Faith Built on God’s Track Record

“Sing praise to the LORD; tell the wonderful things he has done.” Psalm 105:2 (GNT)

Sometimes in life, I don’t realize God is all I need until God is all I have—and that’s exactly what he wants me to learn.

When I experience pain and feel weak and defeated, when I think I have no support and are afraid I'm going under, that’s when God’s strength shows up best. The apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “Each time [the Lord] said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT).

Have I ever thanked God for the fact that, while other people and circumstances are working against me, he is working in me to make me more like him and to show off his strength and power?

God says in Psalm 50:23, “Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me” (NLT).

I can learn to be more thankful today by remembering what God has done for me in the past. When I take time to remember what he has brought me through and how he’s provided for me, it’s like a sacrifice to him. It honors him when I stop and thank him for his past grace.

Even if I'm are experiencing hardship right now, I can still thank God for what he has done.

“Sing praise to the LORD; tell the wonderful things he has done” (Psalm 105:2 GNT).

What wonderful things has God done for me in the past? How has he shown his glory in my life by using my pain for good? How have I become more like him through the changes in my life? How can I honor him today with a sacrifice of praise?

I need to take some time to write down one story of God’s faithfulness to me. Maybe it was a time when people from the church or your small group showed up for me. Maybe it was when I had to give something up but learned how to sacrifice in faith. Maybe it was a transformative experience as I served other people. Or maybe it was a quiet moment, a lesson learned, or a decision made.

As I remember what God has done in the past, I'll understand better why he is all I need today, and I'll thank him even more for it.

In summary:

When life strips away my strength and support, I often discover that God is truly all I need—and it’s in those moments of weakness that His power shines brightest. Scripture teaches that giving thanks honors God, especially when I remember how He has faithfully carried me through past challenges and used my pain to shape me into Christlikeness. Even in hardship, I can offer a sacrifice of praise by recalling and telling the wonderful things He has done, just as Psalm 105:2 encourages (“Sing praise to the LORD; tell the wonderful things he has done.”. By taking time to reflect on specific moments of God’s faithfulness, I grow in gratitude, deepen my trust, and recognize more clearly that He is enough for whatever I face today.

Bottom line:

Remembering God’s past faithfulness strengthens my confidence in Him today—because His power shows up best when I am weak.

Next step:

Write down one specific story of God’s faithfulness in my life—something He brought me through—and thank Him for it in prayer.

Honor God with Thankfulness

“Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.” Psalm 50:23 (NLT)

Anytime I thank someone, I honor that person.

For example, if I say to my wife, “Honey, I’m so grateful for that great Thanksgiving dinner you made,” I just honored my wife. When I say to someone, “Thank you for opening the door for me” or “Thank you for coming to the service,” I am honoring that person. 

An expression of gratitude is a way of honoring another person.

The Bible says that I also honor God when I express gratitude to him. God says this in Psalm 50: “Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me” (Psalm 50:23 NLT).

Why is giving thanks a sacrifice? Because it requires my attention and focus; it takes time and energy to think of things to be grateful for.

When my wife does something thoughtful for me, of course she likes me to say, “Thank you.” But if that’s all I ever did, she might begin to wonder, “Does he really love me, or does he just love me for the things I do for him?”

At some point, I have to start moving to a higher level of thanksgiving—which is not just thanking my wife for what she does but thanking her for who she is. That’s a deeper, more mature kind of thanksgiving.

If all I do is thank God for letting me have something or for giving me this food or for all the things he does for me, it’s worth asking yourself, “Do I really love God, or do I just love the things that God does for me?”

I must learn to thank God not just for what he does but for who he is.

When I thank God for who he is, my prayer might go something like this: “God, thank you that your wisdom is greater than mine. Thank you that you know what will make me happy more than I do. Thank you that you’re consistent when I’m inconsistent. Thank you for your love and your mercy, and that you’re always fair. Thank you that even when I don’t understand something, I know you have my best interests at heart.”

That kind of gratitude goes beyond “Thank you, God, for our food” to “Thank you, God, for who you are.” And it’s the kind of gratitude that honors God and gives me deeper spiritual roots.

In summary:

Giving thanks is a powerful act of honor, not just toward people but toward God himself. Psalm 50:23 teaches that gratitude is a sacrifice because it requires intention, focus, and genuine reflection. While thanking others—or God—for what they do is meaningful, mature gratitude goes deeper by appreciating who they are. In the same way we honor loved ones by valuing their character, we honor God when we thank Him for His wisdom, consistency, love, mercy, and goodness—not just His gifts. This deeper form of thanksgiving strengthens our relationship with Him and deepens our spiritual roots.

