Real Hope: GratitudeSample

Thanks In All Situations

On a hot February afternoon in 1788, a young minister called Richard Johnson stood on the shores of Farm Cove and preached the first-ever sermon on Australian soil. His text was Psalm 116:12, ‘How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me’ (version unknown). Somehow a strange text given he was out in the middle of nowhere amidst convicts who were forced to be there and soldiers who would be rather somewhere else. Yet Richard Johnson was right: he knew the scriptures taught that we are to give thanks in all circumstances.

We don’t thank God for all circumstances but we thank Him in the midst of them… because He is good and constant and faithful no matter what our circumstances. Readers of Winnie the Pooh may recall the figures of Tigger and Eeyore. Tigger is the bright and bouncy tiger, while Eeyore is the downcast, morose donkey. As one who tends to be a bit of an Eeyore, I have learned the importance of gratitude. So before bedtime each evening, I count the blessings of the day and won’t let my head hit the pillow till I have counted at least five. Sometimes these occasions for gratitude are hard to find: some days, let’s face it, are worse than others. But it’s vital to look for them, to see the good amidst the not so good. That doesn’t make me a Tigger, but it saves me from being an Eeyore.

We are to have a spirit of gratitude not because everything is fine and rosy in our lives or in the world. We are thankful, not for the various circumstances we face, but are thankful that God remains God in the midst of them.

Written by DAVID REAY