Give Thanks

“16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

In everything give thanks. God has given us a tall order in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Give thanks in everything? What about hard things, hurtful things, impossible things? How do we give thanks for losing a job, losing friends, losing a home, or a dream? 

I have learned to give thanks by faith, not because what has happened is good, but because God is good. He has promised to use all things for our good. Regardless of how bad, hard, painful or scary, He is the great I AM.

I AM able to use that pain.

I AM able to heal that hurt.

I AM able to bring you through this season of loss with gain.

With God, there is always more, always another, always healing. There is life after death, joy after sorrow, and light after dark. One day all things will be made right and we shall see Him as He is. So we give thanks in the now, in the pain and hurt, in the joy and in the peace.

Give thanks in everything.

By Mary Kane

All rights reserved. Copyright 2019

 

 



12 Days of ThanksLiving, Day 11: Boldness

Day 11: Boldness

“But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.” 1 Thessalonians 2:2
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Boldness  [bohld] adjective

.1. not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring: a bold hero.

2. not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; forward; impudent:
3. necessitating courage and daring; challenging: a bold adventure.
I am often confused as to why people associate Christianity with weakness and timidity. The International Society for Human Rights estimates 7,000 to 8,000 Christians are martyred each year.  It takes great boldness to swim against the tide of culture and be what God has created us to be — born-again believers. This ThanksLiving let us remember that God did not save us then leave us to fend for ourselves in a world that is not our home. He did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, sound mind, and love. Because of the gift of His  power, we may live with great boldness, despising persecution and oppression. Read our focus verse for today again. What is the result of suffering? Boldness.
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This ThanksLiving, let’s give thanks  to God for His gift of boldness.

Boldness with Our Gifts: Dearest Father, we thank You for the blessing of boldness. Gifts are meant to be used; not relegated to a shelf  to collect dust. Help us to claim Your gift  as our own, and boldly use it to make disciples, edify other believers, and bring You great glory. Give us  discernment to know when You’re calling us to boldly leap by faith and witness for the Gospel.

Boldness with our Words: Dear Lord, thank You for entrusting us with the Gospel. Help us to faithfully fulfill this amazing privilege. We do not have to worry about what to say because You have given us the words in Your Word. We may boldly proclaim the truth, sowing seeds of salvation in every relationship, situation, and experience we encounter. Help us to boldly speak and trust You for the outcome. Thank You we don’t have to feel bold to be bold.In Jesus’ name. Amen.

More Boldness

Worship with Abandon a blog post by Jane VanOsdol

Comment

Please leave a comment below in the Comment section on what God teaches you today about boldness as we journey through ThanksLiving.

Bold. Dictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sacrifice (accessed: November 15, 2014).

“1 Thessalonians 2 (New King James Version).” Blue Letter Bible. Sowing Circle. Web. 22 Nov, 2014. <http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Psa&c=111&p=0&rl=0&t=NKJV>.



12 Days of ThanksLiving, Day 3: Sacrifice

ThansksLiving SacrificeDay 3: Sacrifice

ThanksLiving: living a thankful life

 “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” Hebrews 10:12

sacrifice: [sak-ruh-fahys]noun; verb

  1. the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.
  2. a surrender of something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable or of preventing some evil
  3. (verb) to surrender or give up, or permit injury or disadvantage to, for the sake of something else.
  4. (verb) to make a sacrifice or offering of.

Please carefully read the definitions above and highlight the sections that mean the most to you.

Sacrifice in the Year of 2020

In this year of 2020, we have seen a demonstration of sacrifice lived out right before us on the part of our health care workers as they have tenderly cared for our Covid patients. Many doctors and nurses have contracted the disease themselves, and sadly, some have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.

Sacrifice for Sin

The first sacrifice for sin was accomplished by God in the Garden of Eden. The last sacrifice for sin was confirmed by Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The road to the cross was paved with sacrifice. Most of the definitions above speak of the giving of One for the sake of another. God gave Jesus, His Son in sacrifice for us (for you , for me) not only because of our great need, but because of His great love.

In this season of ThanksLiving, let’s give thanks to God for those who sacrificed to give us life.

For Jesus: Thank you, God, for giving Jesus as sacrifice for our sin. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, we now live an abundant life.

For Caregivers: Thank  you, Father, for the sacrifice of our caregivers; for their struggle to feed, clothe, love and care for us, often at the expense of their own needs and comfort.

For First Responders: Thank You for those You’ve set in place who sacrifice their comfort and safety to cover us with their protection and service. Give them your strength and courage to go forth in the work You have given them; the defense and care of those in need.

For Health Care Workers: Thank you, Father, for the tireless service and ministry of health care workers,  who often risk their own health for the healing of others.

For Teachers: Father in heaven, thank you for teachers who are often underpaid and overworked. Many teachers give from their own resources to supply their classrooms, and provide food and clothing for their  students. Give teachers rest and peace this ThanksLiving season.

More Sacrifice

Please click on a link for more information on sacrifice.

