Sometimes we only grasp the important lessons in our lives when we fall flat on our faces. The psalmist says: "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now Your word do I keep [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it]" (Psalm 119:67). It isn't that G.o.d is out to hurt us, but G.o.d loves us enough to stop us and hopefully wake us up to how wrong we are living. I often think of the young man we call the Prodigal Son in the Bible. He wanted to have his inheritance early but then wasted the entire thing. He ended up with a job feeding hogs and had to eat their food. It wasn't long before he came to his senses and realized he needed to go home to his father and beg for forgiveness. His trouble finally caused him to realize the error of his ways.

Throughout my many years in ministry, I've heard stories from people who had wonderful jobs or great ministries or made a great deal of money-and then their lives fell apart. They were people who had things but not G.o.d. One man-someone who was once a millionaire-came to our meetings after he spent three years in prison. The first words out of his mouth were, "I'm glad I was convicted and sent to prison. I had run from G.o.d for a long time. The Lord finally got my attention when someone gave me a copy of Joyce Meyer's book Healing the Brokenhearted while I was in prison."

Not everyone can rejoice and give thanks for their suffering, but we can all give thanks in the midst of it. G.o.d has our well-being in mind and we can trust that whatever happens in life He will work out for good if we continue loving and serving Him (see Romans 8:28).

CHAPTER 49.

Tips for Being Thankful All of us know we need to be thankful. G.o.d tells us to do so, and we also know from our own experience that once we seriously start praising G.o.d, our burdens and our troubles seem to weigh less heavily on our shoulders.

That is part of the power of being thankful. As we pause to give thanks to G.o.d for what is good in our lives, we also appreciate what we have. I believe G.o.d wants us to be grateful people-people who are filled with grat.i.tude not only toward G.o.d but also toward other people. That's my first tip: when someone does anything nice for you, let that person know you appreciate it.

G.o.d wants us to be grateful people- people who are filled with grat.i.tude not only toward G.o.d but also toward other people.

One day I was going into an office building, and a man standing nearby opened the door for me. I thanked him and smiled. "You're the fifth person I've held the door for," he said, "and you're the first one to smile and the second to thank me."

I thanked him a second time. Afterward, I thought how much we take others for granted, even when they do such simple things as open a door for a stranger.

Instead of accepting that as the way things are, we can develop a thankful mind. Did your bus arrive on time today? If so, did you thank the driver? When you ate at the restaurant, did you thank the server for filling your coffee cup a second time without being asked? I could go on and on, but the point I want to make is: develop an att.i.tude of grat.i.tude toward the people in your life.

Here's another tip: appreciate your family members, especially the person to whom you're married. Even though Dave and I have been married a long time, I still tell him I appreciate him. He's patient with me and thoughtful. Just those few words of thanks are a great way to develop a thankful mind and heart. Showing appreciation is one of the best ways to improve relationships.

When you express appreciation, it's good for the other person to hear the words, but also remember it releases joy in you. You enrich both your life and another person's life, even by appreciating small things.

Another thing you can do is meditate daily on things for which you can be thankful. I heard of one man who won't get out of bed in the morning until he has thanked G.o.d for at least ten things. He counts them on his fingers, and they're small things really, such as having a reliable car to drive, being a member of an exciting Sunday school cla.s.s, or just being thankful he's healthy. I often thank G.o.d for having hot water. I really enjoy taking a hot bath and I am aware that mult.i.tudes of people in the world don't even have clean water to drink, let alone the simple joy of sitting in a bathtub filled with hot water.

The man I mentioned also has the habit prior to going to sleep of focusing on at least three things that went well that day. He relives those three positive things. For him, it can be as simple as his supervisor telling him what a good job he did on a project or an affirming e-mail from a friend.

Here's another tip: Be thankful for the honesty in other people. No one likes to hear negative things, but sometimes you need to hear them. Of course, they may momentarily hurt your feelings, but you still can learn and grow from the experience.

I have a friend who says, "Only two people will tell you the truth about yourself: someone who's angry at you and someone who loves you very much." G.o.d uses both types of people in our lives.

