How Can Gratitude Act as a Guard?

"The famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased." (Genesis 41:37 NLT)

My daily YouVersion resiliency reading dropped me in Joseph’s story. It is, of course, a familiar saga and one of my favorite accounts in scripture. In this particular read-though, the ingratitude of the Egyptians stood out to me as the mark of an unbeliever.

I paused to consider the pages of my own story. We all have a tendency to let the bad years swallow up the memories of the good years, don’t we? The immediacy of right now flattens the gratitude of previous season. There’s an implied warning: we risk being destroyed by ingratitude in difficult seasons when we forget all the ways God has sustained in years prior.

The wisdom displayed in Pharoah’s dream provides tutelage: we can store up the memories of the good years and feast upon them amidst the bad.

Like Joseph, we must learn to abide in every season. This was beautifully illustrated to me on a recent walk. I passed a chinaberry tree, it’s fruit fully decked out for fall. The Spirit spoke to me in that moment: “Over a lifetime we learn to abide through all seasons, circumstances and stressors.” Perhaps an essential discipline for sustained abiding is gratitude?

Chinaberries in autumn light.

Gratitude help us hold steady, whether we are safe under the felt favor of our father or locked in the dark without options. The memories of God’s faithful nature in previous seasons will water our soul and sustain us through the gloomy stretches.

Even in prison, Joseph could recall the extravagant love of his father and his happy upbringing in Canaan. He could pull up the memory of swapping death in a pit for sold into slavery. He could retrieve the pride of Potiphar’s approval, even though it ended abruptly. Joseph could look back and recount God’s personal faithfulness from sweeter seasons. This habit strengthened his soul for the immediate difficulties. We can exercise this discipline, also. If wielded properly, gratitude will guard us from destruction.

"But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember Your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about Your mighty works." (Psalm 77:11 NLT)

Lord, please forgive us for our forgetfulness. Today’s circumstances all too often blot out yesterday’s faithfulness. What a disservice we do to ourselves when we fail to recall Your favor, Your love, Your protection, Your providence. Help us see it anew today, taking time to rolodex through our years, recounting Your obvious affection. Give us good memories to sustain us in this season, stirring up gratitude to strengthen our souls once more. Amen.