“Praise be to you, Lord,
the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-13
Category: Thankful
Rejoice!
No matter what this day holds, no matter what or whom we encounter, no matter the circumstances, the surprises, the joys or the hurts, our righteous God is the creator of this day. He has already been here, He knows what it holds, and He has made provision for us through it all. Let us keep that awareness in our hearts as we walk through today (and tomorrow…), holding His hand, praising and trusting Him as we go.
Thank you, Father, for your great, great love towards us!
A Sacrifice of Praise
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.
Psalm 107:21-22
No matter our condition or circumstances in life, we have all been given the opportunity be children of the Father of Heaven and Earth through His Son, Jesus Christ. In and through Him we are given access to the very throne room of God. We have been given favor by the Almighty King, the God who owns the cattle on a thousands hills. We have the heart of the God who is the source of all love, the God who has poured out His cornucopia of unlimited blessings on all who turn to Him in faith. He has lavished on us every good thing in faith, joy, peace and His very life which will carry us on forever.
And for that and so much more, we have the privilege of offering up to Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
May you be filled to overflowing with the full knowledge of the blessing you’ve received in Him and offer up to our Father a sacrifice of great praise!
Happy Thanksgiving,
Thankful Thursday – Forgiven
“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.’
Jesus answered him, ‘Simon, I have something to tell you.’
‘Tell me, teacher,’ he said.
‘Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’
Simon replied, ‘I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.’
‘You have judged correctly,’ Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.’
Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.'” Luke 7:36-48
Nothing gets by Jesus, right? The Pharisee thought he was talking to himself, but Jesus knew what was in his heart: judgement. Legalism never leaves room for love.
He knew what was in the woman’s heart, too: repentance. She came face to face with the Son of God. His glory and grace, in contrast to her sins, brought her to her knees in repentance and humility so much that it spilled out into her actions without a care what people thought. She worshipped Him with all she had.
I’ve been forgiven for much, too. I’ve been called a fanatic for my faith, and by someone who called himself a Christian. But I don’t care. Christ was fanatical about His love for me as He allowed Himself to be arrested, “tried”, and crucified, all for my sins. My only argument with my critic is that I’m not fanatical enough. Christ gave me His life. Is my all too much to give in return? Never.
In His Grace,
Bountifully, Abundantly, Eternally Good
I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.
The Lord upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.
Psalm 145
The Secret of Contentment
“But godliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6
It’s a strange juxtaposition in which we believers find ourselves. We are filled with Spirit of God Himself, bringing heaven down to earth and all the godly riches available to us with such a glorious gift, and yet at the same time we are still on this earth, saddled with these fleshly bodies, so prone to temptation, walking among earthly riches, seeing, smelling, contemplating, desiring…
The flesh and the spirit are at war.
But Paul reminds us that while godliness is good, godliness with contentment is greater. It is gain.
Holidays are supposed to be a joyous time, but they can be especially rough on some who have suffered a loss of some kind. The days when seemingly everyone else is rejoicing can be a magnifier for those losses or unfulfilled expectations.
But a magnifying glass only magnifies that on which we are solely focused. And when we focus the magnifying glass on the world and its temptations, even on those things that aren’t necessarily bad, but God has simply, in His wisdom and grace and mercy, not given them to us, then our focus becomes lust and envy.
We become discontent.
Contentment means we have moved the magnifying glass to focus on our Lord and Savior. We’re focused on Christ and God’s Spirit working in our lives, even through those losses, and have found we have all we need, and even more, to live an abundant life right here and right now.
In Philippians 4:11-12 Paul declared “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”
And what is that secret to being content?
He doesn’t leave us wondering; in the next breath he tells us “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
No matter what our circumstances, and we are all in some kind of circumstances–don’t let the enemy tell you that everyone else’s life is perfect and yours isn’t—Jesus Christ gives us strength, not just to endure, but to thrive, to be spiritually well-fed and well-clothed, to have all our physical needs met to the glory of His Name, the magnification of His goodness and faithfulness.
