Psalm 50:14-15  Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

I think sometimes the biggest thing I miss when I am going through my “days of trouble” is to stop for a minute and Thank God for all He has done, for who He is and all He is going to do in my life.  It is very easy to just focus on complaining to Him and begging Him to deliver us from all of the struggles in our lives without stopping to be grateful that He is there all the time.

God wants to deliver us and He wants us to be in a position to glorify Him when He does to draw others to Him.  There is nothing exciting about someone who only comes to you when they need something and yet they never really have much to say about you  otherwise that is honoring and good.  And there is nothing exciting to a non-believer about someone who is all gloom and doom all the time that never seems to have anything to tell about what God has and is doing in their life.

I would encourage each of us today whether you are going through a tough spot in life or not to think of all the things you have to be thankful for.  Get excited and write them down and go over your list several times today and watch how that changes your outlook on life and your fellowship with God today.  Start your prayers with thanksgiving and praise to God for what He has done and for who He is!  God obviously realizes that it is much more natural for us to talk about what bothers us and what we need and that to take the time to be thankful is a sacrifice for some reason.  God wants to hear your heartaches and your struggles and he wants to deliver you all He is asking here is for you to have a thankful heart and do your part and glorify Him when He delivers you!  The more you remember all that God has done the more you will strengthen your faith and hope in Him!

Quote:  “Hope never dies where faith is strong, and faith grows strong in the presence of hope.”  Chad Witmeyer