Thank You
By Maria Drayton
I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1
Often times in our lives can cause us to be impatient, fearful, doubtful and weary. These times are the times when we need to draw closer to the Father. I didn’t say it would be easy but it is necessary. There have been times in my life where fear wants to creep in and take my peace. But even in those times I have to remain thankful. Thankful for who He is, for what He’s done and what He will do.
Philippians 4:6 NIV reminds us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
As a parent, it makes my heart sing when my son says, “thank you Mom.” It makes me want to do more for him when he is thankful. I believe that’s how God is with us. When we remain thankful, His desire is to do more for us.
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 NIV
Recently I had a trip to the dentist. I can tell you that I am deathly afraid of the dentist and was not looking forward to this trip. I had already rescheduled the appointment two times before and was scared of the very thought of sitting in that chair. My mind reminded me of all of the sounds that come with the use of the dentist tools, the smell of the air, and the discomfort of my teeth being picked at. All week my mind wanted to go there and meditate on these things. I had to make a decision to choose faith instead of fear. I had to be thankful that I had a great dentist. I began to thank God for insurance to pay for the dental visit. I reminded myself that, “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7. So when the time came, I left early to make the appointment. When I arrived they called my name as soon as I sat down with no time for me to think about the impending procedure. I had already prayed for the dentist that would be doing the work. So when she came in and introduced herself I knew that I was in good hands. The procedure went well and I was happy that I had gone. Afterward, all I felt was thankfulness. Thankful that God had gone before me and given me peace in spite of my fear. Thankful for His faithfulness to anoint the dentist that did the work. Mostly, I was thankful that despite my fear, He helped me to do it unafraid.
All I could say afterward was, “thank You, Lord.” I continued with those two words for days after. This is just a small testimony to how much those two words make a difference. I felt God’s smile as I continued to praise Him and thank Him for days after. But I am thankful for so much more than just that. God has been faithful to my family during this pandemic. He’s kept us healthy, employed, and abundantly blessed. I am truly thankful.
Two small words that hold so much power, thank you. What has God done for you? How have you seen Him move in your life? What battles has He fought on your behalf? Where has He brought you from? These are all reasons to be thankful!
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.“ Philippians 4:8 NIV
Heavenly Father, thank You. Thank You for being everything to me and for me. You are faithful! You are concerned with everything that concerns me. I am grateful for Your Holy Spirit that comforts me during times of fear and doubt. Thank You for everything that You’ve done for me; seen and unseen. I will praise Your name, forever! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
For more encouragement, visit Maria at mariadrayton.com
© 2020 by Maria Drayton. All rights reserved.
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Originally published Thursday, 26 November 2020.
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