Grateful for the Unseen
Are you grateful for the things in your life that you cannot see?
Verse of the Day
‘So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.’
Today’s Devotional
It is very easy for me, during this Thanksgiving season, to focus my gratitude on the things that are tangible in my life. My family, my home, my health, my friends, my marriage.
But I rarely take the time to thank God for the things that I cannot see.
I have a deep longing for a better awareness of the presence of God. I am taking an online course about spirituality and part of the “homework” of this course is to practice silence, solitude, and contemplation for the purpose of simply sitting in the presence of God with no agenda. To allow Him access to my mind, heart, and body. And while I feel very unskilled in these practices, I believe that God is present whether I am aware of it or not. And I realized recently that I have never thanked God for His presence, because I am wanting an “experience” of His presence instead of resting in the knowledge that HE IS HERE whether I can sense it or not.
Have you ever sincerely thanked God for His nearness? If we believe Him when He says, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you”, have we ever taken the time to thank Him for His presence? (Deut. 31:6; Deut. 31:8; Hebrews 13:5)
What about your faith? Have you ever thanked God for your faith in Him? If you are anything like me, you may struggle with wondering if your faith is “enough”. But Jesus says that even faith like a grain of mustard seed is enough to move mountains. (Matthew 17:20) Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith. But I don’t know if I have ever thanked God for the faith that I currently have.
As disciples of Jesus, there are so many things that are unseen. The mystery and majesty of God. The spiritual realm. The eternal Kingdom. The throne of grace. The promises of God that have yet to be fulfilled. As I was praying about what to write about with a focus on gratitude, I sensed this tug to explore being grateful for the unseen. God Himself is unseen, yet He is worthy of my gratitude all day everyday.
For today, let’s take the time to contemplate the unseen nature of our relationship with the Living God. Let’s be brave enough to thank Him for things we can’t see, and things we don’t really understand, and things we believe by faith that are coming someday. Because our gratitude itself is an act of faith.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How do you experience God’s presence?
Write out your thanks to God for His presence in your life.
How and why are you grateful for your faith?
What other unseen things are you grateful for? Write those out to God.