Monday Motivation #18 Would We Still Be Thankful?
Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving! My family and I spent time together eating mouthwatering food, enjoying entertaining conversation, and listening to the laughter and squeals of the grandchildren.
We have much to be thankful for, including the roofs over our heads, clean water to drink, a warm bed to fall into each night, and healthy food to nourish our bodies. Compared to the majority of the world’s population, we enjoy great wealth. It’s easy on Thanksgiving and other days to give thanks and praise to God. But what if we had nothing? What if one day, everything you had was gone?
There is a man in the Bible named Job who seemed to have it all. He had his family – a wife, and ten kids! He had material possessions –in those days, wealth was measured by the amount of land, animals, and servants you had, and Job had them in abundance! And Job was a man of character and integrity. But in one day, Job lost everything. His sheep, camels, oxen, and donkeys were stolen, or killed by fire. But that wasn’t the worst of it. A windstorm came and the house collapsed killing all ten of his children.
I can’t even imagine the unbearable pain Job must have felt but at the end of chapter one of Job, we find Job worshipping and praising God! Job had just lost everything, and in an expression of grief he tore his robe and shaved his head but even in mourning, Job worshipped and praised the name of the LORD!
I believe Job could worship even in the tragedy because he had a relationship with God. He believed God and he knew the character of God. He knew God is good and does not change no matter the circumstances. God was the source of Job’s peace. Job kept his eyes upward on God and his faith and contentment were in God alone. 
When we have faith like Job, believe like Job, and love God like Job, then we too can choose to worship God because we know God is still good in the bad times and in the worst of circumstances.
For that alone, we can be thankful.
© 2018 Robin R King
