Give Thanks {31 Days of Scripture During Infertility}

This post is part of my 31 Days of Scripture During Infertility series.  You can see all 31 posts here.  

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever. – Psalm 136:1-3 (NLT)

Yesterday we talked about “tasting and seeing” God, or, intentionally looking for and savoring God’s goodness. I’ve been learning recently that one of the best ways to do that is by giving thanks.

I think everyone generally agrees that the practice of giving thanks is a good one. We give thanks for our families, our friends, our spouses, our jobs, etc. But what about giving thanks for the small and maybe even mundane things in our lives?

The book 1,000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp has been out for a few years now, but I read it only recently. It’s a huge best-seller and now I understand why. Ann introduces readers to the idea of eucharisteo, or the combination of joy, grace, and thanksgiving. (She explains it much more elegantly than I!). Basically, talks about living with joy, grace, and thanksgiving even when life is full of hurt.

In order to do that, Ann writes, we should make it a habit to notice and record the small, minute things that bring us joy and for which we’re grateful.

The cat purring in my lap.

The crunch of a sweet, juicy apple.

The dimple in my husband’s chin.

Steam rising from a hot cup of tea on a cold morning.

As we’ll see in today and tomorrow’s verses, Scripture confirms the idea of giving thanks over and over again. And why not? It’s something we need to be reminded to do. When the sorrows and challenges of life rush in and claim our attention, we forget to be thankful and focus on God’s goodness. (And remember that focusing on God’s goodness is our only way to true happiness).

So let’s resolve to give thanks for the big things and the small things, even when life is begging us to do otherwise.

**********Click here to purchase the 31 Days of Scripture During Infertility eBook. You’ll receive all 31 day’s worth of devotionals in an easy-to-print PDF file. You’ll also receive 31 printable prayer journal pages (in both color and ink-saving black & white), each with journaling prompts and more Scripture resources for further study.

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