Welcome to “Going Deeper with the Word.” In this segment, we welcome people of all backgrounds, religious or not, to review the Word of God. The Word of God provides guidance, direction, and instructions for living our lives and walking with God.
Today, we examine how God’s Word provides clear guidance and direction about expressing gratitude in every season of life.
Let’s review examples of God’s Word that can lead and guide our steps and back up the principles we learned in today’s message. I will be reading scripture today from the Amplified Bible.
If you are watching this message online, we invite you to share your comments as we review each verse.
Here is our first verse.
But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him]
Will gain new strength and renew their power;
They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun];
They will run and not become weary,
They will walk and not grow tired.
Isaiah 40:31
In this verse, we learn how waiting on the Lord will actually strengthen our faith. We see emphasis on the importance of expectation and hope in God. In this frame of mind, we will actually have the strength and endurance to wait.
When we actively seek ‌to embrace God, He does not leave us hanging. He meets us where we are to lift us up in His loving embrace. This is why it is so important to keep our eyes on God, always expressing gratitude and thanks regardless of the circumstances in our day-to-day lives.
Question: Can you recall a time that you waited on God to respond to a prayer? How did you feel as you waited? Did you feel confident and secure or uncertain and anxious? Let us know in the comments.
Let’s have a look at another verse.
Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4
In this verse, it is revealed that trials and hardship are opportunities for creating endurance and spiritual maturity. In these times, it’s easy to become disconnected from God as the pressure from trials occupies our minds.
If we can keep our eyes on God during challenging times, we can build our resilience for these seasons in life, rooted in our faith. Over time, we can find peace and calm in these times as we place our trust in God.
Question: Can you recall a season in your life of significant trial and tribulation? Did you have a relationship with God at the time? If yes, how did your faith equip you to navigate through the situation? If not, in retrospect, how do you think a relationship with God may have helped you to deal with the challenges at the time? Let us know in the comments.
Let’s look at one last verse.
When you have eaten and are satisfied, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by failing to keep His commandments and His judgments (precepts) and His statutes which I am commanding you today; otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have increases, then your heart will become lifted up [by self-conceit and arrogance] and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Deuteronomy 8:10-14
This verse is an excellent illustration of what we discussed today about gratitude in seasons of abundance. When we are experiencing difficult times, we may find ourselves reaching out to God on a daily basis. When things are going great, we may find ourselves forgetting to keep our eyes on Him.
I believe this verse clearly outlines the risk of turning away from God once we have benefited from all of His blessings. We must be very intentional not to forget God, even in times of abundance and success.
Question: Take a moment to think about a lifestyle where you have every single material possession you ever wanted. Don’t hold back! Homes, vehicles, clothing, you name it. If you possessed all of these things, would you give thanks to God on a daily basis as you may if you were praying to God to assist you in a time of trial and tribulation? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
God is always with us, regardless of the season of life we are in. Let us never take this relationship for granted. God will certainly hear us as we cry out for His help. He will delight in our thanks and gratitude while we patiently wait for His response to a prayer or as we navigate through a challenging season in life. Let us also remember His goodness when we are living in abundance.
In every season, let us remember we serve a loving and compassionate God, who seeks to have an intimate relationship with all of us, regardless of our day-to-day circumstances.
If you don’t already, I invite you to make time to give thanks to God every single day, for the rest of your days.
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Have an amazing week, and we will catch you next time.
Bless you.