Bottom line:

True gratitude honors God—not just for what He gives, but for who He is.

Next step:

Today, thank God for one character trait of His—something about who He is, not just what He has done.

Gratitude Develops Your Faith

“Sink your roots in him and build on him. Be strengthened by the faith that you were taught, and overflow with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7 (GW)

An attitude of gratitude is God’s will for me because it develops my faith. 

How does gratitude develop my faith? It happens when times are tough—when things don’t make sense, when I can’t figure it out, when my prayers are unanswered, when nothing is going the way I wanted it to go. It happens when I can say in those circumstances, “God, I know you’re in control. I know you love me, and I know you can bring good out of this. I’m thankful that you’re bigger than my problems.”

Anybody can thank God for good things. But if I can thank God even in the bad times, my faith will grow stronger as my roots go deeper.

Habakkuk was going through tough times. He said, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV).

In the midst of all the bad things that went wrong, Habakkuk rejoiced. What caused his gratitude? He decided to find joy in God: “I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

When everything else in life is a struggle, I can be grateful because the Lord is my Savior. He will pull me through. I'm not alone. He hasn’t abandoned me. That’s a reason to thank him!

Am I able to thank God when life stinks? That’s the ultimate test of the depth of my faith. When I'm going through tough times, don’t look at what’s lost. Look at what’s left—and be grateful for it!

Colossians 2:7 says, “Sink your roots in him and build on him. Be strengthened by the faith that you were taught, and overflow with thanksgiving” (GW).

God’s will for me is radical gratitude—giving thanks in all things. I can be thankful to God just for who he is. He has promised to see me through those tough situations, and I'll find my faith will grow even stronger because of it.

In summary:

Radical gratitude strengthens faith by rooting trust in God even when life is difficult or confusing. While anyone can thank God in good times, true spiritual maturity grows when I choose to be grateful in hard seasons, declaring that God is in control, loves me, and can bring good out of any situation. Like Habakkuk, who rejoiced despite loss and hardship, I can find joy in God my Savior, knowing he has not abandoned me and will carry me through. When life feels empty, gratitude shifts my focus from what’s missing to what remains, deepening my faith. As Colossians 2:7 teaches, as I build my life on Christ and overflow with thanksgiving, my roots grow deeper and my faith grows stronger.

Bottom line:

Gratitude in hard times is what deepens faith—thanking God even when life is difficult roots me in Him and makes my faith stronger.

Next step:

Identify one difficult situation I'm currently facing and intentionally thank God for one specific thing He is doing in or through it. This simple act will start strengthening my faith right where I am.

Appreciating Others Raises Their Value

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

Radical gratitude means walking through life being grateful in every situation, no matter what—when times are abundant or when times are tight, when times are good or when times are bad. And being grateful can actually serve others; it can become a ministry.

Have you ever realized that every believer is a minister? I am a minister! And one ministry I can create is the ministry of appreciation.

Do you know what the word “appreciation” means? In buying a car, I certainly know the meaning of depreciation. The moment I drive it off the lot, it’s worth less than I paid for it, even if it’s a brand-new vehicle. Depreciation means “to decrease in value.” Appreciation is the opposite. It means “to increase in value.”

When I appreciate my spouse, daughter or grandchildren, I raise their value. When I appreciate my co-workers or boss, I raise their value—to both myself and the company. 

The ministry of appreciation raises the value of people. As I develop radical gratitude, I can make a ministry out of raising the value of people simply by appreciating them.

The Bible says it like this: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV).

One thing I’ve discovered is this: Everyone needs massive doses of encouragement. I’ve never met anybody who’s said, “Oh no! I don’t need a compliment! I’ve had too many. Please, stop! I’m too affirmed. Don’t give me any more.”

I have an innate need to be affirmed, to be loved, to be appreciated—and so does everybody else. If I want to be used by God, here’s one way: Affirm everyone. Appreciate everyone. Show gratitude to everyone.

That’s how I can develop a ministry of appreciation.

In summary:

Radical gratitude means choosing to be thankful in every circumstance—good or bad—and using that gratitude to serve others. Scripture reminds us in Ephesians 4:29 to speak only what builds people up, and one way to do that is through a “ministry of appreciation.” Appreciation increases a person’s value, whether it’s a spouse, family member, coworker, or anyone we interact with. Everyone longs for encouragement and affirmation, and no one suffers from receiving too much of it. By intentionally appreciating, affirming, and encouraging others, we can meet a deep human need and allow God to use us to raise the value of the people around us.

