The Miracles Of ThanksgivingExemplo

Thanksgiving Opens The Door To The Miracle Of Supernatural Strength To Face Difficult Times

Again, it is easier to praise God and give thanks when all is well in our lives, but to thank God in times of difficulty and trials is a whole other story.  Jesus on the night before his crucifixion had a very clear picture of what was to befall Him in a few short hours yet He gracefully enters His passion.  He anticipated his last meal with the men He spent the previous three years with, and He even included His betrayer. Jesus knew the stress his body would undergo, the viciousness of the Roman soldiers, the extent of the shedding of his blood from Gethsemane to Calvary, and the mockery, rejection, and loneliness that would pile on all at once.  With all this knowledge Jesus spent the last moments celebrating the Passover which was the type and shadow of what He would have to fulfill.  He would be the lamb led to the slaughter, His innocent blood would make way for the guilty and open the door to salvation for many. 

Jesus was excited to eat this last meal with the ones He loved, and He begins the meal by giving thanks , thanks for what He would have to go through and He showed the disciples his body would be broken just like He broke the bread and His blood would be poured out for the new covenant to take place.  His examples used in the last supper were heart-wrenching, and yet Jesus gives thanks.  Often we face situations where we feel all our strength is gone and there is no hope.  I can remember so many times like that in my life, and even though I did come through it, I can’t say I gave God thanks for it.  I endured with much depression and sadness, and I prolonged the hard times because of my lack of knowledge on thanksgiving. Jesus gave thanks before his suffering, and even if for a slight moment, He hoped it would pass Him, He understood the cost for our souls and yielded to His Father's will. Thanksgiving doesn’t remove the trials and tribulations in our lives, but it does empower us to endure to the end. 

Maybe you are in a place today that’s draining your strength, and you feel like giving up, perhaps you feel as though you can’t fight to keep going anymore. I want to encourage you to look to Jesus and His suffering; look at how He didn’t wish His hardships away but looked for the opportunity to give thanks and celebrate His death because He knew He pleased His Father. And, even though you find nothing to give thanks for at this moment, why not just say, “Thank you Abba for your wisdom and understanding of my situation, and I am going to trust you as Jesus did, I also want to thank you for the supernatural strength you will grant me to endure till this season is over.”

“The thankful heart sees the best part of every situation. It sees problems and weaknesses as opportunities, struggles as refining tools, and sinners as saints in progress.” - Francis Frangipane