Showing posts with label Thanks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanks. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Still Thankful 11/27/2012
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary." Ps 107:1-2
For the Christian, giving thanks to God neither begins, culminates or ends on a man inspired day to do so. Giving thanks is a way of life. It is a daily, even hourly habit that supersedes that of even brushing of teeth and washing of face.
There are a plethora of reasons to stop and give thanks throughout the day. None who give the smallest effort should have difficulty identifying reason after reason for doing so. The psalmist provides many reasons (which come from his close, warm, personal relationship with God). In particular, he lists the redemption, even salvation, from those who are arrayed against us. This could be anyone from a bad boss to Satan himself. Where as we were under the burden of slavery to our situation, habits, circumstances or enemies, God laid out a clear path inviting us to peace and prosperity. Jesus said, "Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest" Matt 11:28. We did and he has.
Beloved, we as Christians should be the first in line to proclaim thanks to God and to tell His story to others. There are many who continued to be lost. There are many that continue to struggle daily with their various adversaries. And their yet remains One who can deliver them even as He has delivered us. Let us continue to give thanks day by day, hour by hour and minute by minute. One day we will all be able to stand united around the throne of grace and proclaim as the psalmist has:
"I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it,
And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones" Ps 52:9.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Think to Thank 11/20/2012
"Then Jesus answered and said, 'Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?' And He said to him, 'Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.'” Luke 17:17-19
There were ten who were suffering from leprosy who, against all social and legal conventions of the time, put themselves in proximity to Jesus and cried out loudly for relief of their suffering to the only one who could provide it. Jesus heard their cries had mercy on them and gave them instructions on how to become cleansed. Once accomplished, just one returned to give thanks while the others went their merry way. The one who returned was not one of God's own but a Samaritan, a traditional adversary of God's people.
Beloved how often have we found ourselves in the most heartfelt and desperate need? Be it physical, financial, psychological or relational, we have all been there at one time or another. We all know what it is like to need relief from an affliction, malady or situation. We then, like the lepers, cry out for help.
We may pursue our own means but sooner or later we get around to the Lord, placing ourselves at His mercy, begging for assistance. He is faithful and just and hears our cries to which He always responds. This can be said with confidence because none of us is suffering from the same malady as yesterday.
Since He comes to our aid just as Jesus came to the aid of the lepers, let us not be as those who went their merry way. Let us be as the one who came back, threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. Remember that this man was not of the people of God. May it never be said that those who are the children of God are less praising and thankful than those who are not.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
There were ten who were suffering from leprosy who, against all social and legal conventions of the time, put themselves in proximity to Jesus and cried out loudly for relief of their suffering to the only one who could provide it. Jesus heard their cries had mercy on them and gave them instructions on how to become cleansed. Once accomplished, just one returned to give thanks while the others went their merry way. The one who returned was not one of God's own but a Samaritan, a traditional adversary of God's people.
Beloved how often have we found ourselves in the most heartfelt and desperate need? Be it physical, financial, psychological or relational, we have all been there at one time or another. We all know what it is like to need relief from an affliction, malady or situation. We then, like the lepers, cry out for help.
We may pursue our own means but sooner or later we get around to the Lord, placing ourselves at His mercy, begging for assistance. He is faithful and just and hears our cries to which He always responds. This can be said with confidence because none of us is suffering from the same malady as yesterday.
Since He comes to our aid just as Jesus came to the aid of the lepers, let us not be as those who went their merry way. Let us be as the one who came back, threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. Remember that this man was not of the people of God. May it never be said that those who are the children of God are less praising and thankful than those who are not.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Taking God for Granted-1/4/2012
"And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Phi 4:19
Even the thought of having every need met is mind blowing. In truth, many of us do not think in terms of God meeting our needs because he does it so abundantly. We actually take the things he does for us for granted. None of us ever goes over to the sink, turns the faucet and thinks, "Wow! Water!" The same thing is true of flipping on a light switch. We take it for granted because it is always there. We do not experience the "uh oh" moments until nothing comes out of the faucet or the lights do not come on. We then miss it immediately and it becomes a priority to restore things. That done, we just as immediately go back to our previous thinking.
