HOW YOU CAN HAVE YOUR JOYS CHASED AWAY

THIRTY DAYS OF THANKSGIVING

A devotion by Steve Long - visit his page at REFLECTING THE LIGHT

 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

                                                                                   (Philippians 4.6)

Photo by Matthew Kane on unsplash.com

I often define worry as borrowed trouble. No one worries about what is right now, we worry about things to come. “How will I pay my bills?” “What’s going to happen with my children?” “Will I ever be able to afford to retire?” “Will I ever find love?” “What if I get cancer?” These are some of the things we worry about. None of them are of any consequence for now. They are all borrowed troubles, many of which will never happen. Yet, we put ourselves through the misery.

Jesus said; “Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6.31-34)

If we may live on borrowed troubles, why can’t we also live on borrowed blessings? Things may not look so good for any of us right now but as a believer in Christ, I know he will work all things together for the good of us all. We know he will never leave or forsake us and we know he has prepared a place for us in heaven. Those are happy thoughts that we can live in right now. We don’t have to go to heaven to enjoy the prospect of going there.

But what about the “here and now?” With all of the problems we face, how can I find any comfort for this day? The answer: By giving thanks!

I have found that I always have much more to be thankful for than I do to complain about. I have more to be grateful for than I do to be discouraged about.

Just today, God gave me his presence while I was driving to work and allowed me to give thanks for thirty minutes until I got to my job. After that, it was all downhill – no, just kidding! Honestly, it sat the tone for my whole day. Every day is not like that for me but I love the ones that are.

Giving of thanks plays a vital role in helping us not to worry. Thanksgiving cancels worry away just like light does the darkness.

Try it, you’ll like it.