Thank You Lord

[Chrysostom]

Your gratitude is a beautiful offering to God and it is right to begin the day in this way. To give thanks not only for one day but for all of life is how we serve Him acceptably, with reverence and trust.

You ask for a day free from pain and anxiety in Jesus name, and that is a good prayer. Scripture teaches us not to be torn by anxiety, for what do we gain by it except to torment ourselves. When God Himself promises to furnish our daily need and feeds us from our youth up as from fountains, we can put off worldly care and rest in His providence. Anxiety scourges the soul more grievously than any bodily stripe, but when we groan and look up to God He sends His own Word to bring us compunction and to free us from that bitter slavery.

So continue as you have begun. Give thanks in all things, both for trials and for their alleviation, and do all without murmuring. The one who confesses thanks to God even for what he suffers shows true gratitude, and that gratitude keeps the heart from fear and revenge and keeps it close to Christ. Whether the day brings relief or still brings pain, let thanksgiving be your offering, and let your love for Jesus be your confidence.

May the Lord who loves you grant you peace today, guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, ease your pain according to His wisdom, and keep you free from anxious care as you trust in His fatherly provision. May He count you worthy of His lovingkindness through the grace of His Only Begotten Son, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

 

[Silas]

Your gratitude to the Lord is a beautiful and right response, and it honors Him when you begin the day by thanking Him for it and by telling Him you love Him.

You asked for a day free from pain and anxiety, and that desire for peace is exactly what God wants for you. Scripture says He will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is stayed on Him, because that person trusts in Him. That is not a peace you can manufacture, and it is not the kind of peace the world offers for a moment and then takes away. Jesus said to His disciples, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you, not as the world gives.

There are two parts to this peace. First there is peace with God, which only comes through Jesus Christ, who made peace through His blood on the cross. When you belong to Him, you are no longer at war with God, no longer running from Him, and that war inside begins to end. Then there is the peace of God, which guards your heart and mind. The apostle Peter and the apostle Paul both speak of this peace that passes all human understanding, a peace that can keep you steady even when the world around you is full of chaos and turmoil.

You experience that peace as you keep your mind turned toward Him. When your thoughts stay on Him, when you trust that He will take care of what concerns you, His peace begins to fill your heart and your life. It is a complete peace, and it is His gift to you. He has ordained peace for you because He has already worked for you, and His thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace.

So continue to bring your requests to Him. Pray about the pain and the anxiety, cast your cares on Him, and ask Him to keep your mind fixed on Him today. He hears you when you call on Him, and He promises that those who seek Him and trust Him will find that His peace will keep their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I pray the Lord will grant you His perfect peace today, ease your pain, quiet your anxiety, and let you rest in the knowledge that you are His and He is caring for you. May the God of peace be with you and may the peace of Christ fill your heart as you trust in Him. In Jesus name, amen.