15 comments

Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Tell Him you're going there . . .

Posted on 03.22.10 by Nancy Leigh DeMoss | Twitter: @NancyDeMoss

Gratitude changes things. But first, you need to tell God you’re going there.

Tell Him you’re going to begin letting your salvation be more than a once-upon-a-time event, but rather a daily cause for celebration and wonder.

Tell Him you’re going to make each day a fresh opportunity to watch for His blessings in things both great and small—from the ultimate, awesome gift of His saving grace, to the privilege of having a healthy family, to the pleasure of not having one of those little painful sores you can sometimes get in your mouth. (Has it occurred to you to be grateful for that recently?)

Tell Him you’re going to offer up to Him every situation and circumstance in your life, even the ones that are still sensitive to the touch, the ones that make absolutely no sense, the ones you just really don’t understand why you’re having to put up with right now.

No matter how bad it gets, no matter what someone says to you, no matter how long it goes on or where it might lead, you will drop the full weight of it at His feet every night, be thankful for His strength that brought you through the day, and wait for His mercies that will be new in the morning (even though you may start needing them again at 12:01)!

Excerpted from Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy. Moody Publishers

 

Comments

  1. Thank you, Nancy. I read your book on gratitude and love it. I continue going back and re-reading chapters to refresh my memory.

    I am in the middle of deep suffering right now, and it is a fight every day to thank the Lord for the trials. Keep encouraging us to be grateful. I know it's truth. :)
    http://discoveringliz.com
    posted by Liz
    on Friday, March 19, 2010 at 7:15 pm
  2. Thank you Nancy.
    posted by Ruth
    on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 1:32 am
  3. This is a great post. Thank you. Just what I needed. Now ...I need to "drop the full weight at His feet." and go back to bed. : ) ("Yawn").
    posted by Susan McCurdy
    on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 4:10 am
  4. Hi Nancy, thousands of reasons to grumble and even more to thank God.

    Thank God for sunshine, for friendship, for cookies, for our six senses, for peace and quiet, and stability, good mates, work, food on our table, and for the song in our heart when life goes wrong!

    Suffering does indeed make us unhappy but it certainly brings us closer to God.

    I used to think this was lassitude and passivity but now I think maybe this IS what the peace of God is.

    Coping when the storms come.

    Fixing a smile on our faces and more importantly, knowing that God is there and hugging him inside.

    Hugs to my sisters in the Lord.

    Judy
    posted by judy
    on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 9:44 am
  5. I just finished reading a book by Elisabeth Elliot on "Loneliness". I have been overcome with joy and praise as I have been brought back to places where I have had serious trials and have felt lonely in those places and trials, but turned my energies to seeking God and offering back to Him my problems. He is always with us in trials and loneliness, just as He promises in His word. We don't always have to think we have to thank Him FOR the trials, but we can thank Him for being with us and carrying us THROUGH the trials.....He promises to work ALL things for good to those that love Him. (Romans 8:28) and we live expectantly of His blessings daily, His comfort, His strength through the Spirit as it is all part of the cross where He made all available to us.
    posted by Adrienne
    on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 12:49 pm
  6. Okay, time for me to dust off my grattitude journal that I have not bee using. Thank you for the challenge. I shared it on facebook, by the way.
    Our church is having special revival services soon and I have been preparing my heart to hear and respond as necessary. It is starting early and this is one of the ways.
    http://www.hungrysheepresources.com
    posted by Karyl
    on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 9:57 am
  7. An attitude of gratitude. Doing all things without complaining...seeing the joy in His creation and His plan for my life.
    Thank you for this affirmation...may we strengthen and encourage each other as we make a choice each day to allow the Lord to move in us. =)
    posted by Jessica
    on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 10:03 am
  8. Thank God!!!! I have been praying that I focus on "Christ -centeredness". I have made a pledge to zip my mouth and watch the words that I have been speaking. I have been praying for an unsaved husband, a daughter who is divorcing a mean husband, a daugther whose relationship with God has become more a religion-mate and and myself who is trying to find inner-peace amost this turmoil. Im just praying that this conference will again revive my heart to continue to serve Him, NO MATTER WHAT season of life I am in.
    posted by Brenda
    on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 10:05 am
  9. Thank you so much Nancy for this post. I have really been complaining a lot lately to the Lord and asking him why I am having to go through a particular situation with a child. Instead of gratitude I have asked why! Thanks for the encouragement - I am dealing witht the turmoil and thanking God for walking with me in it and thanking him for this child! I want my life to be Christ-centered and have been praying for that daily and it seems the more I focus on HIM the more things come against me. I am really looking forward to Chattanooga!!! Praying daily!
    posted by Patsy B.
    on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 10:17 am
  10. Really needed this word.:-)
    posted by Carla
    on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 10:39 am
  11. This is a great message. Thank-you, Nancy. I can look back on seasons of my life that included suffering. God was faithful.
    For Liz and Patsy, God will provide a way. I wrote some of my prayers full of pain in a journal and now in retrospect I can see God's love and care.
    I find joy and gratitude as I walk outside and see nature unfolding new life in spring. The gray of winter turns to fresh green. God is faithful in nature and in the seasons of our life.
    www.carolvanderwoude.authorweblog.com
    posted by Carol
    on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 10:42 am
  12. I needed this today. I have just been having "one of those days" and it never even occurred to me that that little sore that I was starting to get in my mouth yesterday, was gone! :) I think this is possibly the first thing I have smiled over all day! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
    posted by Heather
    on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 3:52 pm
  13. My My I needed this so badly today!!

    Been putting up with alot for a long time now and had sarted to doubt that God had an effective plan for my life.... because of all the drama.

    Thank you!
    prinionf@yahoo.com
    posted by Prinion
    on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 4:28 pm
  14. Thank you, Nancy -- your post was full of nuggets -- Amen to it! I desire to daily celebrate "the joy and wonder of my salvation" -- yes, for eyes to see more clearly the awesomeness of His grace and kindness in saving "a wretch like me"; to more deeply appreciate all He has done for me. Yes, I love the Lord (by His grace) but I think sometimes I take His blessings for granted. Yes, daily to be thankful, and to trust Him again for His mercies that are new every morning, like you said... Amen!
    In His love,
    posted by Leslie S.
    on Monday, March 22, 2010 at 9:51 pm
  15. Nancy,
    Thank you for reminding me today to have a
    heart of gratitude. I am generally the one that
    says to others that are complaining, well we need to just be thankful, when in my own heart I tend
    to allow stressful conditions to stir up my own unexpressed discontent heart attitude. And I need to take some of my own medicine, and just be thankful for the air that I breathe. Oh how we forget sometimes that God so graciously gave us life. And not only that, but gave His life for us.
    I love what you said; A daily cause for celebration.
    We have no reason to be ungrateful.
    And those painful sores He allows is part of the creating of our character to teach us to depend on Him. Gratitude is a choice and in the choosing it creates a thankful and gracious heart!
    I also read your book Gratitude. Loved it!
    This topic should be a conviction we all take to heart and make some changes.
    Thank you Nancy, for going there today.
    posted by Tambra Lucas
    on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 5:25 pm

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