Join Me Today In Saying Thank You, God, For All That You Have Allowed And Not Allowed In Our Lives This Year. Anxiety Is Running High This Week, Calm Us Lord. We Have Managed To Say, “Thank You” To Everyone We Know Yet, We Have Forgotten To Thank You...

 

Today: Join Me In Saying Thank You To Our Heavenly Father!

Join Me Today In Saying Thank You, God, For All That You Have Allowed And Not Allowed In Our Lives This Year. Anxiety Is Running High This Week, Calm Us Down Lord. We Have Managed To Say, “Thank You” To Everyone We Know, Even To People We Do Not Know, It’s Customary For Us. Yet, We Have Forgotten To Thank You Daily, That’s Unless You Have Given Us Something We Prayed For. Why?

Many Times As Children And Followers Of Jesus Christ, We Remember To Thank Him When He Has Answered Our Prayer Request Or Fulfilled Something That We Asked For. This Should Not Be. Our Praise & Thank You's To God Should Always Be In Our Mouth And On Our Lips.

Dear God, Is there a name greater or higher than Your Name? NO!!!. Thank You for another day. Father, we pray that Your Will be done this week. Settle us and remind us that there is nothing out of Your control.You are the source of all good things, and we praise You for the simple things that bring us joy. Help us keep our eyes on You this day and every day so our lives may be filled with praise and joy. And thank You for Your many blessings on us this past year...the ones we have seen, as well as the ones we have not seen. 

Thank you, God, for the times You have said No, they have helped us depend on You so much more. Thank you, God, for unanswered prayer. It reminds us that You know what is best for us, even when our opinion differs. Thank You for the things you have withheld. You have protected us from what we may never realize.

Thank You, God, for the doors You have closed. They have prevented us from going where You would not have us go. Thank you, Lord, for the physical pain You have allowed in our lives. It has helped us more closely relate to Your sufferings on our behalf. 

Thank you, Lord, for the alone times in our lives. Those times have forced us to leaning closer to You. Thank you, God, for the uncertainties we have experienced. They have deepened our trust in You. Thank You, Lord, for the times You came through for us when we did not even know we needed a rescue. Thank You, Lord, for the losses we have experienced. They have been a reminder that You are our greatest gain.

Thank You, God, for the tears we have shed. They have kept our hearts soft and moldable. Thank You, God, for the times we have not been able to control our circumstances. They have reminded us that You are sovereign and on the throne. 

Thank You, God, for Your ability to take what we consider a tragedy and turn it into a treasure. Thank You, God, for those You have called home to be with You. Their absence from this earth reminds us to keep our eyes fixed on heaven. Thank You, God, that we have an inheritance in the heavenly places...something that this world can never steal from us, and we could never selfishly squander. Thank You, God, for the greatest gift You could ever give us: forgiveness through Your perfect Son’s death on the cross on our behalf.

Thank you, God, for the righteousness You credited toward us, through the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a righteousness we could never attain on our own. And thank You not only for our eternal salvation, but for the salvation You afford us every day of our lives as You save us from ourselves, our foolishness, our own limited insights, and our frailties considering Your power and strength. 

Thank You, God, for all that You have allowed and not allowed in our lives this  year. For we commit our lives anew to You this day and ask that You would continue to remind us, throughout this next year, that You are God, You are on the throne, and You are eternally good.

Thank You for your amazing power and work in our lives, thank You for Your goodness and for Your blessings over us. Thank You that You can bring hope through even the toughest of times, strengthening us for Your purposes. Thank You for Your great love and care. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. Thank You that You are always with us and will never leave us. Thank You for Your incredible sacrifice so that we might have freedom and life. Forgive us for when we do not thank You enough, for Whom you are, for all that You do, for all that You have given. Help us to set our eyes and our hearts on You afresh. Renew our spirits, fill us with Your peace and joy.

Thank You, finally, that we can pray in the name of Jesus, who made our access to You—and a personal relationship with You—possible. We love You and we need You, this day, and every day. We give You praise and thanks, for You alone are worthy! In Jesus's Name, Amen.

The Lord is consistently shadowing us with His grace and pouring His blessings upon us every day. Every good gift and every perfect gift are from God (James 1:17). Everything that occurs in our lives is for our good. That does not mean that what happens to us is good but is for our good. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).

We are to give thanks, in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18). No good thing will be withheld from those that walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11). An appreciative heart articulates itself through praise.

Thankfulness is something most people agree is good, but it often remains an abstract positive, something we know is beneficial but cannot necessarily explain why. We teach our kids to say thank you and please, but often forget to treat God with the same respect. We pray, ask, beg, say please and when our desires come to fruition, we forget to come back and say thank You. Seeing the lepers in Luke 17 as an example, only one out of the ten blessed and healed by Jesus came back to express their gratitude.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1Thessalonians 5:18

I must be honest, sometimes it is the "all" in that verse that gets me. Most of us can be thankful, for lots of things, at lots of times, but in "all" circumstances? That can be tough.

