Thankful Thursday

my God is a provider

I see this clearly in so many ways

especially on nights like this, when the temperature outside has plummeted

I'm thankful for His provision of shelter and heat

I'm thankful for warm clothing

as I look out my window on a winter wonderland

I'm thankful God provides strength

I did a lot of shoveling today

I had to shovel our driveway so that I could go to work

when I got to my job site, I had to shovel out a spot for parking my van and then shovel the public sidewalk of the house I was working at

I'm thankful for the job God has provided; thankful for the way He uses it to meet our financial needs

speaking of needs,

I'm thankful God provides for my spiritual needs

thankful He sent His Son into this world to be the Savior who paid the debt for my sin

He tells me in His word that He has given me everything I need for life and godliness

that is a powerful statement, and one filled with promise

I'm thankful for life, thankful God woke me up this morning

thankful He provided breath in my lungs

thankful for His design of my body

thankful for a heart that beats, sending oxygen filled cells throughout

and I'm thankful God has given me a new heart

thankful He took away my cold stony heart that acted in disobedience to Him

thankful He gives me the desire to know Him and love Him

I'm thankful for music

thankful God gives me songs of praise to express my love for Him

thankful for the creativity to capture my thoughts and feelings in song

I've been writing a new song this week

it starts out like this:

Now when the fullness of time had come the Father sent forth His Son into this broken world 

He came to give light to people who walked in night that they might find the way

For years they had wandered in darkness and sin not knowing where they should turn

But now God was providing an access for them to enter His eternal home

I'm so thankful that Jesus came

thankful God is my Immanuel

thankful He is for me

Christmas is a reminder of that truth