So be thankful for people who tell you the truth about yourself, even if it's not what you want to hear. When you hear the truth-especially something of which you're not aware, you can change. And after you've changed, isn't that just one more thing for which you can be thankful?

The things to be thankful for are really too many to count, but sadly we miss many of them simply because we don't purposely look for them. This is a good time to decide to form a new habit of being extremely thankful and saying so.

CHAPTER 50.

Jesus Came to Set You Free The Bible says Jesus came to open prison doors, open blinded eyes, and set the captives free (see Isaiah 61:1). When it speaks of blind eyes it is not only speaking of those physically blind. Jesus did heal those who had no natural sight, but He also wants to open our eyes to what He has provided for us, that which we may be missing through lack of knowledge. I attended church regularly for many years without ever hearing Jesus wanted to set me free from my past and other things that kept me in a prison of defeat and discouragement. I heard Jesus died for my sins and because of Him I could be forgiven and have the hope of heaven, but I did not hear anything that was helping me live my daily life in victory.

What kind of bondages do you have in your life? Are you frustrated, confused, unhappy, or discontent with yourself and your life? Do you experience guilt, condemnation, fear or worry, and anxiety? If so, you need to hear the good news that Jesus came to help you realize those prison doors have been opened by Him and you are free to walk out and begin a new life lived with and for Him.

It is good to look forward to heaven, but what about right now? Are you enjoying your life now? If not, you need to know it is G.o.d's will for you to do so. Jesus said He came that we might have and enjoy life abundantly (see John 10:10).

I want to encourage you to make a decision that you will have and enjoy everything Jesus died to give you. Press past the things holding you in bondage to the glorious life of freedom available to you right now.

I lived for many years as a Christian still held in bondage to the pain of my past. I had a bitter att.i.tude, self-pity, resentment, and many other negative emotions. These things were actually my prison. We do not have to be in a physical prison to be in prison. Mental and emotional prisons may indeed be worse than a physical one. People may be free to move about and go here and there, but if they are continually tormented in their souls they are not truly free.

Mental and emotional prisons may indeed be worse than a physical one. A person may be free to move about and go here and there, but if they are continually tormented in their soul they are not truly free.

As I studied G.o.d's Word and began to learn that Jesus came to set me free from all those tormenting things, and that my past had no power over my future, I truly began to enjoy each day of my life.

Emotional and mental freedom may be a new thought for you. Perhaps you have pa.s.sively put up with a tormented soul, but I am announcing to you that Jesus died to set you completely free. He has opened all your prison doors, and as soon as you realize it you will be able to take His hand and walk out into a new and glorious life.

I suggest you begin praying about each tormenting emotion or mental habit you have and find scripture about those areas. For example, if you are p.r.o.ne to worrying all the time, pray specifically about freedom in that area and look for all the scripture you can find about worry and anxiety. Study what G.o.d's Word says about peace and refuse to live without it. It is yours, bought and paid for with the blood of Jesus, so why not claim it and start a new life today.

The apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:12 that he was determined to take hold of those things for which Christ Jesus died. In other words he made a decision that he would learn to have and enjoy everything Jesus died to give him. He mentioned pressing past things and that is exactly what we must be willing to do. It takes no effort at all to remain in bondage, but effort is required to gain and maintain freedom. Claiming your rights as a believer in Jesus will take some diligence and determination on your part. You will have to study, pray, and refuse to remain in bondage, but there is a life of freedom waiting for you that is more wonderful than you can imagine. Make a decision today that Jesus died to set you free and free you will be!!!

CHAPTER 51.

Do You Need a Change of Address?

I find it difficult to believe what the people of Israel said in Numbers 20:24: "Now there was no water for the congregation, and they a.s.sembled together against Moses and Aaron. And the people contended with Moses, and said, Would that we had died when our brethren died [in the plague] before the Lord! And why have you brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, we and our livestock?"

How could they have said such a terrible thing? "Would that we had died when our brethren died [in the plague] before the Lord!" Were they actually saying they would rather suffer, be in torment, and die in slavery than to live free and with G.o.d?

