Thankfulness

1 Chronicles 16:8  

"Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done."

I wanted to share with you something the Lord has been doing in my life recently.  The topic is being THANKFUL.  This has been a tough subject for me because i have found it so hard to be  thankful the past 8 1/2 months. 

Right now i am learning that i  need to be be thankful in ALL my circumstances. My pattern is that i usually just give thanks to the Lord for good things and it is usually the big things that i focus on.

Giving thanks to the Lord in all things has really changed the lenses on which i view my daily life.  For example the other day it seemed like everything was going wrong, ever have one of those days where is kinda spirals out of control? 

The old me would just focus on the negative and let it slowly eat away at my heart, i would not be able to find anything to be thankful for.  But now the Lord has shown me that when i start to get those negative thoughts, or find myself reacting poorly to a situation i need to stop and find something in my life or in that situation to be thankful for and give praise to the Lord. Psalm 34:1  "I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips."

Once i have changed my perspective and focus on giving thanks to the Lord i feel different, i feel like the weight of that situation has been lifted off my shoulders and i can marvel in the goodness of the Lord, i can see his beauty even in the mess that is before me.

Recently i was encouraged to keep a journal of things to be thankful for in my daily life, at first i wrote just the big things and i would get discouraged because nothing big or amazing happened in my day.  But then the Lord showed me that the small things matter, i can be thankful for the gentle breeze the rustles the trees outside, the bubbles of soap that escape my sink reflecting rainbows of colors as they float in the air or the free coffee i got at dutch brothers that day etc.   In doing this it has challenged my heart to search deeply and find the beauty of what is before me and learn to be thankful in all circumstances.

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. 

When i am able to put my focus on the Lord and learn to be thankful i find that i can feel the joy of the Lord, and in turn that gives me the strength and the courage to face whatever comes my way.  It is not easy, it is something that i have to daily remind and train myself to do.  But when i do it, it is so worth it!

Psalm 28:7

"The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise him."

Cross references:

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:1 : Ac 1:7
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:1 : 1Th 4:9
3. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 : S 1Co 1:8
4. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 : S Lk 12:39
5. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 : Jer 4:10; 6:14; Eze 13:10
6. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 : Job 15:21; Ps 35:8; 55:15; Isa 29:5; 47:9, 11
7. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 : 2Th 1:9
8. 1 Thessalonians 5:4 : S Ac 26:18; 1Jn 2:8
9. 1 Thessalonians 5:4 : ver 2
10. 1 Thessalonians 5:5 : S Lk 16:8
11. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 : Ro 13:11
12. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 : S Mt 25:13
13. 1 Thessalonians 5:6 : S Ac 24:25
14. 1 Thessalonians 5:7 : Ac 2:15; Ro 13:13; 2Pe 2:13
15. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 : ver 5
16. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 : S Eph 6:14
17. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 : Ro 8:24
18. 1 Thessalonians 5:8 : Isa 59:17; Eph 6:17
19. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 : 1Th 1:10
20. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 : 2Th 2:13, 14
21. 1 Thessalonians 5:10 : Ro 14:9; 2Co 5:15
22. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 : 1Th 4:18
23. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 : Eph 4:29
24. 1 Thessalonians 5:12 : Ro 16:6, 12; 1Co 15:10
25. 1 Thessalonians 5:12 : 1Ti 5:17; Heb 13:17
26. 1 Thessalonians 5:13 : S Mk 9:50
27. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 : 2Th 3:6, 7, 11
28. 1 Thessalonians 5:14 : Ro 14:1; 1Co 8:7-12
29. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 : Ro 12:17; 1Pe 3:9
30. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 : Eph 4:32
31. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 : Php 4:4
32. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 : S Lk 18:1
33. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 : S Eph 5:20
34. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 : Eph 4:30
35. 1 Thessalonians 5:20 : 1Co 14:1-40
36. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 : 1Co 14:29; 1Jn 4:1
37. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 : Ro 12:9
38. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 : S Ro 15:33
39. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 : Heb 4:12
40. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 : S 1Th 3:13
41. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 : S 1Th 2:19
42. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 : S Ro 8:28
43. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 : S 1Co 1:9
44. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 : Nu 23:19; Php 1:6
45. 1 Thessalonians 5:25 : Eph 6:19; Col 4:3; 2Th 3:1; Heb 13:18
46. 1 Thessalonians 5:26 : S Ro 16:16
47. 1 Thessalonians 5:27 : 2Th 3:14; S 1Ti 4:13
48. 1 Thessalonians 5:28 : S Ro 16:20