Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our Reading titled Being Thankful Despite Trials was written by Nancy Gavallanis.

I have been following and praying for a fellow writer who's been posting online about her cancer journey.

She alternates between sharing updates about her physical pain and challenges,

and sharing prayer requests with Scripture and praises to God.

It's beautiful to see her courageous smile, whether she's in the hospital awaiting

treatments, or at home wearing a bandana because her hair is falling out. With each challenge,

she never fails to encourage others to trust God during trials. When we're going through difficulties, it may be challenging to find

reasons to be grateful and to praise God. However, Psalm 100 gives us reasons to rejoice and give

God praise despite our circumstances. The psalmist says,

Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us and we are His. We are his people,

the sheep of his pasture. He adds, for the Lord is good and his love endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Whatever our trial, we can take comfort knowing that God is near to our broken hearts.

The more time we spend with God in prayer and reading the Bible, the more we'll be able to,

as verse 4 states, enter his gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise, and give thanks

to him and praise his name.

We can shout for joy to the Lord, even, and perhaps especially, when we're in a difficult

season because our God is faithful.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devional scripture reading is Psalm 100. Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us and we are His.

We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.

Enter his gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise.

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