It is difficult to believe anyone would choose one or the other over freedom but the truth is people do it all the time. G.o.d was offering the Israelites a new life, but they continually murmured and complained about every inconvenience they encountered. They wanted to behave however they felt like behaving, yet they expected good results. The sooner we realize that never works, the better off we will be. G.o.d's promises are available for all. But they are not available unless we are willing to do things G.o.d's way.

We cannot do bad things and expect good results. We cannot grumble at G.o.d and expect divine blessings. That is what the Israelites did. They were impatient, they murmured continually, they felt sorry for themselves, they were not thankful, and they blamed Moses and even G.o.d when things went wrong. They had an opportunity to press through to the Promised Land, yet they died in the wilderness. How can that be? How can they be so confused and twisted in their thinking? But then, I was the same way for many years and I know people like that today.

Jane married an alcoholic named John, and when he went into his drunken rages, he beat her. She left, took their children, and divorced him. Two years later, Jane married again. She married John again-oh, not that John. The second husband's name was Ralph. He was a drunkard, and she repeated the same sad and abusive story. Her third John was named Ken. Although their names were different, it was as if she married the same man (the same kind of man) three times.

When I met Jane, she grumbled and asked, "Are there any good men out there?" Of course, she later admitted she looked for men in all the wrong places. She usually found them at a bar or a party she should not have attended. She didn't go to church or any kind of Bible studies. She never put herself in a place to even meet a decent man, but she continually complained. The truth is she was making bad choices and then having a "poor me" att.i.tude about the results. It is foolish to think we can see change if we keep doing the same things over and over.

If you desire change in your life, you will have to make some different choices than the ones you have made in the past. Do you need a change of address? Are you tired of wilderness living and prefer to live in the Promised Land, a place where many good things abound? If that is what you truly want, you can have it, but you will have to be willing to change many things in your life.

It is easy to condemn the Israelites because the Bible lays out their story so clearly. Paul wrote about the wilderness wanderings and urged his readers to not "discontentedly complain as some of them did-and were put out of the way entirely by the destroyer (death)" (1 Corinthians 10:1011). As long as you continue to act as the Israelites did in their grumbling, you will get the same results. As long as you live like Jane, you will have the same disastrous effects. Although I gave the example of Jane, these situations abound in many people's lives. Perhaps you are someone who has your paycheck spent before you cash it. Or maybe you are easily offended and end up angry most of the time. Regardless of your situation, as long as you continue with bad choices, you will end up with bad outcomes.

As long as you continue with bad choices, you will end up with bad outcomes.

When you are really tired of getting the same negative results-when you are tired of Satan buffeting you and tormenting you-you are ready to make changes. Those people in the wilderness died outside the Promised Land because they never learned. You have an advantage: you know about them, and you also know the Holy Spirit wants to change you.

You can change. You can begin by asking G.o.d to help you think positive thoughts in line with His positive thoughts, because positive thinking produces positive att.i.tudes. Once your att.i.tude changes, your life changes. It requires some effort and persistence, but it is definitely worth it. It is really quite simple: make the decision that G.o.d is smarter than you and start doing things His way.

CHAPTER 52.

Instant Gratification "Instant gratification takes too long," my friend said, laughing. She was standing in front of the microwave. She set the timer for ninety seconds to heat her coffee and tapped her toe as she impatiently waited.

I smiled as I watched, but then I realized that we've been spoiled by the word instant in our lives today. We have instant credit approval, instant oatmeal, instant coffee and drive-through everything. We like to think G.o.d's ways are the same, but they are not. "G.o.d, give it to me now," we pray. Or if we don't use those words, that's what we mean.

One of the things I've learned from my years of Bible study is we can't hurry the Lord. He does things in His time. The Bible tells us about the long waits of Abraham and Joseph before G.o.d fulfilled His promises to them. Moses fled into the wilderness after killing a man, and waited forty years for G.o.d to tap him on the shoulder. Rachel prayed for years to have a child, and so did Hannah, before G.o.d answered them.

We can't hurry the Lord. He does things in His time.

We should learn from the countless examples in the Bible of people required to be patient that we cannot hurry G.o.d. Many people grow impatient in waiting, and of course, the devil uses that to sneer and say, "G.o.d isn't going to do what He promised. If He were going to do it, He would have done it by now."