Hello Saints!
There once was a man named Eli Turner, who lived in a small, peaceful town surrounded by golden fields and tall oak trees. Eli was known for working hard. He was the kind of man who built his life from the ground up. He started with nothing but a pair of calloused hands and a dream.
In time, his farm flourished. The rain always seemed to fall just when he needed it, and the harvest came in bountiful. His barns filled to the brim, his name became respected, and his table was never empty.
But there was one thing missing, gratitude.
When his neighbors gathered to pray after the harvest, Eli stayed home to count his profits. When his wife knelt beside the bed to thank God for the day, he turned over and blew out the lamp. “We work hard for what we have,” he said. “God helps those who help themselves.”
Years passed, and the land continued to bless him until one autumn, the rain didn’t come. The ground cracked open like an old wound. His crops withered, his cattle grew thin, and the wells dried up. Still, Eli refused to pray. “It’s just bad luck,” he said. “Things will turn around.”
But they didn’t.
By winter, his barns were empty, and his proud fields were nothing but dust. For the first time, Eli’s strong hands trembled not from work, but from hunger and despair. One cold evening, he wandered to the little church at the edge of town. Inside, music was playing and voices rose in thanksgiving.
He stood in the doorway, listening to the words of the pastor, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you.”
Eli felt the weight of years pressing down on him. Years of receiving but never thanking, and years of blessings mistaken for achievements. Tears filled his eyes as he whispered for the first time in his life, “Lord, thank you for not giving up on me.”
From that day on, Eli was a different man. The drought broke, and though his farm never became as great as before, his heart did. He rose early each morning, looked over his small field, and gave thanks. Not for what he had, but for who God was.
And every harvest after that, you could hear Eli’s voice above the others, loud and full of joy exclaiming “Thank You, Lord! You’ve been better to me than I deserve.”
There are a couple lessons I would like to point out about this story.
- Eli’s greatest mistake wasn’t greed. It was never giving thanks for the blessings God gave him. Because of this his heart slowly hardened. He began to believe that his success came from his own hands instead of God’s grace.
- Ingratitude is subtle. It creeps in when life is comfortable. But when we fail to thank God, we stop seeing Him in our everyday lives. Gratitude, on the other hand, keeps our hearts soft, humble, and aware of God’s presence.
- Psalm 107:1 – “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His mercy is everlasting.”
- When life is going well, pause and say, “Thank You, Lord.” Gratitude isn’t about having everything you want but about recognizing the One who provides everything you need.
- When Eli lost his farm, he finally discovered the value of thanksgiving. His situation didn’t instantly change, but his heart did. That transformation allowed him to experience joy even in smaller blessings.
- Thankfulness doesn’t depend on circumstances. It’s a spiritual discipline that reshapes how we see God’s hand in both good and difficult times. When we thank God in every season, even our losses become lessons of grace.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus."
- Even if you’re in a dry season, choose to thank God anyway. Gratitude invites His presence and reminds you that no drought lasts forever. New life always follows when faith takes root in thankfulness.
May you stay Grateful before your God,
Pastor Lu