Dad sent it to me just because he said it was what he needed to hear today, and he thought it was good. I thought it was good, too, so I turned around and actually read it and talked about it briefly on the air on Walk-FM. But what neither of us knew yet is that it was exactly what I needed to hear today, too. I continued to think about it and shared it with Amber, and - without getting into all the details - this devotion ended up being an encouragement to us later on, when our afternoon took an unexpected turn!
All this to say, first of all, that yes, you can still be thankful in the middle of trying times.
In addition to that, it just reminded me of the truth that one word can inspire people you may never even realize. I'm sure that, when Max Lucado wrote his devotion, he didn't know that Dad or Amber or me would need to hear it today, just like I have no idea who might've been listening to Walk FM or who will be reading this blog and needed to be encouraged, too - but God put the right words in the right place for the right people to hear them at the right time, and that's pretty awesome, if you ask me!
So if you're struggling through something right now, I want to encourage you to still be thankful. Thank God for the blessings you know he's already given you. Thank him for the blessings that lie ahead because you know that he has promised good things! "Rejoince in the Lord always," Paul said (Philippians 4:4).
And don't be afraid to speak up when you see God's blessings. Don't be afraid to share the encouragement you've received with others, because you never know who might be listening, who might be reading, or who might hear it from a friend who told a friend what you said. You never know, but somebody might be strengthened, encouraged, or have their whole life changed just because you were willing to let God speak the right words through you to someone in need!
Tonight, I had to go back over to the radio station to finish up some work before the weekend. While I was working, Chris Tomlin came on the radio, singing "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)", and I had to just stop what I was doing for a minute and listen. I was thinking back about how this day had been a day of big ups and downs. And I just had to praise God for his wonderful amazing grace that went ahead of me and brought just the right words at just the right time to sustain me!
Our God truly is an awesome God!
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