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Abound with Thanksgiving

Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:7

God loves to be praised and He also loves it when we give Him thanks to show our gratitude and appreciation for Who He is and what He’s done.

His precious Word communicates numerous ways and reasons to give thanks:

In prayer

Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Philippians 4:6

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Colossians 4:2 

It’s a good thing

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High… Psalms 92:1

The more we thank the Lord, the more we find to be thankful for.

At church

I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people. Psalms 35:18

In everything

In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

It can be difficult to give thanks in everything. But if we allow Christ to show us, He will open our eyes to see His love for us through all the trying situations that come our way.

Before eating

And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Acts 27:35

 Always

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Ephesians 5:20

 For the goodness and mercy of God

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. Psalms 107:1

 For appointment to the ministry

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 1 Timothy 1:12 

Whether you preach, teach a Sunday school class, volunteer in the nursery, lead worship, play an instrument, work the sound or media, or clean the church, thank the Lord for your ministry.

For victory

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14

Notice this scripture says God always causes us to triumph in Christ. One way or another, He will bring victory into your life and we can be thankful for it.

Blessings to you as you abound with thanksgiving!

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Give and it shall be Given

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over… Luke 6:38

I learned as a young child the blessing in paying tithes. I witnessed my mother give to our church faithfully and I also saw how God would bless our family in unexpected ways for her faithfulness.

So when I made the commitment to serve the Lord, tithing came naturally.

The blessings related to tithing I read in scripture led me to believe that giving 10% of my earnings was actually an honor and privilege since God let me keep the remaining 90%!

 I experienced financial difficulties many times in my life as a single parent. And one of the things that brought me out of each one was the assurance in His Word:

 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Because of the blessings related to giving in Luke 6:38, I made up my mind to make this a priority regardless of the circumstances in my finances.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. II Corinthians 9:7

Here are just a few ways the Lord blessed me financially and I believe with all my heart it is because of obedience to God’s Word about tithing:

  1. I received unexpected raises time and time again.
  2. Our family never went hungry. (I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Psalm 37:25)
  3. Car repairs paid for and just when I needed a car, God would provide a new one.
  4. Doors to new jobs were immediately opened when I was laid off.
  5. Clothes and shoes were provided to me and my children by individuals who didn’t even know we needed anything.

This list doesn’t compare to the blessings of the Lord’s peace, protection, guidance, assurance, help and so much more that He has blessed our family with.

I’m not saying that the Lord will not bless you if you do not give but I am saying that God will fulfill His Word and bless you overflowing when you do give.

Tithing is a powerful part of our worship to our Lord Jesus who is a faithful Provider and He’s more than enough!

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A Sunset and a Billboard

Sunset on the water

For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great…saith the Lord of hosts. Malachi 1:11

I don’t have many items on my bucket list. But the one thing that is at the very top is to see a glorious sunset on the ocean water.

Driving home from work one evening, I see a new billboard in the distance displaying a sunset on the water.

My delight immediately turns into horror the closer I get to it. The company advertised their logo as the sun’s reflection in the water.

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Healing is Here

The Healer is Here

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. III John 1:2

When we read and study God’s Word about healing, we immediately think of physical healing. But there is another aspect of our wellness that is just as important to God and that is our emotional health.

A precious woman of God once told me of how she was instantly healed from all her emotional wounds and scars. Since God is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11), I began seeking Him for instant emotional healing that I desperately wanted and needed. 

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Beauty in the Thorns

 

…there was given to me a thorn in the flesh… II Corinthians 12:7

Roses are beautiful, fragrant and the most popular flower ordered to demonstrate love. Yet not far beneath the stunning beauty of the petals lie unsightly and prickly thorns that can cause excruciating pain and penetrate the skin to draw blood.

God uses the illustration of thorns in His Word to describe people who trouble His children. I have had the privilege to work with a few of these thorns. I say a privilege because of all that I learned through each one of them.

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Praying for the Prodigal

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. Luke 15:24

Note: The following narrative was written with my son’s consent.

I sat there in the prayer room unable to exhale for fear of an anxiety attack. It was an emergency phone call from my oldest adult son and it was about to change the way I prayed for him.

My son knew I was in a church service, so for him to be calling meant it had to be urgent. Urgent was an understatement. This was a matter of life and death. Literally. My beloved firstborn son was calling to tell me goodbye, that he loved me and that he was sorry for the choices he made.

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Ready to Fight

Ready to fight

 

Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Psalm 24:8

I was bullied in Jr. High and High School. I wasn’t the type of person who would fight back verbally or physically and there were some mean girls I went to school with who knew it.

I would get picked on and made fun of and I would act as if it didn’t bother me. I was pushed down the hallways, at the bus stop and on the walk home from the bus stop. And yet I did nothing to retaliate. Then one day, I’d had enough.