Life can be undeniably difficult at times. No matter how good things are right now, inevitably hard times will come. This should be no surprise to us because Jesus told us this.
 
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble…”(John 16:33a)
 
Even though Jesus warned us about this ahead of time, it doesn’t make it any easier when you’re right in the middle of it.
 
Is there anything I can do to change the circumstances that I find myself in? Maybe not. But I can shift my focus and in the process change my perspective. For me personally, I have found that the posture of gratitude has done so much to lift my gaze from the funk I have found myself in, to a place of true joy.

In Lysa Terkeurst’s devotional book You’re Going to Make It…she says “Sometimes being grateful means choosing to see what is instead of being blinded by what isn’t….Choosing gratitude right in the middle of what’s hard isn’t denial. But it is choosing to do only what can be done today.”

It may be completely out of my control to change my circumstances. But I can remember what the Lord has done before and is doing right now. And that is a reason to rejoice. Because if He brought me out before, then He is faithful to do it again.

And going back to what Jesus said, He didn’t just leave us with the hard truth that we will have trouble…but He concluded his statement by saying “…But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33b)

Write down what you are grateful for and read it out loud. Hear your own voice tell you what God has done. I know that you will start to feel the heaviness lift off you and you will know that God is taking care of it.

 

 

 

by vijoy

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