A Thankful Heart through Moments of Affliction | Diane Chamberlain

Bible readings... 
“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19 Quench not the Spirit.”
​I Thessalonians 5:18-19
--------------------------------------Hello everyone! I would like to welcome you back to “Sunday Inspiration!”  As we begin today, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! You know…it’s so easy to get caught up in what we are going to enjoy and who we are going to enjoy it with; that we forget that the One we owe the most gratitude to, is Jesus Christ.  
 
I don’t know about you but it’s not always easy to give thanks to God, while going through the tough times that we experience in this life. I remember a time, when I first read a Bible reading in II Corinthians 12:7-10 and in verse 9b, I read… “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” My first response to God was this… “How does a person rejoice or give thanks to God, while going through intense moments of suffering?” I’m sorry but that just didn’t make sense to me at the time. Later, as I read more, I began to see that this time of rejoicing, was not due to the suffering itself but to the One, who could become my hope and work in a way; that could free me of these moments that were attempting to have control over my life. In other words, I could find a reason to rejoice through these difficult times…just knowing that this was the greatest opportunity, for me to experience the hand of a powerful God, at work within my life.
 
In our Bible reading today, it says that we should give thanks to God through everything. You know…it’s so easy to say thank you Lord, while everything is going well but I have come to see that we truly pass the test with God, when we are able to love God and thank Him for everything; that He allows within our lives. To me this is a form of trust because we are saying that no matter what you allow into my life Lord, I know that you will work it out for my good and you won’t allow anything to destroy me; and that alone, should send our hands into the air, with a true heart of praise and thanksgiving.
 
Don’t we realize that God has the control stick of our lives within His hands? If so, then we should be able to have a settled back feeling; that God will do what is best for us…no matter what we have to walk through and no matter how long the trial may last.
 
In verse 19, of our Bible reading, it says… “Quench not the Spirit.” Do we realize that when we give into our problems and allow them to control us, rather than seeing the good through the bad; that we are adding fuel to the fire that Satan first started, while we are smothering the work of what God longs to do, through these difficult times we’re facing.
 
The only way we are going to be able to remain on course with God; is when we choose to trust and praise Him, especially through the difficult times. When we can have a heart of thanksgiving, while enduring the tests of time; then we will soon find that this path will lead us to better things; that are truly blessed, by a God who longs to do His very best for us.
Have a great Sunday & God bless!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane

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