I STILL SAY THANK YOU.
Scripture Reference: Lamentations 3:22-23 - It is of YAHVAH's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
We are still on the subject of thanksgiving to Yahvah as the year gradually winds up. you might be tempted to say you have nothing to be thankful to God for and that He has done absolutely nothing for you this year. As a matter of fact, you might even have a list of your woes and the defeats you have suffered this year. But do not be deceived, that is a lie from the devil.
Did you lose property, Yahvah kept your life; did you lose a job, you still have the capacity to get another or even start a business; did you lose a loved one, if they were born again, they are in a better place. We must look back at the year, through the lens of gratitude and remember all that God has done for us throughout the year. Remember the times He provided even when it looked like we were at the end of our rope. Remember His protection at those times the devil brought sickness our way, at those times our enemies fought against us and those times He rescued us from those accidents that would have ended our lives. In this season, let us look back into the year, and be thankful for His faithfulness.
If we will be sincere to ourselves, there have been times in the year when we broke faith with Him, but irrespective of that, He still kept us safe, provided for us and didn’t let the devil destroy us or our loved ones. Even in instances where we lost something or someone in the course of the year, we can still be thankful that we were not destroyed because it is by His mercies that we are not consumed.
The lyrics of the classical hymn by Johnson Oatman Jr. is apt in this regard- 'Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, see what God hath done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. One if the major reasons people don’t give thanks is forgetfulness . The cure to this is deliberately recalling the goodness of God in different areas of your life.
Let deep gratitude flow from your heart for the hope that lies ahead of you. The dead is without any flicker of hope but as long as you are alive, there is hope for a brighter and better future. According to Habbakuk 3, thanksgiving can turn situations around.
