The current devotion is written by Dianna Hobbs, founder of EEW Magazine, as part of her 28 Days of Gratitude blog series. Get more inspiration on her Daily Cup of Inspiration blog.

Scripture of the Day: “Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, ‘Does this offend you?’” (John 6:61 NLT)

These are Jesus’ words to the crowd of Jews that were following Him and listening to His teaching. What He said rubbed them the wrong way, and of course He knew that they were offended.

So, what exactly did Jesus say to get them all riled up? Well, after revealing that He was the bread of life, He said in John 6:54, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.”

Although Jesus was simply revealing Himself as the Messiah, the ultimate sacrifice for sin, the manner in which He delivered the message was not well-received. He was not encouraging cannibalism, but it sure sounded that way. “Eating and drinking” just meant believing. Unfortunately, for some folks, instead of Jesus’ words activating their faith, His words activated their gag reflex.

Gross, they thought. This guy must be out of his mind.  According to Scripture, “Many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him.” In verse 67, Jesus turned to His twelve disciples and asked them, "Do you also wish to go away?"

I love Peter’s response in the very next verse when he said, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God." Even when the crowd walked away, Peter said on behalf of the Twelve, We still believe.

Have you ever had confusing times in your life when you didn’t exactly understand what God was saying or doing? How did that make you feel? How did you handle it? Did you complain outwardly or murmur inwardly? Did you struggle to believe? Did you thank God anyway?

To complain or not to complain? To believe or not to believe? This is a choice every follower of Christ has to make at some point. Thankfully, Peter gives us a great example of what it looks like to make the right choice, which is trusting God despite the difficulty—whatever that difficulty may be.

When you trust, as I have been telling you throughout this Gratitude series, thanksgiving naturally follows. Faith and gratitude go hand in hand.

GRATITUDE IS A MEMORY

It’s easier for some people to hold a grudge than it is for them to hold onto gratitude. If someone does something they think is wrong, they remember it forever. If someone does something right and kind, they soon forget.

Even so, it is often said that gratitude is a memory of the heart, and if you cling to good memories, even in bad times, you will be thankful. I have so many good memories of the great things God has done for me. I’m sure you do too. Pull up those memory files during the rough times.

My husband Kenya told me that yesterday, he was alone, walking down the aisle in the store, and he thought about something that made him laugh. He was chuckling to himself when suddenly, another shopper came walking down the aisle and caught him in a moment of joyous reflection. Kenya said, he wasn’t quite sure what the guy thought of him, but he didn’t stop laughing. He was too tickled by then.

Your memory is a powerful thing. It can trigger laughter long after a moment has passed. It can also cause us to thank God long after He performs the work.

REFLECTING IS HELPFUL

In photography, there is something known as a reflector. The photographer uses a white, silver, or gold panel to bounce light in a certain direction. The quality of the picture is better when the photographer can control the lighting and change the angle of the shadows. A reflector gives the one taking the picture more control over the look and feel of the image.

Keeping this in mind, when you use the word of God as a reflector, when the dark shadows of life overwhelm you, the word bounces the light in your direction, and it gives your overall picture (or perspective) a better look and feel. The word of God has a way of shining light in dark places and helping you see things in a different way.

The writer said in Psalm 77:12, “I will reflect on all You have done and ponder Your mighty deeds.” Reflecting, which means to think deeply or carefully about something, is incredibly helpful when you focus on God’s word and His goodness.

The more you reflect, the more you’ll rejoice. The more you think, the more you’ll thank.

JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT

What 5 positive “memories of the heart” can you identify that you are thankful for? Pull up those memories, and write them down in your journal.

Now, let’s pray.

God, help me never to forget the wondrous works You have performed for me and those I love. You have been so good. In times of distress and when things are hard, I desire to rise above complaining and access my memory files of all the times You came through for me. The more I think of Your goodness, the more I thank You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.