Time to reflect on and give thanks for God’s grace

Psalm 45:8-11 says, “The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in loving kindness. The Lord is good to all and his mercies are over all his works. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and your godly ones shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and talk of your power.”

As we move toward this time and tradition of thanksgiving, it gives us an opportunity to take a look at our lives, reflect on the happenings of our year and take the time to say “thank you” to our gracious and loving God.

For some of us it has been a hard year of struggles, difficulties and loss. Many of us have said “goodbye” to loved ones, lost relationships and struggled to just make ends meet. Some of us have spent sleepless nights concerned over the welfare of children, spouses and jobs. We may have taken on the care of those we love, with an endless tenacity, all the while trying to keep ourselves physically and emotionally well. There are those who have fought the battle of addiction and have finally won that fight.

For others, just the unexpected changes that occur, almost as if being blindsided, have caused considerable stress.

Whatever the situations that life has brought to us, the Lord is and has been there through it all. God is with us, whether we realize it or not. He is a very present help in our times of trouble. His word states, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” He is there with us through all the times of our lives, both good and bad. He is there to help us with decisions, always ready to lead and guide us. For all of the blessings provided to us, we can be thankful this season and always.

The Scripture mentioned speaks of our Lord as a gracious and merciful God. In his kindness and compassion, freely bestowed, he reveals to us his divine favor. To have the favor of the Lord is not receiving the judgment we deserve. That favor is ours wholly through the sacrifice of Calvary’s cross, freely given by God’s own Son. God is slow to anger, while being full of love and kindness, which is released into our lives.

We can be thankful that the God of all creation extends to us grace, mercy and patience. He provides his grace, which is more than enough for us to make it through any hardship. His mercy is extended, where many times judgment may be warranted. He who loves us exercises patience, long-suffering and compassionate, as he watches over our lives. He sees our flaws, weaknesses, struggles and yes, our sin and is still willing to show his goodness and help us in our times of need. He is also there to share all of the wonderful times that life has to offer us, all because of his blessings.

No matter how things may look for you today, and no matter how you may be feeling, remember that life is a gift. The breath we take each moment is a gift. As long as there is breath in us there is hope for tomorrow, for change, for a miracle from the Lord. Those are the blessings that come from him. In turn, our response should be a heart filled with thanksgiving, all the days of our lives. The work that the Lord completes in our lives will ultimately bring him glory. A life that is dedicated to God, his principles and holy word will resound the glory of God and should echo our voice of thanksgiving to him. During this season and always, let us bless his great name together and say “Thank you.”

XPatty Scahill of Austintown, who is a teacher, preacher, conference speaker and author, attends Christian Life Church in Canfield. A former women’s director of Teen Challenge in Youngstown, she is working on her second book, “The Wilderness Journey.”