Beloved, God supplies all of our needs and so many of our wants that we get the two confused. We so often think our wants as needs that we get upset with God if he does not supply them. Here is a challenge: sit down and make a list of all of the things you personally need to live. Be honest with yourself about your list. It should include things like food, air, water, shelter, etc., and should not even include a spouse or children. You will quickly realize that your ability to even make such a list means that those needs are being met. Thank God! Now do this: make a list of all of the things you have. This can now include your spouse, kids, particular house, car, job, education, bank balance, that second freezer in the garage or basement, the garage or basement itself, the Disney vacation, jewelry, flat screen, etc., etc., etc. If you found yourself without the things on the second list, would you consider them needs or wants? Truly mature Christian understanding would reveal that our most critical needs are spiritual...but that will be a topic for another day.
God not only supplies ALL of our needs but so many of our wants. Though scripture tells us to be content with whatever we have, there is nothing wrong with wanting things. We have just shown that God is generous in his provision of them. The message here is that we must be appreciative of all he does for us whether need or want. We should, every now and then, stop and say, "Thank you Lord for your goodness, grace and mercy." Let us never take him for granted.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Even the thought of having every need met is mind blowing. In truth, many of us do not think in terms of God meeting our needs because he does it so abundantly. We actually take the things he does for us for granted. None of us ever goes over to the sink, turns the faucet and thinks, "Wow! Water!" The same thing is true of flipping on a light switch. We take it for granted because it is always there. We do not experience the "uh oh" moments until nothing comes out of the faucet or the lights do not come on. We then miss it immediately and it becomes a priority to restore things. That done, we just as immediately go back to our previous thinking.
Beloved, God supplies all of our needs and so many of our wants that we get the two confused. We so often think our wants as needs that we get upset with God if he does not supply them. Here is a challenge: sit down and make a list of all of the things you personally need to live. Be honest with yourself about your list. It should include things like food, air, water, shelter, etc., and should not even include a spouse or children. You will quickly realize that your ability to even make such a list means that those needs are being met. Thank God! Now do this: make a list of all of the things you have. This can now include your spouse, kids, particular house, car, job, education, bank balance, that second freezer in the garage or basement, the garage or basement itself, the Disney vacation, jewelry, flat screen, etc., etc., etc. If you found yourself without the things on the second list, would you consider them needs or wants? Truly mature Christian understanding would reveal that our most critical needs are spiritual...but that will be a topic for another day.
God not only supplies ALL of our needs but so many of our wants. Though scripture tells us to be content with whatever we have, there is nothing wrong with wanting things. We have just shown that God is generous in his provision of them. The message here is that we must be appreciative of all he does for us whether need or want. We should, every now and then, stop and say, "Thank you Lord for your goodness, grace and mercy." Let us never take him for granted.
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Rejoicing in the Lord-1/3/2012
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" Phi 4:4
"Happy New Year" is on the lips of most everyone these days and will most likely continue to be for the next four to six weeks. Why is it that we exchange this greeting so readily as one year passes into the next? Perhaps it is about optimism. We measure many things by the year and we hopes that a new one will bring improvement in life, new opportunities, realization of goals and resolve to do and be better. Not only do we wish these things for ourselves but for everyone we know and meet. It is a time of great joy and celebration for many. We are all in this life together...right?
Paul, writing to the church at Philipi, encourages them and by extension us, to have this great joy. As Christians, we should be a people of joy because we know how blessed we are. It should come across in the way that we conduct ourselves and the ways we interact with fellow Christians and others. This joy is to be rooted in the Lord from whom those blessings flow. He is the source of all that is good, clean, holy and righteous and it is he that sustains us and saves our very souls. We are therefore encouraged to rejoice always in that we are blessed always. Otherwise put, God is good all the time and all the time, God is good!
Beloved, as we advance into every new moment, hour, day, week and month of this new year, let us remember who ordered it for us, who brought us to it and who, if it be in his divine will, will bring us through it. And in our remembering, let us rejoice in all of the goodness, grace and mercy he provides. Paul found it worth repeating, "...and again I say rejoice!"
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
"Happy New Year" is on the lips of most everyone these days and will most likely continue to be for the next four to six weeks. Why is it that we exchange this greeting so readily as one year passes into the next? Perhaps it is about optimism. We measure many things by the year and we hopes that a new one will bring improvement in life, new opportunities, realization of goals and resolve to do and be better. Not only do we wish these things for ourselves but for everyone we know and meet. It is a time of great joy and celebration for many. We are all in this life together...right?
