Be Thankful

I Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV) In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I’m sitting here thinking about all that I have to be thankful for today. The first things that come to my mind have nothing to do with possessions. We've had seasons where we've had nothing, yet the joy, peace and fullness within our hearts outweighed any lack.

No matter where you are in this season of your life, you always have much to be thankful for. One thing I've learned in over 45 years as a Christian, is that circumstances have absolutely nothing to do with how blessed we are. We have a God who loved us enough to sacrifice His Son for our sins. We've been given the opportunity to receive Him so that we can experience an intimate relationship with the God of the Universe. Not as servants, but sons and daughters! The simple fact that we have the opportunity to spend eternity with Jesus would have been enough, but it was only the beginning. We are never alone, unloved or forgotten! He's intricately involved in the details of our lives. His love transcends any fears, loneliness, insecurities, or weaknesses. It's perfect, extravagant, and full of mercy. This too is the tip of the iceberg.

There's so much He paid for just in the work of the cross... His blood sacrifice redeemed us from sin and eternal damnation. The stripes upon His back are a promise of healing for our bodies. Still, it would take me days to write about how He rescued me from the enemy's grip and the healing He performed in my heart, mind, and emotions.

As I'm thinking about His goodness, the list goes on and on. Yes, I'm blessed with a great church, great friends and a wonderful family, but even if that's not the case for you…there's still an infinite number of blessings you can be thankful for, and it has nothing to do with earthly circumstances or possessions. There's nothing wrong with having things and we certainly need to be appreciative of everything God has given us and done in our lives, but there's so much more than the physical... it's all about our relationship with Jesus, His love for us and finding our identity in Him, as you truly get to know Him and experience His tangible presence. When you tap into that…everything else becomes secondary. THANK YOU JESUS!

In the midst of your busyness, don’t forget to BE THANKFUL!!

Isaiah 53:5-6 (NKJV) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Colossians 3:15-17 (NLT) And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

1 Chronicles 16:34 (NLT) Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.