Gratitude continues to be on my mind …
The passage of scripture about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego facing the fiery furnace comes to mind …
[They] replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
I thought myself a grateful soul,
Until deep testing took its toll,
And gratitude became a chore,
With less I dared be thankful for.
But then I learned it’s Him alone,
Not circumstance or what I own,
For Whom I find the thankfulness,
That honors Him and He can bless.
~ source unknown
There is a phrase in an old Isaac Watts’ hymn that says, “dissolve my heart in thankfulness” … may it be so.
