DAILY DEVOTION: "His Faithfulness Continues"

Day 10: His faithfulness continues

Scripture: (Psalm 100:4-5):  Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.  For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Author:  Shane Carpenter

When Mackenzie was 3 or 4 years old, our bedtime routine was often a challenge.  Tired from a long day, and ready to sleep ourselves, we would struggle with patience as she would say her prayers.  “Dear Lord, thank you for Mommy and Daddy and Abby and Logan, and for a good day, and for the trees, and for the birds, and for Darby, and for Izzy (our dogs), and for my books, and for my bed, and for my baby doll and for my other baby doll and (about this time I would look to see her, hands clasped tightly in prayer, with one eye tightly closed and the other peeking around the room looking for things to give thanks for) and for my blanket and thank you for my teddy bear, and for the chair…”

Now as I look back on those times that we often thought were all part of the delay tactics for bedtime, I can see a lesson that God was showing me through the innocent eyes of our young daughter. 

No matter how busy, tired, or distracted we are, we should always take time and open one eye and peek around at all the blessings that we must be thankful for.  Then we should give thanks to Him and praise His name in all things, and for all things.  True thankfulness comes from the heart and as Christians, our thankfulness should be an ever-present state of worship to God.  If we have an attitude of thanksgiving in all things, it will impact our attitude in other areas of our lives as well.  Even in difficult times, when it is easy to get down and focus on the negative, take time to pause and look for all that you must be thankful for.  Then thank Him for what He is doing in your life and focus on the blessings, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem at the time.  God is the creator of the entire universe, everything, and everyone! But it is also important that we remember to praise Him with that heartfelt thankfulness of a child, even for the smallest of things.