12 DAYS OF THANKSGIVING : Day 5: Thankful for Health and Strength

 Isaiah 40:31“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint.”

Health is something we often overlook until it is threatened. Strength is something we forget to appreciate until we feel weak. Yet every single day that we wake up with breath in our lungs and the ability to move, think, walk, work, and live we are witnessing the mercy and power of God.

The Gift We Carry Every Day

Many people woke up today in hospital beds.
Others are fighting battles we cannot see
in their bodies, minds, or emotions.
If you are breathing, standing, healing, recovering, or still trying again today…
that is something to thank God for.

Strength is not just physical.
Sometimes strength is the courage to get out of bed.
Sometimes strength is the resilience to keep believing.
Sometimes strength is choosing joy when life feels heavy.

God’s promise is not that we will never grow tired 
but that He will renew us when we do.

Renewed Strength, Not Just Human Strength

Isaiah 40:31 tells us that those who wait upon the Lord will:

• Rise like eagles — above storms and fear.

• Run without growing weary — grace that sustains.

• Walk without fainting — strength for the journey.

This is supernatural strength 
not from food, or vitamins, or willpower,
but from the Spirit of God within us.

So today we say:

• Thank You, Lord, for the breath in my lungs.

• Thank You for every healed moment, every recovered step, every restored part of my story.

• Thank You for strength when I should have collapsed.

• Thank You for renewing me again and again.

Living Thankfully

Being thankful for health and strength means:

• Taking care of our bodies and souls, knowing they are gifts.

• Choosing rest and trusting God rather than overworking.

• Encouraging others who are in moments of weakness.

• Remembering that every heartbeat is a testimony.

Every inhale is grace.
Every step is evidence.
Every tomorrow is a miracle.

Conclusion

If God has carried you through sickness, fatigue, heartbreak, depression, pain, or exhaustion
then you have experienced His renewing strength.

Let today’s thanksgiving rise from that truth:
I am alive. I am strengthened. I am held by God.