Paul, writing to the church at Philipi, encourages them and by extension us, to have this great joy. As Christians, we should be a people of joy because we know how blessed we are. It should come across in the way that we conduct ourselves and the ways we interact with fellow Christians and others. This joy is to be rooted in the Lord from whom those blessings flow. He is the source of all that is good, clean, holy and righteous and it is he that sustains us and saves our very souls. We are therefore encouraged to rejoice always in that we are blessed always. Otherwise put, God is good all the time and all the time, God is good!
Beloved, as we advance into every new moment, hour, day, week and month of this new year, let us remember who ordered it for us, who brought us to it and who, if it be in his divine will, will bring us through it. And in our remembering, let us rejoice in all of the goodness, grace and mercy he provides. Paul found it worth repeating, "...and again I say rejoice!"
Rejoicing in the Lord,
Lee
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Giving Thanks-11/23/2011
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations." Ps 100:4-5
We are taught from the earliest age to simply say "thank you" when anyone gives to us or does for us. Michelle and I have a 20 month old grandson who is still formulating his vocabulary but "thank you" can already be found in his limited repetoire. It is one of the most polite yet fundamental things we can say in response to everything from the a "God bless you" when we sneeze to the very sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
Beloved as our nation and the world set aside this day to stop, reflect and be thankful, let us as Christians, in our own way, lead this effort. Let us do so by placing our thanks where they belong, at the God's throne of grace. Let us do so by encouraging one another to count blessings rather than complaings. Let us give as we have been given. And let us do so not just on the 3rd Thurssday of November, but every moment of our lives. Surely God blesses us so.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
We are taught from the earliest age to simply say "thank you" when anyone gives to us or does for us. Michelle and I have a 20 month old grandson who is still formulating his vocabulary but "thank you" can already be found in his limited repetoire. It is one of the most polite yet fundamental things we can say in response to everything from the a "God bless you" when we sneeze to the very sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
Beloved as our nation and the world set aside this day to stop, reflect and be thankful, let us as Christians, in our own way, lead this effort. Let us do so by placing our thanks where they belong, at the God's throne of grace. Let us do so by encouraging one another to count blessings rather than complaings. Let us give as we have been given. And let us do so not just on the 3rd Thurssday of November, but every moment of our lives. Surely God blesses us so.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
When God Says "Yes!"-DD 4/20/2011
"But Hannah replied, "No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. "Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation." Then Eli answered and said, " Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him." 1 Sam 1:15-17
Hannah was a woman whose womb was shut up, preventing her from living out her most heartfelt desire; she desired to give birth to a son. She prayed to the Lord day and night for the desires of her heart. Despite the fact that she had a supportive husband, her prayers seemingly went unanswered. During one of many annual trips to Shiloh to pray and sacrifice, she wept bitterly and promised the Lord that if He would give her a child, she would dedicate the boy back to Him. She caught the attention of Eli the priest who initially thought she was drunk. Ultimately understanding her plight, he encouraged her to go in peace, asking that the Lord give her the desires of her heart. In due time she conceived, rejoiced, and turned the boy over to Eli for the service of the Lord as she promised.
Beloved, it is a glorious blessing to our lives when God says, "yes" to the desires of our hearts. We pray, we beg and we cry for those things that are needful (or just wanted) in our lives. Some of us even make bargains with the Lord, promising to do this or that if our requests find favor with Him.
God does not always say yes, but when he does, we must always remember from whence our blessings come. We should celebrate with everything we have within us. And perhaps most importantly, we must remember to honor those things which we have committed. He blesses us for us, but always gives abundantly more than we ask that we may bless others and return some of that blessing to him.
Surely our God is a great God and delights in blessing His children. Let us rejoice! Thank you Father!
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Hannah was a woman whose womb was shut up, preventing her from living out her most heartfelt desire; she desired to give birth to a son. She prayed to the Lord day and night for the desires of her heart. Despite the fact that she had a supportive husband, her prayers seemingly went unanswered. During one of many annual trips to Shiloh to pray and sacrifice, she wept bitterly and promised the Lord that if He would give her a child, she would dedicate the boy back to Him. She caught the attention of Eli the priest who initially thought she was drunk. Ultimately understanding her plight, he encouraged her to go in peace, asking that the Lord give her the desires of her heart. In due time she conceived, rejoiced, and turned the boy over to Eli for the service of the Lord as she promised.
