Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good, and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. Amen (Psalm 100)
Today: Join Me In Saying Thank You To Our Heavenly Father!
Dear God, Thank You for another day. 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 & 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 past 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; Name, Amen.
A few days ago, we celebrated Thanksgiving. A week sanctioned and scheduled by the government. But there is a divinely scheduled Thanksgiving Day. Does anyone know when it is? It is today-and tomorrow, and the next day. Daniel 6:20 says, Daniel was on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God. Every day was Thanksgiving for Daniel and should be for us as well. Colossians 3:15 says, and be thankful; Romans 1:21 says Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their indignations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
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 can confront even troublesome conditions with thanksgiving. 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.thewordwithjpolson.com
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