Our life circumstances can change in an instant. A car crash, a fire, a diagnosis: it doesn’t take much to make us feel like we’ve gone from a life of blessing to a life filled with trials. Our Daily Bread reminds us that despite our circumstances, God deserves our gratitude:

Actor Christopher Reeve was paralyzed in a horseback riding accident in 1995. Prior to this tragedy, he had played the part of a paraplegic in a movie. In preparation, Reeve visited a rehabilitation facility. He recalled: Every time I left that rehab center, I said, Thank God thats not me. After his accident, Reeve regretted that statement: I was so setting myself apart from those people who were suffering without realizing that in a second that could be me. And sadly, for him, it was.

We too may look at the troubles of others and think that it could never happen to us. Especially if our life journey has led to a measure of success, financial security, and family harmony. In a moment of vanity and self-sufficiency, King David admitted to falling into the trap of feeling invulnerable: Now in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved (Ps. 30:6). But David quickly caught himself and redirected his heart away from self-sufficiency. He remembered that he had known adversity in the past and God had delivered him: You have turned for me my mourning into dancing (v.11).

Are you going through a time of trial or a time of blessing? How have you expressed gratitude and trust to God despite your cirucmstances?

By: Chris. This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010 at 12:34 pm and is filed under Devotional, Faith, trust. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.