Gratitude - Thankful in the Storm
And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20
A man invited a friend to go hear a preacher, saying, “I want you to hear the most thankful preacher I’ve ever heard.” The two men weathered a storm to hear him preach. On the way, they thought nobody would be there; that even the preacher wouldn’t come. But when they got to the little country church, there was the preacher seated on the platform. The stranger said to his friend, “He has nobody to preach to. There’s a storm outside. It looks like we will have a flood. He won’t have anything to be thankful for tonight.” “Yes, he will. He’ll thank God for something.”
When the preacher stood up, he bowed his head and prayed, “Dear Lord, it is stormy outside. It looks as if the roads will wash away before we can get out of the church tonight. It’s an awful storm. But we’re thankful that it’s not always this way.”
Blue Skies On the Horizon
The storms in our lives can sometimes be relentless. We look at the dark clouds on the horizon, and they are still heavy with the rain of difficulty and challenges. The wind of despair and hopelessness is still blowing. We lament like David:
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? Psalm 13:1
When life’s storms batter us, it is often difficult to look beyond them. Our horizon becomes blurred, and we cannot see Jesus with us in the storm. But He is there waiting for us to take our eyes off the storm and see Him with His outstretched hand of love and compassion. When we turn our eyes to Him in prayer, praise and thanksgiving, He will hear us and rescue us. All He is asking is for us to trust Him. He is in control, and He knows what He is doing. When we realise this, we can rejoice with thanksgiving, knowing that all things work together for good, because we love Him and are called by Him according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28). We can thank Him for His grace that is sufficient to carry us through each day. We can thank Him for the blue skies on the horizon. We can thank Him that the storm will pass. We can say, as the preacher in our story did, “It will not always be this way.”
(1) Curtis Hutson, Great Preaching on Thanksgiving
But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. Psalm 13:5
Reflection:
Do you find yourself in a relentless storm? Trust God and thank Him that this storm will pass.
Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, that You are with me in the storm I’m facing. Help me not to focus on the storm so that I can see Your loving hand of protection upon me. Lord, I trust You because I know that You are in control. Thank You, Lord, that it will not always be this way. In Jesus’ name, amen.
