficult one for our family and we are still uncertain of our future, God has come through time and again.

He has provided work for us and allowed us to keep living where we live. He has blessed us in so many ways, I can’t possibly share them all.

Our struggles are not over, and we don’t know what trials lay ahead this new year. But I am assured that just as God was with us last year and brought us through, he can do it again. I don’t need to fear the storm when he is in the boat with me.

It’s not about the height of the waves or the strength of the storm, it’s all about who you have in the boat with you.

I want to encourage you to thank God daily for your blessings and write them down. Take a few minutes each and every day (don’t even miss a day!) to write down something you have to be thankful for. Better still, write 3!

I have been doing this for the past 3 months or so, and I can’t believe the change it has made in my life. I have a contentment I’ve never experienced before. I have a brighter outlook on life. I am happier and my joy level is constantly rising. I don’t sweat the small stuff like I used to, and I am able to trust God more, content to rest in him.

Yes, there are still hard days and days when I struggle to write down what I’m thankful for, there are days that I don’t ‘feel’ very thankful, but I can tell you, that there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for. If you are one of God’s children, then you will never run out of things to praise God for.

If you need help in knowing what to thank God for, then read the Psalms. What a treasure trove of blessings you will find there!

Psalm 150:2, 6 - Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. ... Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

Look around you. Open your eyes and you’ll see a world full of people without hope. Everywhere there are people hurting. Don’t be depressed by it, be encouraged that you have a hope that lies within you, and you have an eternal destination with God in Heaven. You have peace. You have Joy. You have the Lord’s mercies, new each morning.

Let that thought invigorate you and push you towards a heart of gratitude. Be reminded of God’s goodness each time you gaze upon a beautiful sunset or hear the sound of the birds in the trees.

If you are blest to watch the sun rise over the ocean or peek over the mountaintops, if you take a walk in the rain and feel the drops fall on your face, if you walk through a field of flowers and smell the intoxicating aroma of sweetness as the wind blows their scent into the air, if you experience any of these things and more, praise God for it!

You are alive!

You have ears to hear.

Eyes to see.

Legs to walk.

Arms to reach out.

How blest we are as chosen, redeemed, forgiven, delivered children of God!

Don’t let your circumstances dictate your joy level or your words of praise.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

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

It is God’s will that you be thankful. Do you want to please him? Then give thanks!

With everything you have, praise God! With all your being, worship him! Sing it out loud! Speak about it! Shout about it!

The secret of joy is not to wait until you feel happy, but to rise, by an act of faith, out of the depression which is dragging you down and begin to praise God as an act of choice. A.B.Simpson

 

Psalm 98:1-9

O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.

Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together

Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.