I have been declaring this Bible verse to myself every day for over a decade. The Lord had me memorize it years ago when I was going through a dark and difficult time in my life. At the time, I was finding it almost impossible to feel thankful or “at rest.” All I could see was trouble all around me. God wanted me to shift my focus from my burdens to my blessings, and this verse helped me to do that.

No matter what we are going through, we can always find something to be grateful for. If we are totally honest, we have loved ones in our lives who we can give thanks for. We have provisions supplied by God that we can be grateful for. There are parts of our bodies that still work well, even though we tend to focus on the ones that don’t. The Lord gives us sunshine to brighten our faces, and moonlight to comfort us. There is so much that we take for granted every day of our lives, and it robs us of the precious benefits of gratitude – peace, contentment, comfort, and healing.

I am not, by nature, a grateful person. But I want to be. I continue to declare this verse to myself every day because it helps me to get my focus off of myself, and onto the One who deserves my undying gratitude and devotion. And in doing that, I find a peace that I cannot find any other way.

If you are in need of true “rest” today – a word that in this context means, “a state of unthreatened well-being” – then I encourage you to memorize this verse, just as I did those many years ago. Then whenever doubt or discouragement come your way, you can declare with every fiber of your being – Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you!

Prayer: Lord, please forgive me for the times that I took Your blessings for granted. Give me a truly grateful heart, and help me not to overlook the good things and people that You have placed in my life. Whenever I struggle with negative emotions, empower me to cast down wrong thoughts, and to replace them with God-honoring ones. Thank You that as I rest in Your faithfulness and goodness, I will experience the peace, contentment, comfort, and healing that You have in store for me!