See the Beauty (Behold Jesus)ਨਮੂਨਾ

Behold Him With Appreciation

"There's always something to be grateful for"… these words can sound challenging if you're in a difficult season. They may sound like overstretched positivity when life knocks hard. Assume a parent with a young child battling cancer, living in constant oscillation between life and death. At what point do we demand gratitude from them? A mother who had prepared the room for their baby, had gone through the thrill of baby showers and the excitement of newborn clothes shopping, only to hold a stillborn. Where can one draw gratitude in this devastation? Let's further assume a young woman with a bright mind and a promising future, who has been sexually abused and left crippled, to what do they owe us the positive attitude?

There are real-life challenges that overwhelm our hearts and steal our song, our gratitude. On this side of eternity, we will always have something to fight against. Jesus said, "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world" (John 16:33 NLT). This passage is a promise; we will have trouble; however, there is a "but". But we can be encouraged that Jesus has overcome the world (and its troubles); our hope and future is in the one who has overcome. Paul, who also knows the depths of suffering, encouraged the church of Thessalonica by saying, "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT). This is not to say, "thank God for your pain", but "thank God even in pain". Paul doesn't end it there; he continues to say, "for it is the will of God for you." It is God's will for us who belong to Jesus Christ to be thankful in all circumstances.

Let's Pray:

Lord Jesus, teach us to find places of gratitude in our lives. Help us, Lord, despite it all, to give you praise and honour. We are grateful for the gift of Jesus Christ and His resurrection power. We believe and declare that we will also rise with Him one day. For today, we are grateful to know you and be known by you. In Jesus' Name, Amen.