Thanksgiving Purifies the Heart
"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever" (Psalm 106:1).
"Thanks be to God" is often the attitude expressed among Christians for good health, for safe travel, or perhaps for a special blessing. Christians typically give thanks to God for all the good that encompasses their lives, yet, just saying the words "thanks be to God" superficially is definitely not an expression of it.
St. Paul once prayed to the Lord to take away his affliction, "Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me" (II Corinthians 12:8). But the Lord did not do as St. Paul prayed. The Lord responded, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (II Corinthians 12:9). Did the Lord believe that St. Paul's illness was beneficial for him? The message is that one's spiritual health is the priority, certainly not one's physical health.
[click here to read the full article - Bishop Youssef]
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