28 Days of Gratitude Series: Day 1
The Lord woke me up early one morning and whispered to me, “28 Days of Gratitude,” and He laid it on my heart to begin a Daily Cup of Inspiration blog series on the first day of November and conclude on Thanksgiving Day, which falls on November 28th this year.
What You Will Need
To participate in this series, you will need a notebook and a journal, because it requires writing some things down. In whatever journal you choose—and it doesn’t need to be anything fancy—daily, you will write down the Scripture of the day. The featured verse will highlight a complaint from the Bible to help you see that, throughout history, others have struggled just as you do. Yet, God desires that we be grateful. In your journal, I would ask that you write the verse you see featured on the Daily Cup blog each morning, then jot down 5 things for which you are grateful. 5 is the number of grace, so you will be focusing on the grace of God and how His mercy has been evident in your life, even during rough times.
What Is This Series Based On?
This gratitude series is based on 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT, which says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
In my time spent with the Lord, He dealt with me about how we have a tendency to focus on our issues, problems, challenges, and difficulties, but we are not necessarily intentional about focusing on His goodness. Failing to meditate on His works forces us into a cycle of complaining and blinds us to the amazing ways He reveals Himself on a daily basis.
In all circumstances, let us be more grateful. Now that I have set the foundation for our series, we will delve into Day #1.
Scripture of the Day: “If this is how you’re going to treat me, why don’t you just kill me? I can’t face this trouble anymore.” (Numbers 11:15 GW)
These are the words of Moses, the great Hebrew leader that was used by God to free Israel from Egyptian bondage. This was his response to an outcry from the Israelites who were tired of eating Manna, bread God rained from Heaven. They missed the variety of foods they had back in Egypt and began idealizing the bondage they had once cried out to God to rescue them from.
Moses heard people from every family crying. Everywhere he turned, they were wailing and hysterical. When everyone’s emotions ran high, Moses ran to the Lord.
In verses 11-12, look at what Moses said to God: “Lord, why have you brought me this trouble? How have I displeased you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Am I their mother? Did I give birth to them? Are you really asking me to carry them in my arms—as a nurse carries a baby—all the way to the land you promised their ancestors with an oath?”
Nowhere did he say, thank You God for feeding us. Instead, he instantly started complaining, which is what we do a lot of times. Granted, Moses was stressed out; he couldn’t get meat for the people. They were putting a lot of pressure on him and expecting this man to do what he didn’t have power to do. This drove him to the brink, and he was so distressed, he wished for death.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by life? Maybe your reaction wasn’t as extreme, or maybe it was. Either way, I’m sure you’ve had moments where you felt that there was too much pressure, too many expectations, and too much trouble for you to face. You’ve probably wanted to quit a time or two as well.
I think we all have been there, and when we get this way, it puts blinders on us. All we see are problems, and we fail to see blessings both great and small. God had rained Manna from Heaven after all! It was a miracle that Israel was eating anything at all in the desert, even though it wasn’t what they wanted. Moses, unfortunately, allowed himself to be emotionally impacted by the chaotic scene and the trouble all around him.
His mental health suffered. He lost his joy. He no longer wanted to be on earth. It got bad. That’s why, in times of trouble and in distressing situations, you need to focus on all the ways God has been good. It will give you joy and assure you that He is for you and not against you.
Later in this chapter, we see that God gave Moses help, but let’s not focus on that part today. I want to pull you into his complaint and the mindset behind it. He resented his role and responsibilities, and this resentment caused him instability. To help you avoid that same pitfall, I have an assignment for you.
Your Journal Assignment
In your journal today, write down:
What kind of provision has God rained down from Heaven for you in the middle of your own wilderness?
In the midst of intense pressure and stressful situations, how did He take care of you?
Even though your life may be full of high-pressure situations, and things may not be ideal, how has God been good and guided you daily in your walk with Him?
What has He done for you today?
What things can you see that have happened recently only by His grace?
Prayer of Gratitude: God, thank You for being faithful to me. Even though life is not without pain, stress, disappointment, and suffering, I still see all the ways You have intervened in my circumstances and proven that You love me. Please help me to focus more on Your goodness and less on my problems. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
