Radical Gratitude

This Thought for Today has been written by Isabel Fairgrieve.

The title which I have chosen for this “thought for the day” is actually the title of a book by author Peter Maiden. Peter is well known to me as a teacher, preacher and as a man who has devoted his life to serving his Lord and Saviour. He began writing this book in 2019 and shortly afterwards received a diagnosis of terminal cancer. For many of us, continuing to write under such a title would have been very difficult, if not impossible, but Peter continued and his book was published after his death in 2020.

One of the chapters is entitled “Gratitude and Sovereignty” and it was in this chapter that I found such encouragement. I would like to share with you some of these thoughts.

2021 is rushing on and we are still experiencing difficult circumstances, uncertainties and for many people, anxieties and worry. For the Christian though, we have a source of many encouragements found in God’s Word. My baptismal verses were Proverbs 3:5-6: 
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Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)​

It’s a wonderful statement of how our lives ought to be lived.  However if we fail to follow these wise words, then our pride and determination to be self reliant lead us away from dependence on God and bring so many problems into our lives.  Recognising that God is sovereign is a wonderful remedy to doubts and worry about the future.  Take a look at Matthew 6.25-34 and be encouraged.
God’s Word is full of wonderful verses making it so clear and plain that he is in control and he deeply cares for us. Here are just a few of my favourites:

1 Peter 5:7, John 14:27, Psalm 46:1, 2 Cor 12:9, Phil 4:7, Phil 4:19
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These verses give us tremendous encouragement and underline the wonderful blessings available to us and remind us of some of God’s promises. The words of the old hymn, “Count your blessings, name them one by one...” come to mind. I love the way the writer pens the line, “And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”  It’s as if we haven’t given enough thought to the blessings we have already received, but once we do, and start to name them we are surprised by the number of them! What a generous God we have. With that in mind we have so much for which to be thankful.

This quote from Peter’s book is surely comforting and a timely reminder of God’s sovereignty, particularly apt in these uncertain times: “God has his hands on the reins of the universe and of my life, and he does not allow those reins to slip out of his hands.”

Getting our priorities right is crucial. Putting Jesus in the centre of our lives will bring the peace and joy we seek. Giving thanks to God can change our mood from sometimes dwelling on the difficulties of life to a positive and uplifting attitude of gratefulness. May each of us put into practice what we read in God’s Word and thereby reap the benefits of a bountiful God who lavishes his love on us in our daily lives.

I Know Who Holds The Future.
 
I do not know what lies ahead,
The way I cannot see;
Yet One stands near to be my guide,
He’ll show the way to me.
 
I know who holds the future
And I know He holds my hand,
With God things don’t just happen,
Everything by Him is planned;
So as I face tomorrow
With its problems large and small,
I’ll trust the God of miracles –
Give to Him my all.