How can you be thankful when the world is full of bad news, or if your life is full of bad news?

From the Biblical prophets—who lived in the midst of bad news and yet were thankful to God—we can learn the following principles:

Take note of the good that you have! We so often focus on the bad things; the Bible leads us to shift our perspective, so that we recognize our many blessings.
Look beyond the blessings themselves to the source of those blessings—to God! Even in rough times, we can know ourselves to be a part of the purposes and promises of God, which far surpass any difficulties we face at the moment.
Be thankful not only for present blessings, but for what is yet to come from God’s hand. The prophets looked to the future and saw the infinite blessing that would come through the Messiah.
Answer the bad news by joining in God’s good news! Connect with the church, a “community of good news,” where we proclaim and celebrate the good news of God, and where we create good news, by being in mission to the world.

When we take these steps of faith, we will experience in every time that God is good, and we truly have reason for thankfulness and praise.

Scripture Readings from Sunday:
Isaiah 6:1–8
Isaiah 11:10; 12:1–6

A photo posted by UMC of Kent, Ohio (@umcofkent) on Nov 24, 2015 at 9:33am PST

About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.