Thankful Thursday

I've been meditating on verses lately that talk about hope

this word has an entirely different meaning in Scripture than the way it is used by people today

Someone might say, "I hope it doesn't rain today."  or, "I hope I get a nice bonus this year."

in the first case, they might be thinking they want the weatherman to be wrong

in the second, there's an expressed desire for something they don't have yet

but the hope of the believer is Christ, the One who never disappoints, never fails, always points us to the Father

He is the "hope of glory" as we are told in Col. 1:27

the author of Hebrews puts it this way, "This hope we have an an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast..." 6:19

This is not a description of wishful thinking

It is our anchor; HE is our anchor

I am so thankful my soul is anchored in Christ!

as the hymn writer puts it, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness"

there is power in the blood!

I'm so thankful for the cleansing power of Jesus' blood

It washes me and makes me whiter than snow

It guarantees me sonship

I know beyond any doubt that I will one day be in the presence of God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, without any fear

In that moment He will see me, not as the sinful man that I am, but as a chosen son, covered by the blood of His Beloved Son!

Now that is something to be thankful for!!

I'm thankful for the peace of God that guards my heart and mind

I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit, the pledge of my inheritance

Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians that I am sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit of promise; 1:13

and although there have been times when I have made promises that I didn't keep

God has never failed to follow through on His promises

I'm thankful God is not like me

thankful His ways are much higher than my ways

I'm grateful He loves me with an everlasting love

I'm thankful He is faithful and His mercies are new every morning

as I remind myself off these things, I have hope

so thankful!  Not just on Thursday, but every day; every minute of every day!