“Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)
Today we celebrate Thanksgiving by offering thanks to our Lord for His many blessings. Yet, there are many families who are experiencing grief during the holiday celebrations. Some may be sick in hospital, others are away from home, while others have recently (or not so recently) lost a loved one. This naturally raises the yearning question, “How can we be thankful during times of grief?”
In Psalms 106, we are urged to give thanks to God because “his love endures forever.” When we think of enduring love, the Psalmist gives a sense that God’s love is not limited to the present moment. Rather, God’s love is also lavishly poured out into the most distant future. The psalm does not suppress the emotions of pain, sadness, and regret that Israel experienced; it reviews it. Such painful reminders are not intended to leave the readers despondent but to encourage them in the hope that even when we wish we could change the past, God’s unchanging and enduring love for us will be there in our present and future.
In speaking of God’s enduring love Ellen White pens this beautiful thought. It is only a portion of what she wrote in her paragraph, and I encourage you to read the rest of it, “All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generation through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which have opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it.”1 May we more fully experience God’s enduring love this Thanksgiving. Grief and gratitude are meant to be shared, even and especially today.
Reflect
Can you think of a time when you experienced both sadness and gratitude?
How does our hope in God’s enduring love affect the way we grieve?
Are you missing someone special in your life these days? Do you feel free to share your sadness with the Lord and also your gratitude?
Gratitude During Times of Grief
“Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (Psalm 106:1)
Today we celebrate Thanksgiving by offering thanks to our Lord for His many blessings. Yet, there are many families who are experiencing grief during the holiday celebrations. Some may be sick in hospital, others are away from home, while others have recently (or not so recently) lost a loved one. This naturally raises the yearning question, “How can we be thankful during times of grief?”
In Psalms 106, we are urged to give thanks to God because “his love endures forever.” When we think of enduring love, the Psalmist gives a sense that God’s love is not limited to the present moment. Rather, God’s love is also lavishly poured out into the most distant future. The psalm does not suppress the emotions of pain, sadness, and regret that Israel experienced; it reviews it. Such painful reminders are not intended to leave the readers despondent but to encourage them in the hope that even when we wish we could change the past, God’s unchanging and enduring love for us will be there in our present and future.
In speaking of God’s enduring love Ellen White pens this beautiful thought. It is only a portion of what she wrote in her paragraph, and I encourage you to read the rest of it, “All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generation through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which have opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill to the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it.”1 May we more fully experience God’s enduring love this Thanksgiving. Grief and gratitude are meant to be shared, even and especially today.
Reflect