Encouragement for Today

October 30, 2024 Rest in Gratitude BECKY SHANNON Lee en español

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)

Do you ever find yourself wishing for life to slow down, only to feel like you’re trapped in a cycle of living from one chaotic season to another while feeling pressured to add even more things to your calendar?

If so, you are not alone! As a wife and a mother of five, I have often felt this way.

Not very long ago, all seven members of our family came down with mycoplasma pneumonia. It was one of the hardest seasons I’ve gone through. Two of our daughters were hospitalized for a combined total of a week, my husband used up all his vacation days, and I was so tired that my pneumonia returned even worse for a second time. All I wanted was to rest and to see my family get better so we didn’t miss our summer.

Something the Lord taught me through that experience was that looking at life through a lens of gratitude helps me rest in Him, refocus, and not get caught up in the discontentment of my circumstances. It was so easy to wish things were calmer, less stressful and less tiring, but God supplied what I needed, and there were so many blessings to thank Him for along the way.

The enemy wants us anxious, distracted and afraid of missing out. Sometimes we can become so consumed and discontented with life that we end up completely missing out on the most important thing of all — our relationship with Jesus.

Practicing gratitude can remind us of how much we truly have, even when our physical measurements tell us we’re lacking. As God’s children, through Jesus, we have an inheritance that is not from this world (Ephesians 1:11-14). Spiritually, we are rich beyond what we can fathom and blessed beyond measure. God has set us up with every single thing we will ever need to thrive (Philippians 4:19). All we have to do is ask and receive.

If you’re currently feeling stuck in a busy season of anxiety and chaos, I want you to know that there is a never-ending supply of what you need: peace, rest, contentment, joy, hope and love!

Life may not slow down or wait for us, but we are not alone. In the chaos, the stressful situations, and the demands of everyday life, Jesus is right there waiting in the midst, offering us a personal invitation to enter into rest and contentment at His feet!

Heavenly Father, thank You so very much for promising to give us everything we need! Thank You for supplying peace and rest when anxiety and fear tell us it’s impossible. Thank You for contentment and joy when we start to worry that we might be missing out. Thank You for hope and love when despair and bitterness try to creep in. God, You are so good to us! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Spend a little time each day reflecting on God’s blessings with Becky Shannon’s devotional I Will Give Thanks.

ENGAGE

Learn more about Becky’s devotional here — plus, when you order a copy, you can download a sampler and some beautiful coloring sheets!

Enter to WIN your very own copy of I Will Give Thanks by Becky Shannon. To celebrate this book, Becky’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, November 4, 2024.}

FOR DEEPER STUDY

Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (NIV).

How can you reframe gratitude as an invitation — not an obligation — in your own life this week?

Recall a stressful season in the recent past. How did you see God’s love and care through that season?

© 2024 by Becky Shannon. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Zondervan Gift Books for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.

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