Serving Others an article by Joyce Meyer Ministries

A Servant’s Heart a short Bible study by Mary Kane

Sacrifice  a blog post by Jane VanOsdol

 

Comment

Please leave a comment below on what God teaches you today about sacrifice in the Comment section.

sacrifice. Dictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sacrifice (accessed: November 15, 2014).

all rights reserved. copyright 2017



12 Days of ThanksLiving, Day 1: Light

Day 1: Light

“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:5

 light1 [lahyt] noun 

1. the medium of illumination that makes sight possible
2. mental understanding or spiritual insight
3. the radiance or illumination from a particular source:
4. a person who is an outstanding leader, celebrity, or example; luminary:
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Let there be light. God’s first act of creation was to create light. This makes sense as God is the Father of Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. Despite our modern age and technologically advanced society, an estimated 1.5 billion people in the world today live without electric light. When was the last time we entered into the mindset of ThanksLiving for the light we easily access with the flip of a switch?
Light helps us see where we are walking, avoid danger, create, work, play, and read. Without light there would be no life. How can we be so careless of something  so essential? We are never more thankful for something than when we’ve had to do without it for a while. Remember the last power outage at your house? This Thanksgiving, let’s give thanks to the Father of Lights.
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 Pray for light

  1.  Do you have any dark areas in your life? Since darkness cannot exist in the presence of light, find a Bible verse that applies to a current area of challenge or temptation  and pray the light of God’s Word into your trial.
  2. Pray for God’s light to shine on the next step for your life, and the lives of your loved ones.
  3. Pray for the lost of the world to accept the Light of the World.

More Light

Do you want to go a little deeper in your study of light? Click on the link below.

Walking in Love, Light, and Wisdom

Comment

Please leave a comment below on what God teaches you today about light in the Comment section. We’d love to here from you!

light. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/light (accessed: November 12, 2014).

all rights reserved. copyright2017.



The 12 Days of Thanks Giving: Day 12

Pump OBP Header 12Day 12:The Presence

“And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Exodus 33:14

 

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Presence  [prez–uh ns] noun

1. the state or fact of being present, as with others or in a place.
2. attendance or company
3. immediate vicinity; proximity
4. a divine or supernatural spirit felt to be present :
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In the Garden of Eden man walked in the very Presence tabernacle-ing within man. The Hebrew word for presence is paniym, which means face, surface, presence. I have been very familiar with this Hebrew word for many years and smugly thought I knew all about it … until I researched it for this study. I stopped in wonder when I discovered paniym also means, “before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before, to the front of …” Amazing.
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Why can we be at rest? Why can we be at peace? Because He is with us, guiding us, protecting us, leading us, holding us in the palm of his hands.  God’s presence is all over us and all in us. His Presence brings us rest. This holiday season, when we are feeling rushed and stressed, we don’t need to seek peace; we need to seek Presence.
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 More Presence
 
Morning Prayer a beautiful article by Jane VanOsdol
Bring Me Back an insightful poem by Logan Black
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 Thank you for joining us during this season of Thanks Giving. May your day be blessed!
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Comment

Please leave a comment below in the Speak Your Mind section on what God teaches you today about Presence.

 

 

presence. Dictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sacrifice (accessed: November 15, 2014).

“Exodus 33 (New King James Version).” Blue Letter Bible. Sowing Circle. Web. 22 Nov, 2014. <http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Psa&c=111&p=0&rl=0&t=NKJV>.



The 12 Days of Thanks Giving: Day 11

Pump OBP Header 12Day 11:Boldness

“But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.” 1 Thessalonians 2:2

.

Boldness  [bohld] adjective

.

1. not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring: a bold hero.
2. not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; forward; impudent:
3. necessitating courage and daring; challenging: a bold adventure.
I am often confused as to why people associate Christianity with weakness and timidity. The International Society for Human Rights estimates 7,000 to 8,000 Christians are martyred each year.  It takes great boldness to swim against the tides of culture and be what God has created us to be — born again believers. Thankfully God did not save us then leave us to fend for ourselves in a world that is not our home. He did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, sound mind, and love. Because of the gift of His  power, we may live with great Boldness.
.
 

This Thanksgiving, let’s give thanks  to God for His gift of boldness.

Boldness with Our Gifts: Dearest Father, we thank You for the blessing of boldness. Gifts are meant to be used; not relegated to  a shelf  to collect dust. Help us to claim Your gift  as our own, and boldly use it to make disciples, edify other believers, and bring You great glory. Give us  discernment to know when You’re calling us to boldly leap by faith and witness for the Gospel. We pray in Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

Boldness with our Words: Dear Lord, thank You for entrusting us with the Gospel. Help us to faithfully fulfill this amazing privilege. We do not have to worry about what to say because You have given us the words in Your Word. We may boldly proclaim the truth, sowing seeds of salvation in every relationship, situation, and experience we encounter. Help us to boldly speak and trust You for the outcome. Thank You we don’t have to feel bold to be bold. Amen.

 

More Boldness

Worship with Abandon a blog post by Jane VanOsdol

 

Comment

Please leave a comment below in the Speak Your Mind section on what God teaches you today about boldness.

Bold. Dictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sacrifice (accessed: November 15, 2014).

“1 Thessalonians 2 (New King James Version).” Blue Letter Bible. Sowing Circle. Web. 22 Nov, 2014. <http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Psa&c=111&p=0&rl=0&t=NKJV>.