When I look back I thank Him…when I look forward I trust Him. These are the words that hang on a sign in our house…the sweetest gift from dear friends, a parting gift as we left our “happy place” to step into this new season and journey of faith and trust.
These words couldn’t be more appropriate for our family for exactly where we’ve been and where we are headed. But if I am being honest, it is and has been so much easier for me to look back with a thankful heart than it is to look forward with trust. Why is that? Does that ring true for you too? Have you ever considered that it’s actually impossible to step out in faith, trusting that God will grant you enough grace to push onward and upward without first remembering and thanking Him for all He has already brought you through? The Greek word for grace is charis and is right in the dead center of the word eucharisto which means thanksgiving. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve. Receiving the grace needed to cover you as you step into the unknown is actually impossible without thanksgiving. Grace is wrapped in, granted by, and only possible through thanksgiving.
What better time than now as we all enter in to a season of aligning our hearts for thanksgiving, to look back and see the victories and grace we’ve been given to get through. As I look back over the past few years, I can definitely recognize how hard and really just purely sucky that they’ve been. I am however also reminded of the goodness of God. I am reminded that He has met me every step of the way, covering me and my family with His grace, giving us exactly what we needed, when we needed it, and for that, my heart can’t help but to be overwhelmed with thanksgiving.
Now, as we are in a brand new season, in a brand new place, I can tell you I’m having a hard time looking forward. My heart aches for my happy place, my people, my comfortable, and normal. I’ll even admit that I’ve been a bit of a pouty pants, stomping around with an attitude about how much I “hate” this new place we’ve been planted. What’s even worse to admit is that I have also, not necessarily out loud, but definitely in my brain, questioned God’s plan for us here. It wasn’t until last week that I really had a come to Jesus with my attitude and emotions, remembering back to where we first heard God in this, looking back and thanking Him for all He has provided and done. Knowing, remembering, and recognizing all He has already done, quickly adjusts my attitude and helps me to see and settle in my heart that even if He never does another thing for us beyond what He has already done, how can I not continue to step forward trusting Him? We asked, got a clear word, a solid open door, and we stepped forward in trust. Who am I to try to take the reigns, refusing to trust God knowing all He has already done for me?
Now that we have established that grace is only possible through thanksgiving, we must also see that the first step to thanksgiving is remembrance and recognition. If you can not look back and recognize what Jesus has done for you through grace, you can not step forward. King Jehoshaphat, ruling over God’s people (Judah) in the Bible did just that. He was about to step forward into a battle that he was not ready for nor was he expecting to come. Jehoshaphat was so surprised by this attack that he didn’t have time to read a self help book, to consult with 15 friends about what he should do, or to sit down and make a master plan, but instead, Jehoshaphat had to look back on what he already knew, and that was God. In 2 Chronicles 20 verses 6-12, King Jehoshaphat begins to cry out to God reminding God of what he said. He quickly shifted his focus from what was ahead to what he remembered that God had already done. This recognition quickly led to thanksgiving as we see one of the greatest examples of turning worry into worship in the Bible. Jehoshaphat’s thanksgiving, His remembrance and trust in a faithful God, is what won the battle. The Bible says, “After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.
2 Chronicles 20:21
And just like that through thanksgiving the Bible also says, “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.” 2 Chronicles 20:22
How scary it must have been for them all to face the future, a battle, a sneak attack that they were not at all prepared for. They had nothing but their remembrance and thanksgiving unto God, a good, good father that had never left them nor forsaken them, and that was literally all they needed. A battle of three nations coming against God’s people and all they had to do was focus and align their hearts to be thankful to God for His love that has always and will always endure forever.
I doubt you’re facing a battle with three nations coming to attack you from behind, but I guarantee you are or will be stepping forward into something that will require you to trust almighty God. Life is hard, change is hard. Disappointment, heartbreak, pain, and hurt most definitely will come your way. You will need grace-grace for yourself and grace for others-and without thanksgiving, grace is nonexistent. What are you stepping forward in? What do you first need to look back and remember with thanksgiving? There is always something to look back and be thankful for. I can think of many things and many times I have been covered and I am thankful. My list might look different than yours, but there is one remembrance, that we all have in common, can look back on, remember, and be overwhelmed with thanksgiving for, Jesus. Jesus gave us the ultimate gift of grace when He gave His life so that we could escape hell and death and receive eternal life. The acceptance of this gift makes it possible for us more than to just look forward, but to overcome and move far beyond this life and the things we are currently walking into. Jesus says during the symbolic last supper with His disciples in speaking of His death (His body broken for you and blood spilled to cover all of your wrongs),
This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.
1 Corinthians 11:25
Whatever you find yourself stepping in to today, look back and thank Him. Remember Him. Thank Him. Trust Him.
