No matter what has happened in our lives, we are to praise God and give Him our gratitude for all that He does for us, in spite of how miserable we may feel at this very moment in our lives. In reading the book of Job, we learn that Job, in the midst of all his suffering, was still grateful to God and praised Him. It was the enemy of our souls, Satan, who brought all of the destruction upon Job.
If you look at the first chapter of the book of Job, you can see how quickly Satan tried to destroy Job's faith in God.
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Job 1King James Version (KJV)
1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them:
15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,
21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
King James Version (KJV)
As you learn to, daily, share your thanksgiving to God, you will find that both your heart and mind will open to the many things which God blesses you with on a regular basis. Your gratitude, lets God know that you want to develop a personal relationship with Him and that no matter what has occurred in your life, that you know that you can count on Him to see you through every circumstance of your life. Also, as you share your gratitude for God's many blessing in your life with others, they will in turn learn to be grateful for all that God does in their lives, as well.
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Remember, God knows you and you are very precious to Him. He does not want anything for you that will hurt you in the long run and thus, His answers to your prayers are based upon what He knows of the total circumstances and everyone involved. I have learned that we are to pray and ask according to God's will, not just according to what we want, as our viewpoint is very limited when compared to that of God.
Please know that when calamity hits you or you loved ones that it is from the enemy of your soul, Satan, himself. Re-read this chapter, above, and see who was so unhappy that Job was worshipping God. Who was jealous that God was receiving all the praise and glory. It is not God who brings unhappiness to us, it is the enemy of our souls, along with bad choices which we make. Learn to ask for God's guidance in everything that you do. Even when things go terribly bad, God, alone, thru Jesus and the Holy Spirit can bring us through the worst of times in our lives.
May God continue to bless you and all of your loved ones.
Also, remember that newer translations of the Bible can be easier to understand. Search for newer translation of the Bible using: https://www.biblegateway.com
Newer translations:
New International Version (NIV)
New King James Version (NKJV)
...others, as listed by biblegateway.com
