Thankful, Part 2

Philippians 4:4-7, "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! ⁵ Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. ⁶ Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (NLT)

 

It is very easy to become so captured and captivated by all of the events of daily living that we fail to recognize and remember all of the blessings that God has provided for us. I can speak these words from experience as well as observation. Life has a way of grabbing our attention and reminding us of our frailties and weaknesses. But that understanding also opens the door for us to sense the presence of the strength of God which is always greater than our weaknesses. Several times over the past few days I have been reminded that "nothing ever takes God by surprise or catches Him off guard." God is intimately aware of all that is taking place in us as well as against us. Each of us must remember to not allow those "life moments" to move us away from God but allow those moments to move us closer to God.

 

We must remember to be willing to offer thanks to God for all of His blessings and not just those blessings that we mark as "big and important." Each of us will have some of those "big and important" moments but we will also have those daily moments in which we see the revelation of the presence and provision of God. It is during those moments that we do not need to fail to offer our praise and thanksgiving to God. Paul reminds us that thanksgiving opens the door for us to experience the depths of the peace of God which will exceed our ability to understand what is taking place in our heart. These are the moments in which God brings calmness in the midst of our storms. Does anyone else sense the strength and power of this revealed and declared promise of God found in Philippians 4? Let us walk with a heart of thanksgiving and gratitude to God!!!

 

This morning I read some words of a testimony from a sister in the Lord whose name is Sharon Traficanto. She is sharing what God placed in her heart during a recent worship service in their local church. I would like to share a few of her thoughts with you. "During this time I started  thinking about Thanksgiving and I found myself making a mental list and here is part of it. Lord, I know there has been a lot of sickness in my family this year, thank you for being my divine healer. Lord, I know there have been times of sadness and heartache in our family this year, thank you for reminding me that I have the joy of the Lord and no one can take that away. Lord, I know there have been difficult decisions to make this year, thank you for the direction you always give because I know it is the only way that leads to what you want for my life."

 

We can always choose to remember the blessings of God regardless of what circumstances we may have faced or maybe facing at this moment in our life. Take some time today and reflect on the blessings of God and offer Him a word of thanksgiving!