A thankful heart gives us the grace to stand when we don’t have understanding.

Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays of the year. Families come together and share, catching up on each other’s lives. It is a time of remembering. As we share, we recall things that have happened in the past—good and bad.

Remembering is important to God. He built remembering into the culture of Israel. He instructed His people to tell their children, to build a memorial, so when they passed by, they would remember how God had delivered them.

We have to purpose to remember! It does not come naturally. Why is remembering important? It keeps the testimony of what God has done - and is doing fresh! It builds the attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving in our heart. It becomes a way of life, not just something we do during holidays.

When the attitude of thanksgiving is worked in our heart it carries humility, a dependency on God and His goodness. A thankful heart gives us the grace to stand when we don’t have understanding. It gives us the ability to say, “Lord I trust you”.

I keep a photograph on my desk that daily reminds me of the faithfulness of God. It is a window with a bullet hole. This window was in the dormitory of my son’s room when he was in Bible School. The bullet ended up in my son’s bed, yet he slept through the entire situation. It was his roommate who woke him up screaming that he had been shot! The police found the bullet in his bed, but my son had been protected by the God he serves.

When doubts try to come against me I look at that photograph and give thanks to the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us, “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Give thanks in everything, not for everything. I can give thanks because He is in every situation of my life with me.

It is very hard not to be anxious in this world, but as a child of God, we have a way of escape. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 6-7NKJ).

Enjoy your family and enjoy the peace of God as you walk in thanksgiving.