How can Christians find gratitude during seasons of grief?

Christians can find gratitude in grief by anchoring themselves in God's unchanging character, remembering His promises in Scripture, and reflecting on His faithfulness even in hardship. Gratitude flows from recognizing that the Lord walks with us through suffering and sustains us by His grace.

What helped Dave Jenkins endure a difficult year of personal loss?

Dave Jenkins describes how the Lord strengthened him through the deaths of his father and brother. God’s grace, His Word, and the comfort of knowing his loved ones are with the Lord helped sustain him, along with renewed joy in serving through Servants of Grace.

Why does this article emphasize God's faithfulness?

The article highlights God's faithfulness because His Word promises that He is near to the brokenhearted and sustains His people. Even in seasons of sorrow, God works through suffering to deepen faith, provide comfort, and renew strength for ministry and daily life.

Finding Gratitude in a Year of Grief and God’s Faithfulness

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Finding Gratitude in a Year of Grief and God’s Faithfulness

By Dave Jenkins, Executive Director, Servants of Grace

As I reflect on this past year, I’m reminded how much can happen in a short span of time. This year began with my dad still on hospice care a journey that began in June 2024 and ended when he went to be with the Lord on January 15, 2025. I remember sitting with him in August 2024 to say goodbye. He didn’t remember me at that point, but that wasn’t the point. The point was being there sharing what he meant to me. Those moments remain precious.

Twelve years earlier, my dad had asked if I would do his funeral. I’ll be honest there were times during those years when I dreaded the day, I would be called to keep that promise. But when the time came, the Lord sustained me and strengthened my faith in ways I’ll never forget.

Then, just eight days after burying my dad, I received the call that my older brother had passed away in his sleep and gone home to the Lord. The first months of this year were a whirlwind of grief, shock, and dependence on God’s grace.

Yet even in that season, God was kind. After my dad’s burial, the burden I had carried for so long lifted, and the Lord gave me a renewed joy and energy for the ministry of Servants of Grace. Since then, I’ve poured myself into the work—redesigning the website, revamping all our podcast processes, restructuring major areas of the ministry, and redesigning our Theology for Life magazine. And by God’s grace, there’s more coming. I’m already deep into another major redesign I hope to complete by the end of 2025, Lord willing.

Despite the pain of early 2025, there is so much to be thankful for, and it all begins with the Lord. His goodness and faithfulness are sure because they are rooted in His everlasting and sufficient Word, which points us to our Savior-King, Jesus. Today, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all He has done this past year, and I cannot wait to share more in my end-of-year report. I believe you’ll be amazed by God’s kindness.

For now, I simply want to say: thank you. Thank you for reading, listening, watching, praying, and walking with us. I am genuinely thankful for each of you across the country and around the world who engage with Servants of Grace in so many ways.

May the Lord bless you and your family this Thanksgiving. Please continue to pray for our ministry and for the continued spread of God’s truth through Servants of Grace.

With gratitude,
Dave Jenkins
Executive Director, Servants of Grace

Dave Jenkins( Executive Director )

Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah, and lives in beautiful Southern Oregon. He is a writer, editor, and speaker who loves Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology.

Dave serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries and the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine. He is the Host and Producer of the Equipping You in Grace Podcast and a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word.

He is the author of The War of Worldviews: Truth, Lies, and the Battle for the Christian Mind (Theology for Life, 2026), Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age and The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021).

You can connect with Dave on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or subscribe to his newsletter.

When he is not engaged in ministry work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, going to movies, sharing a meal at a favorite restaurant, or playing a round of golf with friends. He is also a voracious reader, particularly of Reformed theology and the Puritans, and is often found working through a stack of new books from a wide range of Christian publishers.

Dave earned his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.

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