Beloved, it is a glorious blessing to our lives when God says, "yes" to the desires of our hearts. We pray, we beg and we cry for those things that are needful (or just wanted) in our lives. Some of us even make bargains with the Lord, promising to do this or that if our requests find favor with Him.
God does not always say yes, but when he does, we must always remember from whence our blessings come. We should celebrate with everything we have within us. And perhaps most importantly, we must remember to honor those things which we have committed. He blesses us for us, but always gives abundantly more than we ask that we may bless others and return some of that blessing to him.
Surely our God is a great God and delights in blessing His children. Let us rejoice! Thank you Father!
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Thank You Lord
Beloved,
Today is the one year anniversary of the beginning of an amazing journey. On April 29, 2010, during a conversation with my Father, it was decided that I would get to know Him and His word better. You might think with me serving in the capacity of a minister that I know plenty. Well, one can never know enough and no one knows everything there is to know about His will and way.
On April 30, 2010, I wrote the first of many DDs (Daily Devotionals). A goal was set to study, pray and produce this devotional every Monday through Friday of each week (except holidays). I must tell you, faithful reader, that this started out as a God and Lee thing. It was an opportunity to avail myself of His knowledge and His opportunity to really teach me. By forcing myself into the word and into prayer on a DAILY basis, my hope, trust and prayer was to become closer to Him and to better perform His will. I am and I have.
Later, it occurred to me that others might benefit from this very personal journey. I then decided to make it available to all who desired it. I was careful not to just start sending it to people, but instead, informed them that it was available and then add to the distribution those who were interested. Over the past year I have received quite a bit of feedback that lets me know we are on a journey together. It seems that as He deals with me, He is dealing with you also. In fact, many of you distribute the DD to your family, friends and acquaintances. Others have asked me to add them directly so that they can receive it right away. Surely it is to our collective benefit to be in touch with God in this way with this frequency.
I thank God for his amazing faithfulness and this wonderful journey. I thank Him for the things he has revealed to me over the past year. I think Him for all who read these thoughts sprung forth from His word. I thank Him for keeping me strong and disciplined, even when I didn't feel like doing it (we've never missed a single day). And most of all, I thank Him for his love and long suffering nature. He is patient with me and I love Him for that. Thank you all for sharing this journey with me.
Remember that you can always go to the blog and access past devotionals. Of late, I have begun to categorize them by key word and scripture. Remember also that if any of your acquaintances would like to receive them, just have them drop an email and I will add them to the list. So what do you say? Another year? Let's do it!
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
Today is the one year anniversary of the beginning of an amazing journey. On April 29, 2010, during a conversation with my Father, it was decided that I would get to know Him and His word better. You might think with me serving in the capacity of a minister that I know plenty. Well, one can never know enough and no one knows everything there is to know about His will and way.
On April 30, 2010, I wrote the first of many DDs (Daily Devotionals). A goal was set to study, pray and produce this devotional every Monday through Friday of each week (except holidays). I must tell you, faithful reader, that this started out as a God and Lee thing. It was an opportunity to avail myself of His knowledge and His opportunity to really teach me. By forcing myself into the word and into prayer on a DAILY basis, my hope, trust and prayer was to become closer to Him and to better perform His will. I am and I have.
Later, it occurred to me that others might benefit from this very personal journey. I then decided to make it available to all who desired it. I was careful not to just start sending it to people, but instead, informed them that it was available and then add to the distribution those who were interested. Over the past year I have received quite a bit of feedback that lets me know we are on a journey together. It seems that as He deals with me, He is dealing with you also. In fact, many of you distribute the DD to your family, friends and acquaintances. Others have asked me to add them directly so that they can receive it right away. Surely it is to our collective benefit to be in touch with God in this way with this frequency.
I thank God for his amazing faithfulness and this wonderful journey. I thank Him for the things he has revealed to me over the past year. I think Him for all who read these thoughts sprung forth from His word. I thank Him for keeping me strong and disciplined, even when I didn't feel like doing it (we've never missed a single day). And most of all, I thank Him for his love and long suffering nature. He is patient with me and I love Him for that. Thank you all for sharing this journey with me.
Remember that you can always go to the blog and access past devotionals. Of late, I have begun to categorize them by key word and scripture. Remember also that if any of your acquaintances would like to receive them, just have them drop an email and I will add them to the list. So what do you say? Another year? Let's do it!
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
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