Day 4: God’s Word

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

God’s word [wurd] noun

1. the Bible.

We would not get very far without God’s Word.

In Genesis 1:3 God speaks creation into being. The whole universe comes together at His words. Sun, moon, stars, seas, plants, animals, people. Everything. Without God’s Word nothing would be here. Fast forward many years to the birth of Jesus. John 1:14 tells us that Jesus not only speaks God’s Word, He is God’s Word. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” God sent Jesus to earth to fix the break in the relationship between man and God brought about by sin. God’s Word gives us new life when we accept Jesus as our Savior.

After salvation, God’s Word continues to play a most important role in our lives. Through it God instructs and encourages us. He molds us and disciplines us. He shapes us into His image through our obedience to His Word and the Holy Spirit’s work in each believer. It’s important to grasp the power of His Word. Hebrews 4:12 tells us “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Pray God’s Word

I am so thankful for scripture and it’s power in my life. If you’ve not yet begun praying it, this is a perfect time to begin.

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a scripture for your prayer requests.
2. Begin praying God’s Word over people and into situations.
3. Memorize scripture. The more verses you know by heart, the more effectively you can pray.

More of God’s Word

If you’d like to explore this theme further, please listen to  How to Pray God’s Word.

Also, you must check out this beautiful Pinterest pin I found highlighting some of God’s Words.

Comment

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

Previous Links

• Introduction
• Day 1: Light
• Day 2: Cleansing
• Day 3: Sacrifice

By Mary Kane

All rights reserved.

copyright 2016

god’s word. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/god’s word (accessed: November 18, 2014).

Day 3:Sacrifice

 “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.

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 need, but because of His great love for us.

This Thanksgiving, 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 Thanksgiving season.

More Sacrifice

Please click on a link for more information on sacrifice.

Serving Others an article by Joyce Meyer Ministries

Sacrifice  a blog post Jane VanOsdol

Comment

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

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

Day 2:

Cleansing

“These men called together their fellow Levites, and they all purified themselves. Then they began to cleanse the temple of the Lord, just as the king had commanded. … The priests went into the sanctuary of the Temple of the Lord to cleanse it, and they took out to the Temple courtyard all the defiled things they found.” 2 Chronicles 29:15-16

cleansing [klenz] verb

1. to make clean
2.  to remove by or as if by cleaning “to cleanse from the soul.

Thanksliving: Cleansing

Being clean is something that many of us take for granted. Running water and soap make it relatively easy to wash away dirt. It doesn’t take too many days of camping, however, before we have a new appreciation for a hot shower and a dishwasher. A few years ago my son went on a fundraising hike across America to raise money for the burn unit of a local children’s hospital. As he backpacked his way from California to Florida, he often went several days without a shower or being able to wash the few clothes he had. Dirt was a fact of life, and as his mom I was dismayed at what became acceptable standards of “cleanliness” to him.

A clean body can help protect us from disease and discomfort. A clean home makes for a healthy environment for family and friends. Likewise, regularly confessing our sin keeps our hearts clean before God. Jesus is the One who purifies us permanently from our sin by taking that punishment upon Himself. Being thankful for His sacrifice is a wonderful way to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Pray for Thanksliving cleansing.

After the fall of man due to sin, God instituted many rules that the people had to follow to purify themselves from defilement and sin. In today’s verses, King Hezekiah of Judah purges the nation from idolatry and reintroduces the people to true worship. As you can see, this begins with a major cleanup of the people and The Temple of the Lord, as per Old Testament rules. Today please take a moment and give thanks to God for the cleansing He provided for us through the cross and the blood of Christ.

Just as Hezekiah purged the Temple of the Lord from the idols that the people had brought in, we may have to get serious about our temples. In 1 Corintians 6:19, God tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and that we are not our own. Jesus bought us for a very expensive price — His own life. Keeping that in mind, we may need to throw out some junk to make room for the holiness God desires.

1.  Pray and ask God to show you if there is a habit or pattern of sin in your life that needs to go.
2. Find a verse of scripture that pertains to this struggle and begin praying it into your life.
3. Thank God for how He is already at work cleaning up and redeeming this area of your life.

More Thanksliving: Cleansing

If you’d like to explore this theme further, please read  The Cleansing of My Temple.

Comment

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

Previous Links

• Introduction
• Day 1: Light

“cleansing.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 16 Nov. 2014. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cleansing>.

Light

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

 light¹ [lahyt] noun 

Introduction

Thanksgiving: noun

1. a public celebration in acknowledgement of divine favor or kindness.
2. A day set apart for giving thanks to God

Thanksgiving, the forgotten holiday, is sandwiched between two holidays which have become focused on receiving. Giving thanks seems to be a leftover attitude from a bygone era. Is thankfulness no longer an important part of American culture? Have we busied ourselves out of the time required to reflect and give thanks?  Is giving thanks a forgotten art?

A thankful attitude

Thanksgiving is not so much a holiday as an attitude. If there was ever a year in which we needed a new attitude it’s 2020. As we move into the holiday season, lets quit complaining about what we’ve lost and start giving thanks for what we have. Let’s change our holiday noun (Thanksgiving) to a holiday verb:

ThanksLiving: verb

1. living a life of thanks and gratefulness

What if we only had tomorrow the things for which we gave thanks for today? Please take a moment to reflect on this thought provoking quote. Would we have our homes, running water, indoor plumbing, and our families and churches? With that in mind, let’s make a change for the good. For the next 12 days, before the rush of relatives, parties and presents, let’s take time to reflect and give thanks. We invite you to join us for 12 Days of ThanksLiving.

12 Days of ThanksLiving

Beginning November 13th, 2020, we will post a new devotional each day until Thanksgiving. Each post will contain scripture, a theme and a prayer all focused on helping you live a thankful life. ThanksLiving!

We look forward to cultivating an attitude of thanksliving with you!

What are your thoughts about ThanksLiving? What are you thankful for this year? Please leave a comment below. We’d love to chat with you!

All rights reserved. copyright 2020

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 1:13

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday, because it causes me to stop and reflect on the many blessings God has given me. Even in the years that were difficult, I could always find something to be thankful for.

This year, we’re again offering a Thanksgiving contest. I’d simply like you to reflect on the above verse and then share with us in the comment section below what one of your gifts is that God has given you this year that you are thankful for. It can be a few words or a longer story, but I’d like you to share why the gift is meaningful to you. The contest is open to both adults and children, and we’re offering two separate prizes. You have until the end of the month to post your comment. Be sure to check back the first week of December. I will announce the winner and leave instructions on how to have the winner send me his or her contact information so that I can mail the prize.

For the adults, we are offering a hand-knitted prayer shawl that I (Jane) made. For the children, we will be awarding another prize, yet to be determined.

So, let’s encourage each other and lift up our prayers of thanks to Jesus this Thanksgiving.

Blessings to you all!