Day 93

“And when the living creatures give glory, honour, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever” Rev 4:9. NB the word thankfulness.

Chronicles 16:34: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Colossians 3:15: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 4:2: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” 1 Corinthians 1:4: “I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.” 2 Corinthians 9:11: “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Read also e.g. Jonah 2:9, Psalm 28:7, Psalm 50:14 

Corrie and Betsie ten Boom were courageous, compassionate Dutch Christians who helped harbour Jews from the Nazis in Holland during World War 2. After the sisters were arrested for doing so, they were imprisoned at Ravensbruck, a German concentration camp. In the “Hiding Place.” I remember reading of the morning they read 1 Thess 5:16-18. They then proceeded to give thanks for everything, though Corrie struggled with thanking God for the fleas. Days later they realized that it was the fleas that were keeping the guards from the barracks. 

In times like we are now in when faced with deeply trying and discouraging circumstances, we can identify numerous blessings that the Lord continues to pour into our lives. Some of those blessings come as a result of the difficulties we’re facing. As we focus on the Lord’s blessings, we will be heartened and enabled to persevere through life’s discouragements. And we’ll never fail to appropriately honour God by thanking Him for His ever-present blessings. 

God is the author of life and every good thing. Let the acknowledgments begin!