Bottom line:

Use my words and attitude of gratitude to intentionally build others up—because appreciation is a ministry, and everyone needs encouragement.

Next Step:

Choose one person today and intentionally express specific appreciation for something they do or who they are.

The Path You Didn’t Know Was There

“Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!” Psalm 77:19 (NLT)

God can use impressions to speak to me. He can use circumstances. He can even use pain. He can use whatever he wants to use.

Oswald Chambers said, “God is the Great Engineer, creating circumstances to bring about moments in our lives of divine importance, leading us to divine appointments.” 

The Bible says God actively works through our circumstances. And so we cannot judge our situation apart from God’s wisdom. In other words, I must leave it up to God to interpret my circumstances. Only he is capable of understanding all the facts, and only he sees the significance of every detail. That’s why it is so important that I test it all by his Word.

If I'm feeling overwhelmed or confused about a decision, I might be caught up in myself and not God’s voice. The Bible says, “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33 NIV). He is not the author of confusion. So if I'm feeling confused, guess what? It’s not God’s voice speaking in my life.

So many times we come up against enormous financial, spiritual, or physical barriers. That’s when we need to confess, “God, there are mountains on either side and an impassable barrier in front of me.” And then wait for God to respond: “I’ve got you exactly where I want you to be. Watch this.” God will make a pathway where there seems to be no way.

Psalm 77:19 says, “Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters—a pathway no one knew was there!” (NLT).

In summary:

God speaks and guides in many ways—including impressions, circumstances, and even pain—and because only He sees the full picture, I must rely on His Word and wisdom to interpret what’s happening in my life. Confusion is never from God, who brings peace, not disorder. When I face overwhelming barriers and see no path forward, God often uses those moments to reveal His power, creating a way no one else could see, just as He parted the sea for Israel. Instead of relying on my own strength or understanding, I can surrender to His guidance, trusting that He will lead me step by step on the right path.

Bottom line:

When I feel stuck, confused, or facing barriers that seem impossible, God is already at work creating a path I can’t yet see—my role is to surrender, trust His guidance, and let His peace, not my confusion, lead the way.

Next steps:

Identify the specific area where you feel most stuck or unsure right now—and bring it to God in focused surrender.

Not in general… but one clear situation where you need direction today.

Leadership, calling, business, relationships, a decision—identify the point of confusion.

Then pray:

“Lord, I surrender this situation to You. Show me the next step, and I will follow.”

Aligning Your Heart With God’s Mission

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” Mark 8:35 (NLT) 

In my last post I looked at two ways to develop a heart like Jesus. Today I'm going to look at two more ways.  

If I want to have a heart like Jesus—this next one may shock me. Not only do I have to care about what Jesus cares about and be indifferent to what Jesus is indifferent to, I must get angry about what Jesus gets angry about.  

I tend to think anger is a sin. The wrong kind of anger is sinful but there’s good anger and bad anger. There’s righteous anger and there’s unrighteous anger. Unrighteous anger is selfish, self-centered anger—the kind I feel when someone hurts me, frustrates me, or makes me afraid.

But righteous anger comes from a place of love. When I see people suffering while others have far more than they need, I ought to get angry about that. When I see injustice, poverty, and prejudice, I ought to get angry about that. 

In fact, the Bible makes this point in Ephesians 4:26. It says, “Be angry without sinning” (GW).  

Jesus got angry when children’s needs weren’t being met. In The Message paraphrase, he said, “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom” (Mark 10:13-14). 

Jesus also got angry when human suffering—especially of the poor or vulnerable—was ignored. He said, “Woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them” (Luke 11:46 NIV). God is love—but he is also just. And when he sees injustice in the world, he gets angry—and so should I. 

Lastly, follow Jesus’ example of sacrifice. He said it very clearly: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45 NIV).  

Here’s the amazing thing: If I make the switch from living for myself, to sacrificing for Jesus and his purposes, my happiness will go off the charts. Why? Because God wired us in a way that as we become more like him—generous and unselfish—the happier we get. It’s as simple as this: If I live for myself, I'll be miserable. If I give my life away, I'll be happy. 

Jesus spent his time on earth helping people get right with God and right with each other. That’s worth making sacrifices for. 

