“but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action”
–Daniel 11:32b (ESV)
Thanksgiving Day is this week. I’m supposed to be thankful. I’m supposed to have an attitude of gratitude.
But this year it is hard. There is so much that troubles me. Dare I confess that I may be a bit grumpy with all the troubles?
During this past week bad things have happened. Three University of Virginia football players were killed. Four University of Idaho students were killed. A mass shooting happened at a nightclub in Colorado Springs, killing five and injuring twenty-five. Yesterday there was a mass shooting at a Virginia Walmart. I think these events are just the tip of the iceberg of all the bad things going on.
Where is God in the midst of tragedy? Doesn’t God care?
I really like Daniel from the Bible for so many reasons. He followed God in the midst of a secular society. I can relate to that. Daniel had extreme faith, even when it meant being thrown into a den of lions.
The last half of book of Daniel contain visions of a society gone wild. There would be killings and war and conspiracies. It sounds like now!
Yet right in the middle of all of the bad things, Daniel encourages all of his readers that know God to stand firm in their relationship with God and to take action.
Wow. In other words. Trusting God in the midst of bad events is where I need to be. But not only should I “stand firm,” I should look for ways to “take action.”
That is how I believe I can avoid having grumpy gratitude. I will focus on God, look for His plans and purposes, and then take action as He directs me.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, focusing on my world and all the bad things can make me grumpy. Instead, I will focus on You. I will stand firm on Your truths. I will take action as You direct me.
