It's Thursday, and that means it's time for me to stop for a few minutes and focus on what I have to be thankful for
there's a sign on my dining room table that reads, "Gratitude turns what we have into enough"
and yesterday morning I was reading from Ps. 23, and was once again struck by the statement,
"The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want."
Implied in that statement is the idea that God is enough
the psalmist is expressing his satisfaction with who God is and what He does for him
I'm thankful Jesus is the Good Shepherd
thankful He is a leader
thankful He is a provider
a shepherd doesn't leave his sheep to fend for themselves, or find their own way
in that same way, God is not far off and clueless as to my needs
He is the God who is near
He knows me intimately, every detail, every thought and word, every action
I'm thankful God is all-knowing and all-seeing
I'm thankful He is the giver of every good thing
this morning, in a company meeting, I learned that as of June 13, I will once again be laid off from my job.
As I've processed this throughout the day, I've come to the conclusion that this time is a gift
God is entrusting it to me
and His desire for me is that I would be a good steward of this gift
so I have 4 weeks to prepare
I'm prayerfully considering how to make the most of this time that I will have
I want to use it for God's glory
I'm thankful that financially I am in a position of preparedness for this type of situation
thankful I don't have to worry about that part of the equation
I was sharing with a brother this evening that my bigger concern is with not self-destructing during a period of a lack of routine
I'm thankful I have brothers who stand with me and support me in standing firm
I'm thankful I have God's word to lean on and learn from
I'm thankful God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever
He is unchanging, unshakable; He is mighty to save
He is the way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness
I'm so grateful He has made a way for me to be in relationship with Him
thankful He drew me out of darkness into His marvelous light
thankful He removed the scales from my eyes so that I can see Him and know Him
I'm thankful He always keeps His word
there's a peace that comes in the midst of the storm when Jesus is in the boat with me
and His promise is that He will never leave me or forsake me
I just need to trust Him!
