“I thank you, Father.” This is something Jesus said a lot.
Life is hard. Trials are hard. Service to our Lord, which is to live a God-fearing Christian life first and foremost, can be hard.
I’ve been practicing saying, “Thank you, Lord.” It helps a lot.
I am prone to complaining, self-pity, fear, and feeling overwhelmed.
Lately, when those feelings or thoughts spring up, I try to turn to Jesus and say, “Thank you, Lord.”
I also like to think about the things we take for granted–things that we might find become scarce if things do not change in our nation. We have so many blessings. It is good to thank Jesus for them.
The more I say, “Thank you, Lord,” the more my spirits are lifted. Even in troubling circumstances.
This makes me think of a verse from one of my favorite Psalms: Psalm 119.
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes. The law of thy mouth is better for me than thousands of gold and silver.”
Sometimes God takes things away that are not really good for us, especially when these things are getting in the way of something better that He has in store for us.
“Tribulation works patience,” as the scriptures also say.
Not all trouble is chastisement nor is all trouble actually trouble. Sometimes we are like babies that only want to eat junk food. Father is just taking that away and giving us something better!
“I thank you, Father.”
It’s easy to be thankful for the “good” things, and we should be. Maybe we should practice thanking the Lord for trouble too and praise Him in faith, knowing that He is good and all things are working out for our good.
If trouble comes because we need to repent, then we can praise Jesus for this too because this means we are being dealt with as sons. All things are for our good if we belong to Jesus. Have faith. Praise Him. Thank Him. Have your spirits lifted and rejoice even more in experiencing peace that can only be attributed to His divine goodness.
Jesus Alone 