Wow!  Do you know what this means?  We are nine months into the year!  Three months away from a new year, if the Lord allows.  Have the past eight months been good to you?  There must have been joyful, jubilant occasions and also times of frustrations and failures.  Throughout these times of distress, perhaps on some days, you responded like I did at times; with anxiety or worry or even misery and anguish.  

Very few of us enjoy being around dissatisfied people; people who complain about everything and everyone.  They find so little joy in life and sometimes are quite happy to share their discontent with anyone listening. We are almost always listening, because getting a word in is practically impossible.  Most of us would choose not to spend time with unhappy and ungrateful people.  Next on that seat are the passive aggressive people.  They say everything is fine, life is good, BUT… they blame others, or things, or circumstances, for everything wrong with their world.  Taking responsibility for their circumstances or their behaviors is a foreign concept. I know you can think of at least one person who falls into either of these categories. What are we to do with such individuals?  Wellll… I would say that we have all been one of these individuals, at one time or another in our lives.  Thankfulness is hard to come by, when we are actually going through difficulties. Most of us desire that the Lord rescue us from the emotional, financial or relational pain and “please Lord, do it quickly”. It is almost or should I say, impossible, to be thankful throughout our trials and tribulations.  We, sometimes, start off desiring to be thankful, but if the situation lingers, we find out quickly that ‘long suffering’ isn’t a natural trait we possess.  It is hard to be thankful because our present situation has overwhelmed us; we are sinking under the weight of our burden.  We go to the Lord and present our petitions before Him, but this situation is so consuming, that we have forgotten to be thankful for our blessings.  I have done it; I have been there.

Here is a list of a few things I’ve tried and can guarantee does not work!  Here is WHAT NOT TO DO:

1. Disbelieve or distrust the promises found in the Word of God (Psalm 27:13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. )
2. Forget to count prior and present blessings (Psalm 78:7 That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;)
3. Envy others their allotment (Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.)
4. Feel entitled or deserving of God’s favors (Job 40:4 “Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth.)
5. Manipulate people or circumstances to find a solution (Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.)
6. Complain or whine over problems. (Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.)
7. Allow the trial to consume every thought and conversation (Matthew 6:31  “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ )
8. Bring troubles to friends rather than the Lord. (I Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.)
9. Continually take back burden from the Lord by being anxious and worried (Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God)
10. Give the Lord a time frame to answer prayer (Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.)

Throughout this month and the next three months waiting to be lived, let us choose to bring our cares before the Lord, and remember to add thanksgiving to that long list.   There is a song sung by Bill and Gloria Gaither, entitled ‘Bigger than Any Mountain’.  It is a good remainder of the power and majesty that belongs to the God we serve!  Here is the chorus to that song; if you know it, sing along

Bigger than all my problems; Bigger than all my fears 

God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see

Bigger than all my questions; Bigger than anything 

God is bigger than any mountain that I can or cannot see