Daily Devotional - December 29th, 2025

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Gratitude is the discipline that trains the heart to see God’s hand even when the path feels rough.” — Alma Ohene-Opare

Commentary:

As the year draws to a close, it invites review. We tally gains and losses, joys and regrets, hopes met and hopes deferred. The danger is not in the review but in the lens. When we look back with complaint, we shrink our vision to what went wrong. When we look back with gratitude, we widen our sight to include what God has done, often quietly, faithfully, and beyond our notice. Giving thanks in all circumstances is not denial of pain. It is a declaration that pain does not have the final word.

Gratitude belongs in our moral DNA because it anchors us to truth. A thankful people recognize dependence. We did not create ourselves, sustain ourselves, or rescue ourselves. Freedom flourishes where gratitude lives because thankful hearts resist entitlement and choose responsibility. Like a farmer who studies a field after harvest, we note the weeds, yes, but we also honor the rain, the soil, and the seed that bore fruit. Gratitude trains us to steward what we have been given rather than resent what we lack.

As we prepare to step into a new year, gratitude becomes preparation, not just reflection. It steadies the soul, clears bitterness, and restores humility. The cross itself teaches us this discipline. Christ gave thanks even as He broke bread that would lead Him to suffering. He showed us that gratitude is an act of trust in the Father’s purposes. To live gratefully is to live Christlike, choosing faith over fear and hope over complaint.

Scripture:

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Daily Application:

List three moments from the past year that stretched you and write one sentence of thanks for what God formed in you through each one.