"What about when you find yourself suffering illness, or defeat, or you're walking through huge loss...what about when a loved one leaves this world too soon and you still can't see past your tears...or when you've been praying for your prodigal loved one to come home and it seems like the prayers are unanswered...what about when you're discouraged, disillusioned, and struggling with disbelief...or when you're overwhelmed, overextended, and just fighting being over-stressed...what about when the needs mount high and the way doesn't look clear...or when people are cruel, life seems unfair, and the enemy's breathing down your back...what about when the storms come, and the car breaks down, or the air conditioner stops working on a holiday weekend (true story)...

Yes, these are the "all" things that can be hard to find gratitude in, whether it is huge losses or just life irritations. But God's word never changes to fit our circumstances. His Truth rises above our circumstance, so that we can too. He does not say give thanks "for it", but "in it all," for He knows He's building more deeply into our lives and character than He could ever build without the tough times.

We are gaining strength. We are gaining perseverance. We are being reminded that true joy is never based on how we feel or our outside situations. We are understanding that God's ways are bigger, His thoughts are higher, and we can be assured that He holds us in His hands. And He is with us. Always.

No matter what you might be facing, the good news is this, you woke up. He is given us today. And if we are still here, living and breathing, may our every breath bring honor to Him.

Be assured my friend, you never fight the battles alone. Stay strong. Choose joy. Choose to be grateful in it "all." For He is building greatness. He is working things out for good. He hears our prayers, He sees all, and knows all. He has purpose for our pain, and brings hope for our tomorrows...

Grace to you this day.

Recognize today, that the most difficult challenge you are facing right now, may be a greater blessing, as God is working in and through your life in powerful ways. No matter how hard, choose to give Him thanks, in “all” things."

Blessings

J.P. Olson

www.journeyintotheword.com

 

We Don't Pray to Inform God; We Pray to Involve God. God Already Knows What's Going On In Your Life. Give Your Entire Attention To What God Is Doing Right Now. You Must Reach A Place Where You Trust What He Said And Not What You See.

We Don't Pray to Inform God; We Pray to Involve God. God Already Knows What's Going On In Your Life. Give Your Entire Attention To What God Is Doing Right Now. You Must Reach A Place Where You Trust What He Said And Not What You See.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and do not get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." (Matthew 6:34 MSG). Today, many of you have the testimony that everything that could go wrong has gone wrong! 

You must reach a place where you trust what He said and not what you see? If you leave it in God’s hands. I mean, totally leave it in His hands it’s amazing the doors He will open to get what you need accomplished. Know this: trust God, not your circumstances are what matters most. Be content with what and who God has made available for you! It is enough! Sometimes people miss their blessings because they don’t like the help God sends them. 

Any troubles we encounter, we should go straight to God's Word for direction, encouragement & strength. Too many of us continue to struggle because we ignore the instruction manual, which is God's Word.

I have learned that a closed Bible is no good. Like no good! A word for today. You realize that the size of the situation and the size of the need does not change the size of your God at all! The size of your problem will never change the dimensions of your God! What may be too big for you will never be too big for Him! With Him, all things are possible, and they are likewise possible for you too because He's already told you that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you! So, stop listening to the words of your adversary, and start listening to the terms of your Advocate! He is fighting with you, and for you, you will not lose! He ALWAYS Causes Us to Triumph!

Now, Let’s look at Sampson: I already know Samson’s story, but might I ask YOU, “what have you tied up today?” Or better yet, “what have you ALLOWED to tie you up today?” “What/Who have you ALLOWED to bind you, tie you up and hold you back from the work assigned to your hands?” There is absolutely nothing you can walk in, where God is absent!

He’s all I’ve got left” (Lamentations 3:22-24 MSG); 

“For the Lord is always good. He is always loving and kind, and his faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation” (Psalm 100:5 TLB); 

“God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 AMP) 

Make Sure You Are Not Carrying Something God Never Gave You! Your Breaking Point Can Be Your Breakthrough: You Are Called To Overcome Not To Become Overwhelmed! So Today, Unload! If You Don’t Pick A Day To Rest, Your Body Will Pick It For You. 

Are You Exhausted: Know This: GOD IS STILL LOOKING OUT FOR YOU? You are never without His presence, His protection, His provision. Handle what you can handle, then leave the rest in the hands of God. Do not Dare Let the Presence Of This Storm Indicate The Absence of God!

