Is there a trial today that’s causing you to be cranky towards God? Take a deep breath, lift your sights heavenward, and start quoting Psalm 100 out loud by heart.
SHAUNA: You’re listening to Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Hi, this is Shauna with a curious story about gratitude from our dear Joni.
JONI: Suppose an elderly woman with very severe arthritis in her hands embroidered a set of pillowcases just for you as a thank-you gift. And you knew it involved a lot of pain and effort on her part. I mean, you know it took extra time [she probably had to pause often, rub her hands]; no doubt you would treasure that gift of pillowcases. They would mean so much more to you than if they were sown by a woman with young, nimble fingers. Why would they mean more? Because the one with arthritis expended extraordinary effort. Her gift involved cost and sacrifice. You would take into account the extra hours she invested and her discomfort with each stitch. Maybe you’d be moved to tears, all because her suffering “glorified” her gratitude, making her expression of thanksgiving much more valuable in your eyes.
And what’s more, you would feel so honored. You’d think, “Oh, my goodness, this woman must think so highly of me to make me such a precious gift.” The embroidered pillowcases would show how much the elderly woman thought of you, how she held you in high esteem, and regarded you as worth the pain and effort. You would feel so very valued in her eyes. Now, here’s the thing. If we respond this way to sacrifices that others make for us, how much more is God enthused when we sacrifice thank-offerings to him? Oh, we can easily give thanks to God whenever we feel like it, but when things are hard, when you are in pain, or confused, when you’re struggling, and yet still you offer up gratitude to God, that’s what is called a sacrifice of thanks. Psalm 50:23 says, “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors God, and he prepares the way so that God may show him his salvation.”
Friend, when trials sandblast you to the core and your bruised feelings scream at you, saying, “Forget God. Look how he treats you!” When your weary mind is too clouded to see through the fog, that is the time to express gratitude to God. Yes, giving thanks to God at such times involves cost and sacrifice – yes, it costs you your logic. Yes, you have to sacrifice your pride. But your thank-offering is glorified as you push through the pain and offer words of love to the Lord for all his many blessings.
To be honest, I do this all the time. Because there are days when I’m driving to work in the van, and Ken is at the wheel, and I am in my wheelchair in the back, jostling down the freeway, which all can cause such pain and discomfort. But those are the times I’ll take a deep breath, lift my sights heavenward, and start – well, I’ll start quoting Psalm 100 out loud by heart. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands; serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with thanksgiving. Know ye that the Lord he is God, it is he who hath made us and not we ourselves.” That’s the way it is in the van!
So, is there a trial souring your disposition toward God? Fostering doubts? Drying up your zeal? Consider offering God today a sacrifice, a sacrifice of thanks. It would not only glorify your gratitude, it would show God the high esteem you give him.
SHAUNA: And we want to help you with this. Listening friend, we want to pray for you. Go to joniradio.org today and leave us your prayer request. And while you’re there, check out the many resources and radio programs there at your fingertips. And be sure to share that link with a friend in need of encouragement too. It’s joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends