By Dr. Rebekah McCloud

“Hannah prayed and said, my heart exults and triumphs in the Lord; my horn (my strength) is lifted up in the Lord. My mouth is no longer silent, for it is opened wide over my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation. There is none holy like the Lord, there is none besides You; there is no Rock like our God.”
—1 Samuel 2:1-2 from The Amplified Bible

We all have challenges in our lives. Sometimes there is sunshine and sometimes there is rain. My Dad used to say, “Everyday can’t be Sunday.” You might ask, why would a loving God allow suffering in our lives? I ask, why not? When we became Christian followers of Christ, our walk did not come with an invisible force field. Instead, it came with the Word and love of God.

The way we handle the challenges of our lives, depends solely on how we handle our lives in times when we are not in crisis. Our lives should be full of thanksgiving. Hannah had it right; 1 Samuel 2:1-2 was her song of thankfulness to God. She didn’t ask God for anything, she simply thanked him.

So, you might ask, why thank God? God is a loving father who cares so much for us that he provides for our every need. He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knows our concerns, our hopes, dream and desires. He knows our weaknesses and our strengths. He is the reason that we exist.

He hears our cries. He gives us joy. He endures our pain. He gives us strength. He hears our prayers. He will never leave us. He is our comforter, our rock, our shield. He is the mighty physician, our constant companion, our savior, our friend.

So, you might ask, why thank God? I ask, why not? Thank him day in and day out.  He is worthy of our thanks. The Bible is filled with many reasons why we should thank God. Use it as your guide. Here are a few scriptures to get you started.

• Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. –1 Thessalonians 5:18
• Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. –Colossians 4:2
• Give thanks to the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!’–Jeremiah 33:11
• I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. –Psalm 9:1
• Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! –1 Chronicles 16:34
• Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. –Philippians 4:6
• Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. –Hebrew 13:15
• In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
• Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His loving kindness is everlasting. –Psalm 107:1
• “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. –Revelations 11:17

The next time you have challenges, know that God has already equipped you with all that you need. Romans 5:3 reminds us that, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.”  James 1:12 tells us to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” Verse 12 concludes, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

Thank God for the trials, and even the more, thank Him for the endurance. Like Hannah, just thank Him.

Prayer: Lord, Jesus, thank you for the way that you love us. Thank you for the trials and tribulations you bring into our lives. Each of these provides us with a testimony and for an opportunity to say thank you. We bless you and we honor you. Amen

 

6/1/16