Before a violin can produce music, STRESS must be put on the strings! But pull strings too tightly, and they will SNAP! The same is true of you! Enough stress gets the juices flowing and helps you do what needs to be done, but beyond that, YOU SNAP! And everyone around you knows when it happens because your attitude gets bad, your temper gets short. Your mouth gets reckless, and your moods are swinging in every direction, you become sarcastic and demeaning, you become combative and pit-bull attacking, miserable and painful to be around! This is what happens when too much STRESS causes you to SNAP!

GET REAL WITH GOD: Under stress, a surge of negative emotions can be overwhelming, and unless you unburden your soul before God, you will explode at the wrong people! The Psalmist suggests: "Cast your cares on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall" (Psalm 55:22 NIV); "Trust God, my friends, and always tell Him each one of your concerns. God is our place of safety" (Psalm 62:8 CEV). It is no coincidence that many of the Psalms start with the Psalmist crying out to God for help and end with him rejoicing because he vented his pent-up frustrations! Maybe you should follow his example! "I am so weak that I can hardly write, I cannot read my Bible, I cannot even pray, I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child, and trust" (Hudson Taylor). Sometimes that alone, Is Enough! In other words, stop trying to act like Bionic Woman, 6 million Dollar Man, Superwoman, Superman, and the like. The truth is, you are flesh and blood and a lot more like the Hulk than any other (because one stressor too many and you are going to turn into a green explosion)! I know you are Spirit, and that Spirit has power, but it never diminishes the fact that you are still 100% human, with human limitations!

Think about it: Even Jesus had to deal with human emotions! He was compassionate; angry; greatly distressed; sleepy; in anguish; in pain; sorrowful; grieved; thirsty. He asked others to pray with Him and for Him. He wept. He had to deal with difficult family members, friends, disciples, and enemies. Daily He was confronted with the sick, those with ailments and disease, those in need of sight, hearing, speech, forgiveness. Jesus had a full Human plate, just as many of us have today. And yet He was still humble enough and honest enough to get away by Himself for alone Time with God. The Bible shares, "…Soon a large crowd of people had gathered to listen and be healed of their ailments. As often as possible, Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer." (Luke 5:16 MSG). And this is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing Jesus, the Son of the Living God! And yet, He needed time away because He never allowed His deity to mask his humanity. He shows us how to deal with varying daily struggles and yet be smart enough, human enough, to pull away and say enough. And if He can do it, surely, He desires the very same of us. In fact, in His own words: "Are you tired? Worn out and burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me, and you will recover your life. I will show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I will not lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG) It Sounds to me that God Himself does not mind you getting a little rest in! 

Rest is a weapon given to us by God. The enemy hates it because he wants us always to be stressed and preoccupied. You have permission to rest. You are not responsible for fixing everything that is broken. You do not have to try and make everyone happy. For now, take time for yourself. It's time to replenish." There's a period in a relationship where all you feel is love; and there is going to be a time where all you feel is anger, differences, and distant, and all of that is drowning out love, and I know that you are just going to want to quit. Do not. It is a part of the process; it is all a part of life, love, and happiness.

The Psalmist cried out: "I'm awake all night." (Psalm 77:4) In another translation, the Psalmist lets you know how he feels: "I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord; my life was an open wound that wouldn't heal. When friends said, "Everything will turn out all right," I did not believe a word they said. I remember God—and shake my head. I bow my head—then wring my hands. I am awake all night—not a wink of sleep; I cannot even say what is bothering me. I go over the days one by one; I ponder the years gone by. I strum my lute all through the night, wondering how to get my life together" (Psalm 77:2-6 MSG).  

You must go to the Word as David did. God's Will Is Found In God's Word. Stop Looking For A Sign, And Start Looking For A Verse! The truth is, You Can't Escape All Stress. When life gets overwhelming, remember these four simple things:

(1)  GOD'S STILL LOOKING OUT FOR YOU: I know what it feels like, I know what it looks like, I know what it sounds like, I know what it seems like, and still, I say God is Still Looking Out for You! When things look bad, remind yourself that God's bigger than your problem: "… Do not get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. GOD WILL HELP YOU DEAL WITH WHATEVER HARD THINGS COME UP WHEN THE TIME COMES" (Matthew 6:34 MSG) God has not and will not ever leave you or forsake you! Hebrews 13:5, "…for He has said, "I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!" (AMP) You, my friend, are never alone! You are never without His presence, His protection, His provision. Handle what you can handle, then leave the rest in the hands of God. Remember: YOU said you trust Him… now's the time to prove it! After all, His hands loved you enough to be pierced, nailed, bloodied, and disfigured indeed, and they love you enough to hold you in the midnight hour.

