Hello Beautiful Friend,
I just finished reading an email from Ann Voskamp (if you aren’t already following her and getting her emails, I highly recommend following her) and a quote at the end of the email really convicted me so I wanted to share.
“We give thanks to God not because of how we feel, but because of who He is”
Ann Voskamp
I’ve started referring to the year 2023 my year of loss. This year my family has said good-bye to several family members and friends who have left earth for their mansions in heaven. As a result we’ve had to let go of so many of our plans for this year and for the future. If I’m being honest, I’m really not feeling like giving thanks this year. It’s been HARD!
God doesn’t ask us to only give thanks when we feel like it though does He? In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 we read: “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” and Colossians 2:6-7 tells us” As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”
Thankfulness isn’t a choice and shouldn’t rely on how we are feeling. It is God’s will for us and part of walking in our life with Christ. We need to be thankful because of “who He is.” I could probably write a whole book about who God is but for the sake of your time I’m just going to give you a few aspects of God that I think deserves our thankfulness.
God is LOVE. I am so thankful our God loves His children and His love for us never changes. He didn’t just love us by giving us our basic needs for life, He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to die for us so that we can live forever with Him in Heaven someday.
God is Omnipresent. God is everywhere! That means that no matter where we go- He will be with us! The roundtrips, the moves to a new place, the hard and dark times in life- He is with us!
God is our Provider. The Bible tells us that God watches over the birds and provides for them so He will most definitely provide for us too! Sometimes it can be hard to wait for His provision or understand His ways of providing but I think that is when we have to go back to remembering just how much He loves us.
So this year, despite the fact that I don’t feel like being thankful, I’m choosing to give thanks because of who God is! Will you be joining me?
Praying that your coffee/tea is strong and your faith is stronger!
