A good beginning of this new year is to remind ourselves of a foundational Truth expressed ins 3 verses.:

“He who offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving honors” God. Psalm 50:23"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 8:28God will use all things, pleasant or painful for good in our lives.This ties in with Psalm 23:6a “Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life….”We man not see any goodness or mercy while in the  midst of difficulty, but later, looking back we will see what God is doing.

It takes commitment and a developed faith to live this way. It is much easier to complain than to give thanks.

The Lord gave me an opportunity tonight to live out this truth. I had an appointment at a chain store to have 4 new tires put on. But, 2 hours before the appointment time, I got a text saying it was cancelled because the tires had not been delivered.

This was a chance to praise and trust. I had to go to that store for other things anyway, so went to the automotive dept and asked how to make a new appointment.

As the fellow was working on setting a  new appointment, he suddenly exclaimed, “Oh actually your tires are here. Bring your car over and we will put them right on!”

Then when the work was completed, the clerk said, “Because of the difficulty you had, we won’t charge you for mounting the tires!”  Wow that was an $80 New Years gift from God. He worked out a disappointment for good.

Remember that this year, as God helped me there, so He will help you in your difficulties and disappointments.

Picture: Jesus reaches into our lives regularly to work things out for good.