(2)  DON'T QUIT: Every Time you reach the breaking point, it is a test! You have before you a series of choices that will add up to either quitting or persevering through victory. Paul was flogged, thrown into jail, shipwrecked, and run out of town, but he refused to give in to circumstances, and in the end, he was able to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have FINISHED the race, and I have REMAINED FAITHFUL" (2 Timothy 4:7 NLT).  DON'T QUIT! Do not change jobs, change churches, or change spouses! Stick it out and wait for the Lord! He has promised you He has a guaranteed plan for your future: Jeremiah 29:11, "This is GOD's Word on the subject… I will show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I am doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for" (MSG), and last I checked, He Still Cannot Lie, and His Word Still Cannot Fail! ("…God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing His mind. Does He speak and not do what He says? Does He promise and not come through?" (Numbers 23:19 MSG); "…Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don't go back until they've watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They'll do the work I sent them to do, and they'll complete the assignment I gave them." Isaiah 55:8-11 MSG).  So, I reiterate, Don't Quit! No matter how many things are going wrong, God will come through at just the Right Time on your behalf!

(3)  IF IT'S NOT YOURS… DON'T TOUCH IT: Stress comes from micro-managing others and assuming responsibilities that are not yours! Establish healthy boundaries. If you are not sure what is appropriate, ask God to show you. In other words, adhere to His Word: "…mind your own business; do your job. You've heard all this from us before, but a reminder never hurts." (1 Thessalonians 4:11 MSG) MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT CARRYING SOMETHING GOD NEVER HANDED YOU! Selah!

(4) YOUR BREAKING POINT CAN BE YOUR BREAKTHROUGH: Ever heard the expression "hitting the wall?" Well, Runners use it when they are exhausted and feel like giving up. But seasoned athletes know if they push through the pain, they will get their second wind and experience a "runner's high" that will carry them over the finish line! So, don’t let the Overload Overwhelm you; you have a finish line to cross, so get your second wind, finish your assignment, then relax! Remember: You are called to Overcome, not to become Overwhelmed! So today, Unload!

Many of us are still driving along, not realizing that we are Directionally Challenged and Heading For a Crash because we will not slow down.

Isaiah 40:28 says, "Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not grow tired or weary. His understanding is beyond human reach." (CEB) Now, if you did not know, the God you belong to, the God who lives in you, is inexhaustible! And that wonderful word "inexhaustible" is defined as: "of a never-ending supply; incapable of being used up because of its continual abundance; tireless; incapable of being worn out or worn out. This is talking about the God who holds you together when you are ready to fall apart!

His resources and wisdom just never, ever run out, but yours do, and do not feel bad because mine does as well. But as for God, He is never tired or weary! He is the One who created the ends of the earth (and still He is never tired or weary). And no matter what the problem or struggle is, His understanding of it is still beyond human reach. There is nothing we can bring to Him that so perplexes us, will ever stress Him! He can handle anything and everything now; if only we would stop thinking we can as well! God never runs low or runs out, but we do. The good news is that when we do, we still have our connection to Him!

The passage continues, "He gives power to the tired and worn out, and strength to the weak. Even the youths shall be exhausted, and the young men will all give up." (Vss. 29-30 TLB). Any words here that sound like you? "Weary, weak, tired, worn out, exhausted, feeble, faint, no might, stumble, fall?"

Furthermore, what is so attractive about this text is that even the "young" and the "selected" will not be exempt! You would think the young would have nothing to complain about, but the truth is told, life hits hard, and it does not matter what your age! Even the youth will be exhausted, and young men will all give up. And we cannot judge them either. Because you never know what someone's struggle is. You may be 60 and battling diabetes, but believe it or not, there's six-year-old battling cancer and 16-year-old battling addiction. No one is exempt from running on empty! Not even the "select"!

Well, Here's What God Promises To The Overwhelmed And Depleted Person: "But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; they will lift their wings [and rise close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired." (vs. 31).

No Matter What You Are Going Through, God's Grace, Loving-kindness, and Mercy are Sufficient More Than Enough and Always Available REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION! There is nothing you can bring to God that He cannot handle in your life! Nothing that weakens you can weaken Him! His power is more evident and effective IN YOUR WEAKNESS! That is why we can boast because no matter what weakens us, God will always be our reserve of strength! Whether it is divorce, debt, death, or diabetes, God can handle any situation that is draining you!

Now, I do not know about you, but when I go to someone for advice and help, I like to see that they have already sat where I am sitting. And who better to talk to about our weaknesses than One who has experienced weaknesses and overcome it?! This is our God who so desperately wants us to bring our failures, hurts, discouragement, disappointments, stress, and struggles to Him. He wants us to bring Him our weaknesses and emptiness to Him. He desires that we cast every care on Him!

Blessings

J.P. Olson

 

www.journeyintotheword.com