Thankful in Times of Difficulty – Part 2 of 4

Not very long afterwards, while standing on the outskirts of the Promised Land, the Israelites were faced with another test. Now God had previously promised them that the land that they were going to inherit would already be well established. They would live in houses that they hadn’t built with their own hands and enjoy vineyards that they hadn’t planted. Their scouts confirmed that the land was well inhabited and tremendously fruitful. They’d never seen anything like it in all their lives. However, when they saw the strength of the peoples in the land that God had promised them, they lost courage, and they lost hope.

The Israelites lost their courage and hope, because they hadn’t been practicing a grateful attitude. When things didn’t go their way, they would give Moses a piece of their mind. They even threatened to stone him. If they had taken the time to thank God for past breakthroughs, then they would have been more inclined to recognize His protection, His favor, and His power in their lives.

Have your eyes been focused on problems rather than on God’s blessings? Just as eating right and exercising protect your physical health, taking time to thank God for what He’s done in your life will protect your spiritual health. As you practice a thankful attitude on a daily basis, it’ll be easier to notice the silver lining in the dark clouds of difficulty. You might be surprised to find that your difficulties aren’t as bad as you had previously imagined.