Gratitude to me often seems an inadequate word to describe our lives.
To begin with I must always remind myself I am the WORST of sinners and yes so are you.
I must also contemplate and reflect on the fact that me being alive and having some measure of success in life is solely due to the grace and mercy of our Lord and nothing else.
TO BE ALIVE TODAY IS A MERCY!!
And then to contemplate that a human, Our Lord voluntarily submitted to the humiliation, torture and death that he did for ME and for all of us is not only humbling but brings home to bear how in our lifelong struggles with our sin nature we do not deserve to be alive today!
In our western culture we have for far to long relegated God to the back o the bus. It is our intelligence and intellect that have gotten us to where we are, this sadly is our default.
Thanksgiving is not just a secular holiday but a integral part of our faith and worship of our Lord.
Can we be sorrowful yet always rejoicing?
2 Corinthians 6:10
10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
Yes we can and we should.
The lesson Christ wishes us to understand is that we must turn from circumstances and lament and focus on him and nothing else. This for most of us if not all of us is difficult and seems impossible. Yet it can be done.
But you see it is not just from your strength which is totally inadequate. If you try based on your abilities you will fail. It is in your daily walk with Christ and the Person of the Holy Spirit that you find the joy and peace Christ offers. There is no other way.
If you are attempting to live a life devoted to Christ in a shallow and part time way then life will continue to beat you up.
So I encourage you open the Psalms and read, pray, lament to Christ- he is listening and will act in your life!
Psalm 13:5-6
5 But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.