“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT)

 

Of the many beautiful psalms David wrote, one of my favorites is Psalm 63: “Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy” (verses 3–5 NLT).

These are obviously the words of someone enjoying the best day of his life, with not a trouble or care in sight. Except they aren’t. David wrote the words of Psalm 63 while he was in exile. He was running for his life from his own son, Absalom. Absalom had led a rebellion against him and was trying to take David’s throne. David’s kingdom and family were crumbling. Not only that, but David was also an elderly man by this time. He was in extreme anguish and personal pain.

How, then, was he able to write such sincere words of praise and gratitude to God? David understood that a spirit of thankfulness doesn’t depend on circumstances. We can and should be thankful in all seasons of life.

The truth is, we can’t fully understand what good times are and what bad times are—not on this side of Heaven anyway. We may know how certain circumstances make us feel, but our feelings don’t always tell the whole story. For example, when we’re younger, we convince ourselves that success is always good and hardship is always bad. And our feelings react accordingly.

As we get older and develop more maturity, however, we realize that success can be bad for some people and hardship can be good for others. We begin to look at things differently. Some of the things we thought were really good turn out to be bad. And some of the things that we thought were bad turn out to be really good.

Through it all, we can and should be thankful to God. Because though our circumstances may change, and though our feelings toward those circumstances may change, God never does. He stays committed to His promises to us.

According to Romans 8:28, the Lord can take all things, bad or good, and work them “together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT). So there’s always something to be thankful for.

What are your circumstances right now? If you’re enjoying God’s obvious blessings or if you’ve received a long-awaited answer to prayer or if you and your loved ones are in a good place, you have reason to give thanks. On the other hand, if you’re struggling or if a prayer hasn’t been answered yet or if you’re concerned about your loved ones’ well-being, you also have reason to give thanks. Because the Lord will work all things together for good.

 

Reflection question: How can you maintain a spirit of praise and thankfulness even when circumstances are less than good?

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All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.&rdquo; (Romans 8:28 NLT)
&nbsp;
Of the many beautiful psalms David wrote, one of my favorites is Psalm 63: &ldquo;Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!&nbsp;I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy&rdquo; (verses 3&ndash;5 NLT).
These are obviously the words of someone enjoying the best day of his life, with not a trouble or care in sight. Except they aren&rsquo;t. David wrote the words of Psalm 63 while he was in exile. He was running for his life from his own son, Absalom. Absalom had led a rebellion against him and was trying to take David&rsquo;s throne. David&rsquo;s kingdom and family were crumbling. Not only that, but David was also an elderly man by this time. He was in extreme anguish and personal pain.
How, then, was he able to write such sincere words of praise and gratitude to God? David understood that a spirit of thankfulness doesn&rsquo;t depend on circumstances. We can and should be thankful in all seasons of life.
The truth is, we can&rsquo;t fully understand what good times are and what bad times are&mdash;not on this side of Heaven anyway. We may know how certain circumstances make us feel, but our feelings don&rsquo;t always tell the whole story. For example, when we&rsquo;re younger, we convince ourselves that success is always good and hardship is always bad. And our feelings react accordingly.
As we get older and develop more maturity, however, we realize that success can be bad for some people and hardship can be good for others. We begin to look at things differently. Some of the things we thought were really good turn out to be bad. And some of the things that we thought were bad turn out to be really good.
Through it all, we can and should be thankful to God. Because though our circumstances may change, and though our feelings toward those circumstances may change, God never does. He stays committed to His promises to us.
According to Romans 8:28, the Lord can take all things, bad or good, and work them &ldquo;together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them&rdquo; (NLT). So there&rsquo;s always something to be thankful for.
What are your circumstances right now? If you&rsquo;re enjoying God&rsquo;s obvious blessings or if you&rsquo;ve received a long-awaited answer to prayer or if you and your loved ones are in a good place, you have reason to give thanks. On the other hand, if you&rsquo;re struggling or if a prayer hasn&rsquo;t been answered yet or if you&rsquo;re concerned about your loved ones&rsquo; well-being, you also have reason to give thanks. Because the Lord will work all things together for good.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you maintain a spirit of praise and thankfulness even when circumstances are less than good?
<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

God is worthy of our praise regardless of our circumstances.