3 Reasons to Feel Thankful and Secure

It’s no coincidence that we’re days away from the American holiday of Thanksgiving, and I’ve just received my editor’s revisions. Gulp. Lord, why can’t I simply be thankful to publish my books and feel secure in Your favor?

But even after having published fifteen books with four traditional publishers and working with many top editors, I’m still anxious and insecure when anticipating the first glimpse of edits on a new project.

As I’ve prayed for peace and asked Jesus to reveal the root causes of those anxieties, He’s pointed me to the Psalms of David again and again. Whenever David found himself in the grip of fear, or captive to insurmountable circumstances, what did he do?

David’s Answer to Hardship

No matter how difficult David’s life became, he finally ended up praising and thanking God–which reminded him that his calling and purpose was secure.

“Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” Psalm 32:10–11

So, why can’t I remember to do what worked for David? It works for me, too! I always feel better when I praise God! I feel so much more secure when I remember to be thankful.

The 3 reasons that often make me forget to praise or thank my God can be the same 3 reasons that remind me to be thankful and feel secure in Him. Those reasons are:

1. The past
2. The present
3. The future

Grudges or Gratitude for My Past?

Some of you have already heard my testimony. If you don’t know that I’m a spiritual “mutt,” you can find out more about how I came to know Jesus HERE. Though I grew up in a Christian home, my family used Scripture as a weapon to wound each other, and I rebelled against God at an early age. I saw any church as a hoax and God as an unrighteous Judge. Jesus proved Himself real through a pagan friend’s changed life (who happened to become my husband), and I saw that the Bible wasn’t just a mish-mash of unrelated verses intended to wound.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is a single Love Letter from God, written to every individual who’s willing to read it and build a relationship with its Author–our Bridegroom. I could have remained bitter, held a grudge against my family for the way they skewed the Scripture’s meaning during my formative years. But why?

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Were it not for those early years of confusion, I wouldn’t have studied and researched God’s Word so passionately. I wouldn’t have this burning desire to know the depths of biblical culture, the ancient world, archaeological findings, etc.. These things have been essential as my Beloved shaped me into (first) a Bible teacher in my local church, then a speaker, and (now) an author. Thank You, Jesus, for redeeming my past and making me secure in the calling and purpose You’ve established.

Confused By or Content With the Present

I come from a long line of “stayers.” Most of my family lives in central Indiana within an hour of my mom–now age 93–who still lives in the home my dad built with his own hands in 1950. Hubby Roy and I raised our two daughters in northern Indiana, 3 hours away. After living there fourteen years, we moved to Vancouver, WA, where Roy worked in higher ed at Multnomah University in Portland, OR. In 2016, we moved to Boone, NC, again for Roy’s job but even more so because we wanted to be closer to our daughter’s family in Atlanta and another daughter’s family who moved to Boone as well.

In January 2024, Roy and I will move back to northern Indiana, which feels like full circle to us. It’s home. We have many dear friends, family-of-the-heart, awaiting our arrival–as well as a possible new job opportunity for my husband. Read that last phrase again: possible new job opportunity.

Yep, we’re uprooting our lives for a possible job. Why is that? For the past year, we’ve been praying and “feeling” the Lord’s whisper that changes in our lives were coming. We didn’t know what or when or where, but the unsettledness we both felt was undeniable. In July, both Roy and I began to receive confirmation after confirmation that northern Indiana was the direction God wanted us to move–with or without a job. Yikes!

Cursed or Blessed?

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.’ ” Jeremiah 17:5–8

We’ve followed Jesus long enough and far enough to trust that He will open a door for us to bear fruit for Him somehow in our new home (even if we don’t have that yet either). We’re super blessed that our mama-of-the-heart is willing to house us until the Lord clarifies His plan. And we’re secure in both God’s steadfast love and our long-standing friendships to praise God in the waiting!

Petrified or Praising God For the Future?

I have several friends at the moment who are staring into what could be a scary future. What about you? Have you or a friend recently received a grim doctor’s diagnosis? Do you have more month than money in your budget? Are you facing uncertainties in your job, your living situation, your marriage or other relationships? Have you ever read the Old Testament practice of casting lots to discover God’s will and thought, I gotta get me some of those magic rocks! 

Well, when Jesus left His throne and poured Himself into flesh, those little stones lost all their power. We no longer throw dice or shake the Magic 8 Ball to discover God’s will for us. For those who trust in Jesus, He gives His Holy Spirit to live INSIDE us and speaks in quiet tones that we get better and better at hearing as our relationship with Him grows stronger. When we trust Jesus, here’s the best news EVER about our future:

“Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.” 1 Corinthians 3:21–23 NLT

The everything that belongs to us is everything about our future that truly matters–eternally. We never need fear life or death when we belong to Jesus. We know Jesus belongs to the Father, and the Father sent His Holy Spirit as a deposit to assure us that we would someday be with our Triune God forever.

“When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13–14

Be Thankful & Secure

As we celebrate in this season of Thanksgiving, let’s remember that living in an attitude of gratitude can also bolster our security. I hope these simple words have blessed you today. They’ve been a good reminder to me as I prepare for those first edits on my next book. I’m now looking forward to them with the gratitude of my secure place in the Father’s arms and the certainty of His favor.

Today’s Question:

• What are three things you’re grateful for in 2023?