Have you ever felt like you were in a place or season of life where you were unsure what the next steps looked like? You felt like it was a wilderness experience, and possibly felt overwhelmed by the fear of the unknown. I believe that, if we are honest, all of us have seasons in our lives where we desire to know what the future holds, and it is hard to trust God in the wilderness. It is hard to choose to be thankful amid hard times.

Philippians 4:6-7 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

God promises that as we pray to Him about all things and trust Him, God will give us His peace that surpasses our understanding. Our peace is not as the world gives but as God gives us.

In John 14:27 Jesus promises, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

In Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament by Lysa Terkeurst, Lysa wrote “While I know Jesus knows (or I would like to think holds) the future, I haven’t often thought of how this can help assure me today. Jesus leads us today with a confident knowing of exactly how all of our tomorrows will play out. He knows how to get us through everything we are facing like a guide who knows the path and how to avoid the treacherous terrain. Jesus knows how we are feeling as humans with real fears, real heartbreak, real sorrow and anxiety and the effects of sin. Jesus knows what we should do and shouldn’t do. He knows where we need to go. He knows how to get us from where we are today to the promised land God has in store.”*

Lysa goes on to say, “In all things, we must learn to trust God. We may fear not being able to control the timing. We may fear things not going the way we want. We may fear that God will abandon us. But it is in the unexpected place, where God continually shows us to provide and care for His children, that we develop more and more trust. What Jesus endured shows us once again that He knows how to stay steadfast in His obedience in the midst of human suffering and uncertainty.”*

As we consider how to be thankful even in the midst of wilderness or facing the unknown in our own lives let us ponder:

● How do you see God providing for you?
● How is God revealing himself to you?
● What can you place in God’s hands and trust Him with completely?
● How can you be thankful for God’s goodness in your life even in the midst of the wilderness?
● What does it look like for Jesus to be your true and only Anchor in life instead of clinging to situations, circumstances, or things you can control?

Let us use the Thanksgiving season as a catalyst to position our hearts to thank God for all He has done, is doing, and all He is going to do (the things we see and even the places He is calling us to have faith and trust in Him alone).

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

One of my favorite trips that I lead with tweens (4th-5th graders) is Weekend of Surprises. The tweens do not know where they are going, what they are doing, or what to expect and they will not know the schedule once they arrive. The purpose of this trip is for tweens to experience learning that in life we do not always know what is going to happen or what fears, worries, or unknowns we may face. God is always there with us, and we can trust Him! In a small way, it is like how they will have learned to trust their leaders during the weekend. Tweens will be encouraged to trust God, look for God sightings, grow in their relationship with God, follow Holy Spirit promptings, build their community as tweens, and learn how to share their faith and the Gospel with others!

In our lives, no matter what season we are in, let us live our lives:

● Rooted in God

● Thanking Him

● Actively placing our trust in God

● Abiding in Jesus

● Following Holy Spirit promptings in our lives to share the Gospel- the Good News of Jesus with others

● Offer the help, hope, and healing of Jesus to the world.

Colossians 2:6-7

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

*Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament: He's Never Absent, We're Never Alone by Lysa TerKeurst and Joel Muddamalle.

Melia Warren has dedicated 18 years to full-time children’s ministry and resides in Chattanooga, TN. Her passion lies in working with children and families, sharing Christ's love, and fostering spiritual growth through discipleship. She delights in celebrating God’s work, experiencing profound joy by saying yes to Jesus, and spreading His love. Melia treasures connecting with others and welcomes the opportunity to pray with or for you—reach out to her at meliadianne@gmail.com.