Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Gratitude And Thankfulness


Psalm 92:1
It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High.

I know that it is Thanksgiving week...
Families will be gathering around a table filled with more food than you can shake the proverbial stick at.

But it truly should be a time to stop and give thanks, not just for the material things we have collected, but for the spiritual bounty God has blessed us with.

The people, past and present, that helped us....
Shaped us and taught us the reality of who God is.

They could be former Sunday School teachers....
They could be our parents...

Maybe a pastor or two could be thrown in here....
Never forget that we stand today on the shoulders of those who were there for us.
I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I believe if we truly are a follower of Jesus, then there will be those who will stand on our shoulders because of our love for God. The Kingdom is built on proclaiming and demonstrating the Kingdom of God.


The blessings of the Lord run deeper than our material possessions.
The Lord has been gracious to give Vicki and I peace in our home.
What a wonderful thing to be able to come home at the end of the day, walk into my home and leave the world outside. To have a place where the peace of God prevails and is very much real and present is a wonderful thing.

The blessings of the Lord can be found in the people He has surrounded you with.

Catch word in that last sentence is "PEOPLE".
You remember those don't you?
The imperfect, flawed creation that traded away the eternal things of God for a piece of fruit? Yep, the very ones that God continues to redeem and work through. Oh yeah, by the way,  I am one of those flawed creatures.  To help this messed up creation, God blessed us with forgiveness. The ability to receive it, as well as offer it to those around us. Somehow, I think maybe forgiveness should also be a part of our Thanksgiving. To be given to those around us that we might have grudges, or harbor hard feelings toward. Heaven forbid that we should be transparent and honest in our dealing with others. 


Truth be known, I am at a point in my life where the people around me are the most important part of my existence. I am grateful for those who are a part of our core group of Vineyard ReCovery Church. They have blessed me with the stories and struggles. They have encouraged me to not give up. To get back up when you find yourself knocked down to your knees. I truly see the word "OVERCOMER" when I look at each of them. Here's to the core group....You guy's rock it!!

I guess what I'm trying to say in this mornings posting, is that we should find gratitude no matter what state our life is in. Don't allow the enemy...a.k.a. the devil, to rob you of it.
Gratitude and thankfulness...
Don't leave home without them.

God on you..

mb

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