So Thankful

"Thankfulness to God is a recognition that God in His goodness and faithfulness has provided for us and cared for us, both physically and spiritually. It is a recognition that we are totally dependent upon Him; that all that we are and have comes from God." -Jerry Bridges

This month marks my eight birthday...my spiritual birthday that is! I am so excited to look back over the past eight years and see the mighty hand of God working so actively in and through my life; to say that I have been transformed is an understatement! I have seen the hand of God do wonders and move in ways I would have never expected and looking back over the past eight years there is one word that comes to my head...THANKFUL! I have never been more thankful for the saving work of Christ's death on the cross and the righteousness that He placed on my account than I am today...it still baffles my mind everytime I think about it; the fact that God, the creator of all the universe, would choose to save me. My life today is no where where I would have pictured it eight years ago or even four years ago but it is EXACTLY where God would have because He planned it; in His divine and sovereign control He orchestrated the outworking of my life to fulfill His purposes in and through me and I am so thankful that I can look back and see that. All that being said I have to say that the thing in my sanctification that I am most thankful for have been the trials. Looking back it was the moments in my life that God humbled and broke me and forced me on my knees so to speak in which I realized the weight of my dependency upon Him. It was in those moments that my heart was most refined and my love for the Lord strengthened most. I can't say that the pain and the hurt that I felt during those times was enjoyable or even that I was thankful in the midst of it, but the peace that seemed to be unexplainable left me speechless and in awe of our God. I remember countless times during those periods in my life when I would weep and yet in the midst of it all there was a hope and a firm foundation that I could cling tightly to. Psalm 147:3 became such an encouragment to me during those times, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. " And during those times in which I realized that I was so dependent upon Him even for my next breath, thankfulness became the overwhelming expression of my heart.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 expresses that it is God's will that we "give thanks in EVERYTHING"; in that I see no exception. Scripture is so perfectly real and clear with us...God requires that no matter what we be thankful. John Mac Arthur once said, "A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord "; and how true is that! A standard mark of a Christian is thankfulness no matter what the circumstance in life may be, if the sky is sunny or the earth starts shaking, there is a constant and firm foundation we have built our hope on and God promises us He will be our rock and He will always be with us. What an encouragement and a hope we as believers have! I remember thinking in my own low-points in life how sinfully selfish I truly was, how in times of abundant blessing I ceased to give God thanks and in times of misery I was quick to question His goodness; yet I was reminded consistently that no matter what I always had my salvation to rejoice in! David begged the Lord to restore to Him the joy of His salvation in His sorrow, and that should be our prayer too; whether we "feel" thankful or not is irrelevant as we know from the Word that it is God's "will" that we would be!
As I look forward to the next eight years (Lord-willing) of my spiritual life I am eagerly anticipating all the Lord has in store; but a constant prayer of mine is that God would continue to refine me, meaning more trials and tribulations, in order that I may be more thankful for who He is and for the salvation that He graciously bestowed upon me. I pray that in all things I would have the attitude of Horatio Spafford in saying "Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say...It is Well With My Soul"!