There are times in life when we know without a doubt that God saved us, helped us or provided for us.  But what about all the other times when He helped us and we never knew it or saw it?

Recently, my daughter came up to me and showed me a picture of a snake called the Puff Adder.  “Mommy this is the snake that I stepped over when we went zip lining.”  I hugged her and was reminded yet again, to thank God for saving her that day.

On our recent trip to South Africa, my husband, daughter and family were going to go zip-lining.  That morning, I prayed protection for them and later in the morning, I found myself praying again for God to send angels to watch out for them and keep them from harm.  Psalms 91:11 says “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;”  I was a bit nervous, but at the same time excited for my daughter.

Later that afternoon, they came home and she said she had a blast, but then showed me the rope burn on her leg which made me a bit upset.  The instructor had pulled a rope and it went across her leg causing the burn.  She was fine, and just needed some TLC and band-aids.  But then my husband told me something else.

After completing the zip lining, they were walking back on the trail and the instructor was too far ahead of my daughter, so my husband stayed close right behind her.  He then saw her take a step, just as a Puff Adder snake scurried right between her feet across the path.  Apparently, if you get bit by a Puff Adder, it is an immediate emergency situation for your life.  It makes a rope burn on the leg look like a paper cut.

The truth is that although the instructor may not have been the best, God’s hand was there and I believe that an angel whooshed that snake across the path without it harming my daughter because I had prayed and asked for those angels to be at command to aid my family.

I thanked God over and over every time it came into my head for saving and protecting her.

There are times in our life when we know without a doubt that God saved us and protected us.  But there are probably many more times that God’s hand covered us and we never knew about it.  What about those near accidents that we never even knew He prevented?

I think we should thank Him for those times as well.  I’m sure you know the times in your life when God saved you! You know they are out there, you know they exist, so why not thank Him for His hand on your life, whether you have seen Him in action or not.

Car accidents happen, but sometimes they almost do, but don’t.  Or how about the times when He has set you up to be in just the right place at the right time?

We can thank God for all of the times He helped us, delivered us, protected us, spared us, and gave favor to us, whether we realized He was doing it or not.  

Being thankful, helps us to look at the positives and all of the good things around us.  It makes us grateful people.  It makes us happy people.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Psalms 9:1-2 says, “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.  I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”

It’s always nice to find a new way to pray to spice things up.  So thank Him for what you have seen AND thank Him for what you haven’t seen.  And going one step further, how about thanking Him for all the future things He will do for you to lead and guide you and to help you through life?  He is a good God.

We may not see everything or know everything on this earth, but later in heaven, I believe He will reveal to us all of these saving graces.  But why not thank Him today, instead of waiting until then?

Prayer:  God, I want to thank you for being with me and walking with me in life.  Thank you for all of the moments that you have saved me, spared me, comforted me, provided for me, protected me, had grace over me and gifted me with your blessings, whether I have seen them or not.  I choose not to live only by what I see, but to thank you for all that you have done, all that you are doing behind the scenes for my family and all that you will do.  You are a good God and I will praise you!

Let’s have thankfulness on our lips all day!