God wants me to develop a heart like his. And as I do, I'll find real life: “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it” (Mark 8:35 NLT).  

In summary:

Jesus teaches that real life is found not in holding tightly to my own desires but in giving myself fully to God’s purposes. To develop a heart like His, I must not only care about what Jesus cares about and stay indifferent to what doesn’t matter, but also allow myself to feel righteous anger toward injustice, suffering, and the mistreatment of the vulnerable—just as He did. This kind of anger is rooted in love, not selfishness, and moves me to act with compassion. Finally, following Jesus means embracing a life of sacrificial service, just as He “came not to be served but to serve.” When I stop living for myself and start giving my life away for Jesus and the Good News, I discover the surprising truth: unselfish living leads to deep joy, and sacrificing for what matters most is where real life is found.

Bottom line:

Real life is found not in living for myself, but in aligning my heart with Jesus—caring about what He cares about, rejecting what doesn’t matter, standing against injustice, and living a life of sacrificial love.

Next step:

Choose one area that stirs righteous anger in you—poverty, neglected children, inequity, isolation, spiritual disconnection, or broken relationships. Commit to a practical action this week: serving, giving, mentoring, advocating, or partnering with an organization.

Investing Your Life in What Lasts Forever

“The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NLT) 

A thousand years before I was born, God knew exactly when and where I would exist. He doesn’t have me in the place I'm in just to sit, soak, and sour. He wants me to follow him with an active faith. Jesus used words like come, follow, go, obey, send, and do when he spoke to people. 

For example, Jesus said, “Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15 NCV). He didn’t say go only to the places that are comfortable for me, sharing the parts of the Bible I like. He said, “Go everywhere . . . to everyone!” 

So how do I become a part of God’s work in my corner of the world? What matters is not my ability but my availability. God is looking to use people who will make themselves available to him. 

The Bible says, “The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9 NLT). God’s not looking for superheroes—people with super-talent, super-energy, or super-intelligence. He’s just looking for people with committed hearts. 

So how can I develop a heart committed to Jesus—a heart like his? There are four ways. I'm going to look at two today and another two tomorrow. 

First, I must care about what Jesus cares about. Jesus deeply cares about two things—the world and the church. 

The Bible says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36 NIV). God has never made a person he doesn’t love. He loves the people I disagree with, the people I think are evil, and the people who didn’t vote the way I voted. He loves everybody. And if I want to develop a heart like Jesus, I have to learn to love them too. 

Jesus also cares about the church—which the Bible calls his body and his bride. The Bible says, “Christ loved the church and gave his life for it” (Ephesians 5:25 CEV). This is how much Jesus loves the church, Look at the cross. With his arms outstretched, it’s as if he was saying, “I love the church this much! I’m willing to shed my blood and die for it.”  

Second, I must be indifferent to what Jesus is indifferent to. Should followers of Jesus ever be indifferent to anything? Absolutely. Why? Because not everything is equally valuable. Not everything is equally important. Not everything is going to last. Some things aren’t going to last five minutes. Some will last five years, some 50 years, some 500 years. But some things are going to last forever. I need to invest my life in things that matter and in things that will last into eternity.   

Jesus was indifferent to things that didn’t help him fulfill God’s mission. He was indifferent to personal danger, religious traditions, and the opinions of other people. He was indifferent to timetables, politics, getting rich, and impressing others. 

Jesus focused on God’s mission and trusted God to take care of the rest. As he said in Matthew 6:33, “But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you” (GW). 

In summary:

God intentionally placed me where I am and calls me to an active, obedient faith—not comfort or complacency. His eyes search the earth for people whose hearts are fully committed to Him, not those with extraordinary abilities but those who are simply available. To develop a heart like Jesus, I must care about what He cares about—the world He loves and the church for which He gave His life—and become indifferent to what He was indifferent to, refusing to waste energy on things that don’t last or distract from God’s mission. Like Jesus, I’m called to focus on what matters for eternity, trusting God to handle everything else.

Bottom line:

God isn’t looking for perfect people—He’s looking for available, committed hearts. When I care about what Jesus cares about and let go of what doesn’t matter, I become someone God can strengthen and use to make an eternal impact right where I am.

Next step:

Pick one simple, intentional action that aligns with what Jesus cares about: people and the church. Commitment grows through action, not intention. I need to make myself available today to align my heart with God’s heart. When I do it will open the door for Him to strengthen and guide me in ways I can’t orchestrate on my own.