In the world there is always something more to want, something more to chase after. Just like we can stuff ourselves silly on Thanksgiving only to be hungry again two hours later, the world will never satisfy. But the overflowing, never-ending, treasure of God will satisfy the soul because that’s what we’re created for.
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” 2 Cor. 9:8
The same word that is “contentment” in 1 Timothy 6:6 is used as “sufficiency” here in 2 Corinthians.
Contentment–magnifying Christ in our hearts and minds–knowing He is sufficient for all our needs and able to work through those difficult or even impossible situations, watching Him move every mound of dirt until our mountain is thrown into the sea, will bring us a satisfaction that no amount of earthly riches ever will.
Contentment means we don’t have to worry about our needs because God’s got it covered. We can come off the sidelines of dismay as we realize the eternal treasures that are ours in the Lord and the strength we receive frees us to carry on, faithfully doing the good work He has carved out for us to do.
In His Good Grace,
How to Pray
Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1
It was a wise request, and we would be wise to ask it, too.
So what did the Lord say?
“When you pray, say:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”
Luke 11:2-4
A lot of people take this instruction literally, and this is the only prayer they pray. But God doesn’t want us to just recite words; He wants our hearts. Prayer is not getting God to do what we want, but it’s a gracious open door of communication so that God can show us His will and change the rhythm of our hearts to beat with His. Jesus gives His disciples, us included, a peek into God’s heart through this prayer. So let’s unpack it just a little a bit and see how we are to pray.
“When you pray, say:”
This word prayer means worship. Prayer is not a time to jump in, ask for a bunch of things, and leave. It’s a time where we enter into worship of the Most High God.
“Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.”
These two sentences are very telling.
Jesus introduces the radical notion that we have the privilege of calling God our Father. He is closer to us than some impersonal God “way up there.” He loves us as a parent loves a child (and even more) and when we go to Him in prayer we can be assured that He hears us and will provide us with every good thing.
At the same time Jesus reminds us our Father is hallowed, or holy. He is not like our earthly fathers. He is sacred, pure, blameless and righteous. Any fears or emotional baggage we may have because of our earthly fathers do not apply to our Heavenly Father. We can trust Him.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
The word kingdom means rule, a realm or a reign. Now that the Holy Spirit has come, we who have put our faith in Christ have the privilege of knowing God not just from the outside, but from the inside. And to properly worship God in prayer we must continually give Him permission to rule our hearts. It’s so easy to take back the reins, if you will.
As we give our hearts to be a kingdom for God to reside, we’ll want His will, not ours. In heaven everything happens God’s way. There is no sin. It is filled with the glory of God and all He is.
In Isaiah 55:8-9, God tells us “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’”
God’s thoughts, desires and will, are all so very different, so much higher than our own. And when we pray that God’s will be done here on earth like it is in heaven, that’ll mean He’s going to shake things up a bit, and it’s going to start with changing our hearts. Are you willing to let God do radical things in and through you?
“Give us day by day our daily bread.”
God doesn’t give us what we’ll need tomorrow today. He gives us what we need today today, so we need to go to Him every day.
Not only do we need to get physical bread—food, and even on a broader scale, physical or material needs–but we need spiritual bread.
Most of us would never think of going a day (or even a few hours!) without eating. We need to be spiritually fed as often.
“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’” John 6:35
Jesus is our sustenance. As we remain in Him, He will bless us with everything we need.
“And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.”
When we hold unforgiveness (or any sin) in our hearts, whether we’re resisting repenting of our own sins or forgiving someone who has sinned against us, we put up a wall between us and God.
