God's Glory Church

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget for all His goodness!”— Psalm 102:2

Christina Costa was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After spending some time in the clinic, she noticed that the talk about cancer was dominated by belligerent rhetoric. Patients “struggle” or even “fight” with their illness. Christina quickly got tired of this metaphor. She “didn’t want to fight with her own body for more than a year.” Instead, she found another approach: a daily gratitude exercise. The girl found an excuse for this every day. She thanked the team of doctors, for the fact that she got better. From her own experience, Khrystyna was convinced that no matter how difficult the struggle, gratitude helps to resist depression and “wire the brain” for recovery.

This story reminded me that practicing gratitude is not just our duty. Yes, God deserves our gratitude, but it is also very useful for us. When we lift up our hearts, saying: “Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget for all His good deeds” (Ps. 102:2), we remember the many ways of God’s work: the assurance of forgiveness, the healing of our bodies and souls, the experience of His “grace and mercy” and the infinite “goodness” manifested in His creation (vv. 3-5).

Not all who suffer will receive complete healing in earthly life, however, our hearts can always be renewed with an expression of gratitude, because God’s love is with us “for ever and ever” (v. 17).

How have you received healing through gratitude? What are you thankful for today?

Dear God, thank you for always giving me reason to be thankful and hopeful.

Author: Monica La Rose