Dear Adventist Member:
I know some of you are carrying heavy loads that make your days long and your nights even longer:
• Sickness and pain are two of the most difficult situations to endure, especially when suffering from an ongoing condition.
• The loneliness of having lost a spouse, child, close relative or friend can press down on one’s spirit and make it difficult to smile.
• Financial problems that make it impossible to provide for the basic necessities of life are like a headache that won’t go away.
• Loss of a job and its attending uncertainty can steal the song of life.
• Loved ones who have not chosen to put God or His kingdom first in their life dim our enthusiasm for heaven.
• Unanswered questions about God, the Bible or what to believe leave uncertainty like a rain cloud over life.
The list of things that take away a thankful spirit is long. As a result, the music of praise to God is seldom expressed and all too often we live in discouragement. It can almost be upsetting to hear others joyfully expressing thanksgiving and giving praise to God.
Suggestions from God
So what does someone carrying a heavy load have to be thankful for? The Bible has some suggestions. I hope reading this list will help lift you above this world’s pain and give you some new reasons to be grateful.
“Since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be destroyed, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe” (Hebrews 12:28-29).
“As for us, we always thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation, a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and by your belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).
“Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done” (Colossians 2:7).
“Shout with joy to the LORD, O earth! Worship the LORD with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the LORD is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:1-3).
“Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his miracles” (1 Chronicles 16:8-9).
“Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good. His faithful love endures forever!’“ (Jeremiah 33:11).
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the LORD is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation” (Psalm 100:4-5).
“Dear brothers and sisters, we always thank God for you, as is right, for we are thankful that your faith is flourishing and you are all growing in love for each other” (2 Thessalonians 1:3).
“To all who are reaching out to feel the guiding hand of God, the moment of greatest discouragement is the time when divine help is nearest. They will look back with thankfulness upon the darkest part of their way. ‘The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly’ (2 Peter 2:9). From every temptation and every trial He will bring them forth with firmer faith and a richer experience” (Desire of Ages, p. 528).
I pray you will feel the hand of God in your life even through pain and discouragement.
Sincerely your friend,
Tom Mostert, President
Pacific Union Conference
P.O. Box 5005
Westlake Village, CA 91361
All Scripture passages are from the New Living Translation.
