In everything give thanks...

"Though there are no sheep in the pen

and no cattle in the stalls

yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will be joyful in God my Savior"

Habakkuk 3:17-18

A thankful heart gives thanks at all times and in all circumstances. It is easy to be thankful in good times...when our marriages are great and our children are doing well in school and with friends. We rejoice with our friends and are grateful when they get the negative result from the doctor's office or when they get the bonus. Our natural inclination is to be thankful for the "good stuff"

But this verse says there is "no sheep in the pen" and "no cattle in the stalls"...before that "The fig tree does not bud...and no grapes on the vine" (verse 17) How can this man be joyful?

The book of Habakkuk is one of the shortest of the Minor Prophets. In spite of this, it deals with profound issues. Grievous sin, unanswered prayer, anxiety, and confusion. Sounds like life! In James M. Boice's Commentary on Israel and the Minor Prophets he states " Strong faith is not incompatible with fleshy weakness, even the intense weakness that expresses itself in great anxiety. But how can we deal with it? How can we make sure that fear does not make shambles of our lives?"

Just as Habakkuk shows us..."I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour"

Do we stop to think that it is IN trials that we learn patience? That when we get ill we learn how to "Be still and know that I am God". That when our finances are gone or stretched thin we see God sufficiency and provision? Through difficult times we really get to see what is in us and we discover intimately who God is. It's like that stinky sponge we leave sitting on the sink...if it gets continually squeeze out, it stays pliable and fresh. But if I don't squeeze it out for a while it develops a horrible stink. God squeeze us often, to show us what we have in us. Often what that brings is complaints, lack of faith and fear. Instead what God desires through those times is thankfulness. You say what? YES! God desires our thankfulness for what He is showing us about ourselves through hard times. Maybe we have created false idols? If so, we confess them and get rid of them. Or maybe we learned that we have not been faithful with the finances He has given us. We confess and become more mindful of the frivolous things we spend our money on. But if He squeezes and we can say like Habakkuk "I will rejoice" then our focus is rightly on Him.

Teaching our kids to be grateful at all times takes diligence. When friends shun them at school or say mean things...how can we be grateful? We teach our kids to empathize with those who are outcast or maybe search themselves to see if any of it is true? Are they selfish...prideful? As parents we thank God these things are being "squeezed out now" before they develop a "stink". Showing our children that "God works all things for good for those who love Him" is the greatest way to develop a grateful heart.