The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me (Psalm 50:23 ESV).
Heavenly Father, finding heartfelt words of thanksgiving during suffering and loss can sometimes be challenging. We can make lists of things for which we are thankful. It helps. We can sing words of praise to You, sing Scripture to You, and to our own hearts. It helps.
Today, I thank You that YOU are always at work in our hearts to respond to Your grace with heartfelt gratitude.
It is all in our union with Christ, through Christ, by His Spirit within, and for Your glory.
This week holds sadness and loss mingled with gratitude. It’s both. More and more things in this world have faded away as we suffer.
So, we ask for Your help to give thanks to You, to glorify You as our Helper and our Keeper in suffering…acknowledging Your name, Your character, Your promises.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? (Ps. 121:1 ESV).
Jesus Himself might have sung this Psalm to You when He needed Your help in a sad moment, so I offer it as my song of thanksgiving to You this week.
Thank You for the gift of Jesus, our Lord and Savior
The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand (Ps. 121:5 ESV).
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb. 13: 8 ESV).
Jehovah is himself thy keeper true,
thy changeless shade…
Jehovah thy defense on thy right hand
himself hath made.
Thank You for Jesus taking our place on the cross, making us right with You now and forever
Unto the hills around do I lift up
my longing eyes:
O whence for me shall my salvation come,
from whence arise?
Thank You for Your help in giving Your promises to believers in Christ!
I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5 ESV).
He will not suffer that thy foot be moved:
safe shalt thou be.
No careless slumber shall his eyelids close,
who keepeth thee.
The LORD is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me? (Heb. 13:6 ESV).
And thee no sun by day shall ever smite;
no moon shall harm thee in the silent night.
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep (Ps. 121:4 ESV).
Thank You for Your help in being the Protector and Keeper of my soul as I suffer on earth
The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life (Ps. 121:7 ESV).
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night (Ps. 121:6 ESV).
The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore (Ps. 121:8 ESV).
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant (Heb. 13:20 ESV)….
From ev’ry evil shall he keep thy soul,
from every sin:
Jehovah shall preserve thy going out,
thy coming in.
Oh, thank You for Your sanctifying work in me, making me and all suffering believers more like Christ, so that we can…
Thank You for Jesus, Your help always, the source of this ongoing grace, to…
equip you with everything good that you may do his will,
working in us that which is pleasing in his sight (Heb. 13:21 ESV).
From God the Lord doth come my certain aid,
from God the Lord, who heav’n and earth hath made.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber (Ps. 121:3 ESV).
Above thee watching, he whom we adore
shall keep thee henceforth, yea, forevermore!
through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Heb. 13:21 ESV)!
This week’s Thanksgiving playlist gift and other resources
This week’s playlist gift is filled with sung versions of Psalm 121 and songs of thanksgiving to our Lord. It’s quiet; it’s for sorrows mingled with gratitude. It’s sung prayers of asking Him for help, thanking Him for what He’s done for us in Christ, and resting in His grace toward us as we suffer. May it help us to glorify our Keeper and soul-Protector as we give thanks to Him within this suffering.
Sign up here, and it will come to your email, with my prayers and love. Other resources are also below.
If you’d like encouragement as you hear and see me, here’s our YouTube channel
For Bible study prayer journal books, specifically for our suffering, click each title for details:
Near to God: A Devotional Bible Study of God’s Character in Our Suffering
Here’s a music therapy-inspired podcast of hymns and Scripture for chronic illnesses and pain
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