”Gratefulness” Advent Devotion for December 2, 2021

Gratefulness

by Tian Brooks, Confirmation Student

Read by Tian Brooks

 

 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans^[a] of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.”

 Therefore, Israel will be abandoned
    until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
    to join the Israelites.

 He will stand and shepherd his flock
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
    will reach to the ends of the earth

 And he will be our peace
    when the Assyrians invade our land
    and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
    even eight commanders

         –Micah 5:2-5a

Ask yourself, what are you grateful for?

A lot of people will say “My house and my health;” but being grateful for something is more than that. Especially throughout the pandemic we all have something we are grateful for--you are alive.

Being grateful doesn’t mean convincing yourself that everything is fine. Living your life with gratitude means choosing to focus on the things you really appreciate and care about. The goal is not to block out difficulties but approach those difficulties from a different perspective and know that God will help us along the way. Gratitude can help us see that not everything is terrible. Practicing gratitude to God with thankfulness can keep our hearts open to the tenderness in our daily experiences.

So, I want you to ask yourself again, what are you grateful for? People who are grateful to God are grateful for those who care for them, as well as God's blessings to them. The main cause of ungratefulness is not knowing by experience the grace and mercy of God. Grateful people are happy people. Grateful people are content with how God has dealt with them. So are you one of these people, if not it is ok, start with being grateful for the little things. Be grateful for God, and God will help you on your path.

Dear God, I am extremely grateful for all your blessings in my life, Lord. I pray that you remind me of just how blessed I am and that you never allow me to forget to show my gratitude in prayer and returned acts of kindness. Amen