Show Notes
READ: PSALMS 92:1-2; 150:1-6; EPHESIANS 5:18-20; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:11
It’s easy to be thankful when we really like the gift. Maybe someone gave you just what you wanted, or maybe school is amazing this year—your friends are awesome, classes are great, and learning has been coming easily. In those times, it feels natural to be thankful. But when life hands us hardships, trials, and even suffering, thanking God might be the last thing we feel like doing.
“It is good,” says Psalm 92, to give thanks to the Lord. Our loving Father invites us to spend time thanking Him because He knows there is power in praise. It resets our perspective, something we all need, especially in the middle of hardship. This is part of His plan for His people. It’s one of His gifts to us.
But, because we live in a world broken by sin, gratitude doesn’t always come naturally. Thankfully, God doesn’t expect us to do it alone. He has called us to encourage one another. His plan includes you and me, speaking life and truth into each other’s waiting ears.
Near the end of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he tells the believers to speak the language of praise to one another! God knows we need reminders of His love and care, so He instructs us to do it together. It’s a privilege to remind each other of the good news of Jesus—that He died and rose again to save us, that He promises to make all things new, and that He is with us always, working on our behalf.
As we grow in our relationship with Jesus, we come to realize that we need our brothers and sisters to come alongside us, and we want to be there for them too. We can do this often, even daily! We can read Scripture aloud to each other, sing songs of praise together, share verses that have been coming alive to us, tell each other stories of how we’ve seen God working in our lives, and more. There are countless ways we can encourage each other to lift our gaze to Jesus, the one who is always loving us, always showing kindness to us, always walking with us. We can be thankful, together. • Kristen Merrill
• Can you think of a time you felt encouraged to worship, perhaps through others’ contagious joy as they expressed thankfulness to God? What was that like?
• As Christians, what are some ways we can encourage each other to turn our hearts to Jesus in thankfulness? Consider taking a moment to ask Jesus to help you notice opportunities to invite others into gratitude and praise this week.
Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18-20 (NIV)
More from Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens
READ: MATTHEW 6:19-21; JOHN 3:16-17; 14:1-4; REVELATION 19:6-9; 21:1-5
READ: PSALM 139:1-4; ROMANS 5:6-8; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 We curate the caption and crop the distraction, Chasing the applause of a virtual reaction. We polish the exterior to hide the interior, Afraid that our true selves are somehow inferior. But in the quiet, when the screen goes black, We feel the heavy weight of the perfection we lack. See, Jesus didn’t come for your highlight reel, He came for the brokenness you try to conceal. No filter could cover the crimson cost of sin, So He opened His arms to let the rebels in. On the cross, He was exposed, stripped, and bruised, So the real you would never have to be refused. He was buried in the dark so you could walk in the light, Tearing the veil to make your future bright. The grave couldn’t hold Him, the stone rolled away, Giving you mercy that is new every day. You are not a brand, a post, or a trend, You are chosen, beloved, and called His friend. So drop the performance, let the pretense cease, And rest in the rhythm of His perfect peace. • Ty Scott King • Why do you think it’s sometimes easier to show people a curated version of ourselves rather than who we really are? What parts of yourself do you try to curate, edit, and hide away? • Jesus sees the unedited version of you, and He loves you so much that He died and rose again for you. How could this truth affect the way yo view your mistakes, flaws, or things you just don’t like about yourself? • Are there any areas of your life where you feel like you’re putting on a performance instead of trusting God’s grace? Consider spending some time in prayer, laying these things down at Jesus’s feet and asking Him to help you see yourself the way He sees you. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)