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
Ask God to bring to your mind those things you need to specifically repent of, and the people you need to forgive. There are times that past, hurtful situations come to my mind and it’s easy to sit and stew in the anger all over again. But those are divinely-inspired opportunities to forgive someone who may have slipped from our consciousness, but God knows that anger is creating a root of bitterness, and He brings them to our minds to give us a chance to forgive. We may have temporarily forgotten, but God hasn’t. He knows the destruction it causes in our hearts. Remember, forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling.
“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
This literally means to rescue us from the evil one–the one seeks to steal, kill and destroy. We’ve repented of our sins and the last thing we want to do is rush right back into sin through the temptations we face. We need discipline and as we hold onto the Lord, He will give us the strength and courage we need.
The concise way of saying all that is to remember ACTS:
Adoration – praising God for all He is
Confession – repenting of, or turning away from our sin
Thanksgiving – thanking God for all He’s done, all He does and all He will do
Supplication – presenting our needs before the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills
This is a good guideline to get our hearts right as we enter into worship so we don’t get a case of the “gimmes.” You know, give me this and give me that.
The National Day of Prayer uses this acronym:
Praise
Repent
Ask
Yield.
And just as important as knowing what to say, is knowing how to be silent. To sit before God and let Him speak to our hearts is a precious gift indeed.
God bless you as you pray,
More Than Just Thankful
It was November, 1982 and I was on a Greyhound bus headed for Ohio. I’d be spending the holidays away from my family. I was 19. Two years before I’d been asked to leave home one night and I’d been running ever since. I had a lot to run from, but to where, or who, I didn’t know.
My boyfriend at the time knew a couple there, who, coincidentally or not, pastored a church. How he knew them I have no idea. We drove up their driveway and stayed in their living room for the next month and a half.
If I felt lonely before, I felt even lonelier now. I was almost 2000 miles from home, spending some very cold days in strange house while everybody was off during the day.
Thanksgiving came and went, and the days and nights got even colder.
Something settled in my chest and I couldn’t stop coughing. Nights were the worst, and it was a small house. I lay there night after night, thinking I just might cough up a lung, and all I wanted was for someone to take care of me.
It was Christmas day and we tagged along to the wife’s parents’ house. I sat in the living room staring at the activity, knowing I didn’t belong. I asked to use the phone.
I called home and my little sister answered the phone. I told her where I was and we both started crying. She begged me to come home. I wanted to, but did I belong there? Did I belong anywhere?
My mother got on the phone and tried to convince me she wanted me to come back. She said she’d send the money. I told her I didn’t know. Staying was painful, but going back would be painful, too.
The couple we were staying with had bought a home in town. We began helping them move, and they began dropping hints that once they were in the new house, we needed to find another place to stay.
I supposed it was time to go home, and back on the bus we went.
And I was thankful.
A lot happened in the next six years. There would be a lot more running, but to where, or who, I didn’t know.
There would come a day when I’d find out.
It was a Sunday morning and my husband and I had been invited to church. We took our 6-month-old son, walked through the sanctuary into a tiny gathering of people who met in a few rented rooms in a strip mall, and I found the Lord.
I know people like to say God finds us, but God knew where I was all along. He was with me on the bus and in Ohio. He was with me all the time I was running.
And I’m thankful.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
In the world I had only a general feeling of thankfulness, but no one to direct my gratitude to.
Now I am more than just thankful. I know who I have to be thankful to.
I know who was responsible for every sunrise and sunset I continued to see against all odds. I know who walked with me and whose grace and mercy covered me as I roamed the streets of a town I didn’t know. I know who healed me when there were no doctors.
And I know He was with me as I got a job as a front-desk receptionist at a computer company who had a lawyer whose calls I would answer, who would eventually steal me away to be the front-desk receptionist at his law firm, where two women worked who went to church together in a tiny congregation that met in a few rented rooms in a strip mall.
I know it’s God, my God, my Savior and my Lord, who has blessed me with all things. Even when I didn’t know it.
And I’m thankful.
