Thankful Thursday

"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life."

I've been doing some study in the book of 1 John recently

There seems to be a central theme of knowing in John's letter

The word know is used 40 times in this book of 104 verses!

In Proverbs we read, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."  9:10

I'm thankful God has chosen to reveal Himself to us

He does this in so many ways

all of creation shouts forth His praise

His glory is clearly seen in the beauty of the sunrise and sunset, and in the night sky filled with brilliant stars

He has given us His word, which describes Him in vivid details

and He gave us the God/man, His beloved Son, Jesus

I'm thankful He has opened my blind eyes to see Him

Thankful He called me out of darkness into His marvelous light

I'm thankful for friends who encourage me in my walk with God

thankful we are not called to be lone rangers, but to live in communion with God and with His people

I'm thankful for prayer

thankful God's Spirit guides me in how to pray

thankful Jesus is continually praying for me

and grateful He invites me to give my burdens to Him

When life hits hard, I know I can run into His embrace

Thankful Thursday

I was reading an article about contentment this evening

the author was referring to Paul's comments in Philippians 4

One of his points was to practice thankfulness, and he asked the question, "How often do we actually stop and count our blessings?"

I could truthfully answer, "Everyday." to that question

I'm grateful for my daughter getting me into the habit of spending some concentrated time on Thursday evenings to focus on thankfulness

but I'm also thankful God has helped me to see the need for gratitude as a way of life

it makes such a difference in my perspective

He helps me to see opportunity in every circumstance

as I practice living out Phil. 4:6 which says,

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God."

I have discovered that there is always something for which I can be thankful

no matter what circumstances I find myself in, or what obstacle I might be facing

no matter who gets on my nerves or opposes me

God consistently reminds me of His grace

He proclaims His presence

He wraps His arms of love around me

and I realize how thankful I am that I have a heavenly Father who knows everything about me and promises to never leave me or forsake me

He gives me wisdom when I'm at a loss and call out for His help

He provides a way of escape when I'm facing temptation that appears overwhelming

He renews my strength when I take time to wait on Him because I just can't go on

He gives rest to my weary and burdened soul

I am so grateful I don't walk this road of life alone

not only is God present with me, but He has blessed me with family and friends to share it with

I'm thankful for the brothers in Christ who I have the privilege of engaging with and who help to stimulate me toward love and good deeds

I'm thankful for a loving wife who speaks life giving words to me everyday

I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit who is a helper, teacher, and guide 

I'm thankful for Jesus, my Redeemer, Savior, and Lord who offered Himself as the Supreme Sacrifice for sin; who now sits at the right hand of the Father praying for me

Every time I see the sun coming up in the morning, every time I enjoy a beautiful sunset, I'm reminded that God is still in control, still overseeing His creation, still providing just what I need for today

and I'm thankful!

Thankful Thursday

For Americans, today was Independence Day

For Christians, every day is dependence day

I've been set free by the blood of Christ and no longer fear the death penalty for my sins,

but walking in that freedom requires complete and continual dependence on God.

I stand in His strength; I can't lean on my own understanding

I'm thankful for freedom

thankful fear has no place in my life

I'm grateful God reveals the enemy's lies when I listen to Him

I'm thankful for time to spend with family today

I'm thankful for music

the sound of the birds singing in the morning is such a neat way to begin the day

and sitting down at the piano, playing and singing or just making up music as I go is refreshment for my soul.  Often prayer is a part of that process as well

I'm thankful God is a Father who communicates with me as His son

He often directs me in how to pray

I'm thankful for the many ways I see Him responding to my talks with Him on a daily basis

He is a God who is near and not far off

and I gratefully abide