In the devotional Jesus Calling the November 24^th entry says, “Thankfulness takes the sting out of adversity. That is why I have instructed you to give thanks for everything. There is an element of mystery in this transaction: You give Me thanks (regardless of your feelings), and I give you Joy (regardless of your circumstances). This is a spiritual act of obedience –at times, blind obedience. To people who don’t know Me intimately, it can seem irrational and even impossible to thank Me for heartrending hardships. Nonetheless, those who obey Me in this way are invariably blessed, even though difficulties remain.

Thankfulness opens your heart to My Presence and your mind to My thoughts. You may still be in the same place, with the same circumstances, but it is as if a light has been switched on, enabling you to see from My perspective. It is this Light of My Presence that removes the sting of adversity.”

I like how she calls it a mystery, because my human mind cannot comprehend it, but I have experienced it, so I know it works. I also like how she says, “It is a spiritual act of obedience –at times, blind obedience.”

An example of this in the Bible is the story in Luke 17 about the men healed from leprosy, Jesus told them to go, and I like how it says, “as they went, they were cleansed.” We must be obedient. Sometimes God calls us to something, and we act in obedience but then it seems that nothing goes right, or people do not respond the way we think they should. It is in those moments we must choose to keep trusting He will make a way. We must choose to remember nothing has gone wrong because He is in control. We must choose to be thankful. We choose to trust, pray, and practice believing. We ask Him to make our thought, His thoughts and our ways, His ways.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us, “Give thanks in all circumstances,”

Psalm 92:1-2 “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your loving kindness in the morning and your faithfulness every night.”

1 Chronicles 16:34 “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”

Thanksgiving is the act of giving thanks.

Yesterday I read an article about hesed – long-acting love. The article said, “Hebrew has a word for life-long love that is richer and deeper than English has ever conceived of—hesed (HEH-sed). Based in a covenantal relationship, hesed is a steadfast, rock-solid faithfulness that endures to eternity:

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love (hesed) for you will not be shaken” Isaiah 54:10.

At church we sing a song that says something along the lines, as we trust God we will not be shaken. This caused me to wonder if something was wrong with me because I trust God but sometimes, I am shaken. Yesterday when I read that God’s love for us will not be shaken, I had new hope. I realized that in my humanness I will be shaken sometimes, just like the mountains sometimes shake and hills are removed. But God. God is steadfast. His love is never shaken. I can trust in Him in all circumstances because He never changes. He is faithful. He is sure.

Therefore, I give Him thanks. I can give Him thanks in every circumstance because I trust that He loves me. I trust that He is working for my good. I trust that His will, will be done. I know His peace because I need not worry when He has it all taken care of. I act in obedience to take my negative unhelpful thoughts captive and renew my mind on His truth. I think about what is lovely, good, honorable, excellent, praiseworthy, and my thoughts become His thoughts. Then through whatever my circumstances I have His joy inside me and express thanks.

Keep seeking Him! Keep discovering Him! Knowing deeper trust in Him! Expressing THANKS to Him in all things!

Happy Thanksgiving!