A Father’s Day We’ll Never Forget
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b
It was Sunday morning, Father’s Day. I woke up with plans of hearing a good message at church, and then spending some precious family time together, grilling, maybe watching a movie. Just relaxing. But that day would soon be anything but relaxing.
My husband was already up, and a minute or two after I’d gotten up he looked at me with a slight grin and told me our son hadn’t come home. He’d left the night before, presumably to hang out with some friends. One particular friend came to mind and I figured he’d gone there and just decided to stay the night. He’d probably be home any minute.
My husband began texting him, and we waited. He texted again. Still nothing.
“Forget the texting.” I said, and I made a mad dash to my phone and started to punch in the number, but my husband was already calling. He finally answered, and the side of the conversation I heard I didn’t like.
“Where are you?” my husband said.
He suddenly had a confused look on his face. “What’s around you?”
Panic started to form a lump in my throat.
A few more minutes of their back and forth and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I pleaded to talk with him. I asked him all the same questions. “Where are you? What do you mean you don’t know where you are? Are you still driving?”
“Yes.”
We lost our phone connection. I couldn’t imagine where he was or how he’d gotten there. And the scariest thing was, neither could he.
I finally got him on the phone again. He thought he was on his way to a certain town. That couldn’t be. It was so far away. He kept saying his face hurt. His phone cut out again.
We looked at each other and wondered out loud if he really could be on a road so far away from home. And why did his face hurt?
After another 20 minutes or so of 30-second conversations between being cut off, he said he was passing a sign with the name of the town he was entering. Yes, he really had been headed in that direction, away from home.
He said he was almost out of gas and we were sure his phone was ready to die. He said he was pulling into a gas station to fill up. I prayed with him and told him to stay there. We were coming to get him.
He said he just wanted to get back on the road and come home. His face hurt.
I knew I’d have to call on my “mom voice” and demand that he stay put.
“Are you on the road?” I said.
“Yes. I just want to come home.”
“Turn around and park and stay there! We are on our way.”
The tone and decibel level of my voice told him I meant business. He turned around and parked in a parking lot by a certain restaurant and that gave my husband just enough information to know where he was.
We both ran around the house grabbing ice, water, ibuprofen. I asked friends to be praying for us. And in minutes we were in the car driving the almost two-hour trip out of town to get our son. The trip was taking too long. I had to remind myself to breathe.
We finally got there, searched the parking lot for a minute and spotted his car. All three of us hugged. His face was scraped up and a corner of his tooth had been left on a sidewalk somewhere, but he was okay. We took him to the emergency room around the corner to have him checked out. His CT scan came back fine, but we figured he must have had a slight concussion.
When we got back home my husband was able to map out his route with the few landmarks he could remember, which included a dirt road, cows and an Indian reservation.
The worst part of looking at that map was knowing that in order for him to get where he was, he had to have taken the road we took–a road that for miles and miles wound around some mountains and had plenty of drop-offs. Even when we showed him the route he must have taken, he still didn’t remember. 
It was nothing short of a miracle that he had made that three-hour drive. Many miracles, in fact. A miracle he didn’t get into an accident. A miracle he didn’t fall asleep. A miracle he didn’t run out of gas. A miracle his phone didn’t die. A miracle he didn’t drive off the side of a mountain.
His tooth was fixed and his face is healing well. He had been goofing around with a friend, jumped on his back and they both fell onto the sidewalk. He apparently cushioned his friend’s blow.
Course we had to ask him if he stopped along the way to go cow-tipping. We got a bit of a grin out of him.
My prayers for the next week or two consisted mainly of two words—“Thank you.” I knew we’d been gifted with a great deal of grace that day. The day wasn’t relaxing, we missed church and there was no movie. But we had the best Father’s Day we could have. We’d been given the gift of more time with our son. So much better than any old tie.
We don’t always have such a dramatic reminder of God’s constant presence, but He’s there just the same. No matter where we go or what we do, He’s with us. And even when we don’t know where we are, He does, and He’s there.
Always.