Thankful for the affliction

Up until I began to write this blog post, I despised 2019. No lie,the hardest year I've ever lived...so far. We are not promised an easy life, but we are promised that the Lord Jesus would accompany us the entire way. Even until the end of age. Something changed today. I began to learn how to be truly thankful. Not just for the good times and the blessings, but also for the storms, the trials and tribulations of life. 

Father, I praise your mighty name. Not only for all the amazing, wonderful and excellent things you have done, but also for who you are. You are ADONAI, JEHOVAH, YHWH, IAM, EMMANUEL, LORD OF LORDS AND KING OF KINGS. 

Thank you for all the job opportunities I was not hired for and positions I was passed up for. You showed me that you are my provider. Although I spent most of the year broke and unemployed, I was never without. I even had enough to give away. I had everything that I needed. You took care of me and my family. 

Thank you that you brought me low and humbled me. You showed me that we should not think so highly of ourselves. That you hate pride and you love humility. Thank you for humbling me and making look more like Jesus. 

Thank you for preserving my life. I wanted to quit, but you have me grace to keep going. How dare I attempted to destroy the temple of the Holy Spirit. Lord forgive me! I was such a fool. But thank you for stopping me from pulling the trigger. Thank you for loving me through it and never forsaking me. 

Thank you for all the heated discussions me and my wife had. It taught me how to love and forgive someone who isn't lovable and unforgivable. You taught me through your love for me, that I can love my wife. You taught me to forgive the unpardonable because You forgave the unpardonable in me. 

Thank you for my enemies and my haters. Lord, bless them. You said to pray for your enemies and those who persecute you. I have plenty of them. But they provide me a chance to exercise my faith and show that I love you. Because you said those who love you, obey your commands. And your commands are not a burden. 

Thank you for the times when I was alone and I was balling my eyes out, calling out to You, pleading my case before the throne of grace, boldly. Forgive me Lord the times that I was frustrated and I was so angry. Forgive my carnality. Thank you for forgiving me. 

Thank you for the times we didn't know how we were going to make it. Because you showed yourself faithful and full of mercy. Great is thy faithfulness! His Mercy endureth forever and evermore! 

Thank you for all the tears I cried. I cried tears of sadness and tears of joy. Ive wept for the lost, the orphans, the needy, and the sick. Ive been broken over my sins and cried tears because I offended the Lover of my soul. I owed you death, but you gave me life. Thanks you for the tears of joy. I experienced the joy of the Lord and it was so good and so powerful. I look forward and long for the day to praise the Lord at the foot of His throne. 

Thank you for sending your word to me when I needed it. When I was feeling down. When my faith was small. When I felt hopeless. When I wanted to give up on everything. 

50 - This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me. 

67 - Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.

Psalms 119:50‭, ‬67

Lord, this year was really tough but You got me through it. I pray that one day I understand why I went through what I went through. I give you praise for all you've done in the past, present and future. Hallelujah praise the Lord! 

In the name above all names, the name that every knee shall bow and the name that all tongues will confess as Lord, in Jesus mighty and holy name..

Amen.