19th Nov - Gratitude in Hard Seasons: Seeing God’s Goodness Even When Life's Tough

Some days gratitude feels simple… almost effortless, and we don't find it had to be grateful for everyone. And then there are days where even whispering thank You” feels like your'e lifting a weight that’s too heavy for you in the gym.

But I’ve learned that where gratitude in the easy seasons comforts us... it's gratitude in the hard seasons which can transform us.

It’s in those moments - those achy, unclear, ick ones - where gratitude becomes less of a feeling and more of a decision. A small act of faith that whispers,“God, I trust You.”

💛 When Gratitude Feels Impossible

One of the stories that has always impacted me is Corrie ten Boom’s. She and her sister Betsie were imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp for hiding Jews in WW2 - they were cramped, scared, exhausted… and on top of that their barracks where they were being held were infested with fleas.

Fleas!

But this is where the power of gratitude shines. Betsie encouraged her sister Corrie, to thank God for everything - even the fleas. It didn’t make sense, they probably felt overwhelmed, and had to really choose to be grateful!

But later they discovered something extraordinary:The guards refused to enter their barracks because of those fleas. And because of that, the women were able to gather, study Scripture, pray, and encourage one another without interruption or fear.

Right there - in the darkest place - God was protecting them in a way no one could have imagined.

Corrie later said that thanking God for the fleas didn’t take the hardship away…but it revealed blessings she couldn’t have seen any other way.

If Corrie and Betsie could find gratitude there, it can serve as a lesson a glimmer of hope and directon for us to be grateful in our lives - here and now too....

🌿Gratitude Doesn’t Change the Situation…

But It Changes You!

When life feels hard, gratitude can shift something deep inside you. It lifts your eyes from what’s overwhelming to what and who is sustaining you. It strengthens your heart and refocuses you to be able to feel God’s nearness again.

Psalm 100:4 says,“Enter His gates with thanksgiving…”

It’s a reminder that gratitude isn’t just positive thinking - it’s how we enter the presence of God. It opens the gate.It steadies our heart and makes room for Him and the peace He brings.

Sometimes God changes the situation. But it's usually us that He chooses to change in the middle of it. And gratitude is where that change often begins.

What You Focus On Expands

Terri Savelle Foy says::“What you focus on expands.”

And it’s true. When you focus on lack, you see more of what you don’t have. When you focus on hurt, the world feels harsh and uncaring. But when you choose to notice even one small blessing and then another and another - your heart starts to lift and you start to feel like you can breathe again!

Gratitude is not denial or even a magic cure - But it does remind us that God hasn't left us in our situation alone, that He is at work, and therfore turns our hearts toward hope.

💭 Action Steps

1. Write down 5 things you’re grateful for today - especially if today is hard.

2. Ask God, “What blessing or God moving might be hidden in this moment?”

3. Speak one sentence of gratitude out loud before you go to sleep.

   
   

💬 Think and Say

“Even here, God is with me - working all things together for my good. - Romans 8:28 NIV

📖 Verses

• “Enter His gates with thanksgiving…” — Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

• “Give thanks in all circumstances.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

• “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” — Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

  
  

🙏 Prayer

Lord, thank You for being close in every season - not just the easy ones, but also in the ones that stretch me. Please help me see Your kindness and hand upon my life in the places that don’t make sense yet. Give me eyes to notice the blessings that you are at work on, and fill my heart with gratitude so that I can be strengthened from the inside out. In Jesus name Amen.