Give Thanks Continually

 

The Sunday prior to Thanksgiving.  This fall season has passed even quicker this year!  Time is time, I realize that.  Time never changes.  We are the ones who change.   We are the ones who choose how to spend our time.  Over the years I have attempted to slow my life down a bit to match up with time itself.  I will try it for a week or two and before I know it, I feel as if I am losing time again!  That’s all on me!

Typically, November is a dreary month in New Hampshire.  It can start getting chilly and the skies above tend to be gloomier than the predecessor, October.  I like that weather as it almost forces me to slow down a bit.  There is not as much to do outside, and my attention turns inward.  I have always seen November as the month of gratitude.  It is my opportunity to slow down and realize all that I have and take the time to be grateful.  That gratefulness expands in many directions, family, friends, coworkers, and the world around us.  It is time to thank the one that gives it all to us, our Heavenly Father.  This gratitude has taken on a variety of forms over the years.  I have posted 30 days of gratitude on Facebook.  When the children were home, we made a ‘thankful paper chain.’  Each child wrote what they were thankful for that day and the paper chain would extend throughout the kitchen.  I have written down my thanks each day.  All were wonderful ways to glorify God for so many blessings.

This brings me to our post for today, Giving Thanks!  As I searched for the right verse I wanted to use today as inspiration, this is the one I chose.  There were many to choose from, but this one caught my eye for one reason!  Although I enjoyed all the ways I have focused on Giving Thanks over the years, there is one component missing that this verse taught me to see.  It is the word ‘continually.’  I enjoy spending time giving thanks in November in a way I do not focus on the other weeks and months of the year.  I may ‘thank in the moment’ or ‘thank during prayer.’  Yet the determined focus of reviewing all of the blessings I have in my life with intensity may go to the wayside.  I can blame it on not having enough time, but as was shared in the beginning of this post, we all have the same amount of time every day.  It is up to me, up to us, on how we use it.

So let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise!  May we focus intently, each day, on all the blessings He has provided to us – starting with His Son!  May we see all that we have, the trials, the tribulations, the blessings, and the goodness, all coming from the only One who can provide that to us.  May we realize that all situations are in our lives to share goodness, learning, strength, and faith.  May we understand that all of this comes from the One that gives us His unconditional love.  This Thanksgiving, and every day after that, let us offer, continually, praises to our Lord and Savior for all that we have.  May you and your family feel the goodness of God each and every day!  May I also take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support of reading this blog.  I cannot thank you enough for your kind words over the years.

Heavenly Father, thank you does not seem to be enough for all that you have given to us.  May we continually remember to give you praise, the One who gives all to us.  In thanksgiving we pray, Amen!

Give Graciously

 

 

“The more you give, the more you will receive.”  We hear this phrase quite a bit, especially during the fall season when different charitable organizations that need assistance come forward for help.  It is always nice to lend a helping hand.  I honestly believe most people work hard to try and give as much as they can, whether it is for the church, their local charity or even to a friend in need.  Yet, when we have abundance, it can be comforting to spend a few extra dollars on ourselves versus those in need.

For instance, you recently received a bonus at work.  You worked hard for that money – put in long hours at work and gave up much family time for the success of the company.  You deserve this money!  You deserve to spend this money on something that is important to you!    You may go out for a night on the town.  Maybe it is something larger – a new wardrobe, a dream vacation, etc.  The thought of giving it to the church or storing it up for someone in need may not even cross your mind.  If it was a thought, maybe the giving to those charities comes AFTER that dream vacation!

God asks us something special in Malachi.  In this case, He is asking that we give to Him, the church FIRST!  Not what is left over, what is last, but what is first!  As we write out our checks to pay bills, God wants us to give to Him first.  This can be a hard concept.  I know when finances were tough, it was more important for me to pay bills versus giving to the church.  Many months went by when my choice was to not give to God, but to give to the areas that needed it most – MY BILLS.  Around that time, I read this verse.  What was I doing?  I was so afraid that if I gave God what He deserved first that I would not have enough for the bills I had.

As God mentions in Malachi, when we give, He gives greater.  That has ALWAYS been the case.  When I trusted to give my finances to God, God gave back to us – tenfold!  God is like that; His blessings are greater than we can imagine.  It takes trust, trust in God, to obey Him.  It means we need to trust that He will always be there for us, to provide for us, to give us everything we need.  His love for us is immeasurable – so are His gifts. 

During this month of giving and gratefulness for all we have, may we reach out to our churches, our food pantries, our friends in need.  May we give – FIRST – to those in need.  Give and give abundantly.  In return, you will receive so much more.  You will be doing God’s will – and there is nothing better than that!  Just have simple faith that God will bless you abundantly.

Heavenly Father, thank you for always blessing me.  May I ensure that the FIRST fruits of my labor go to you and your efforts to provide for those less fortunate.  May I trust that you will give me all that I need.  May I have simple faith.  Amen!

Saints

 

Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint John, Saint Andrew – the list of saints goes on and on.  When we reflect on saints, we tend to think of these saints that evoke Bible stories of greatness.  Last week, we celebrated All Saints Day in church.  It is one of my most favorite moments.  We did not list the saints that are traditionally known; we named the saints that are closest to us.  Pastor read the names of those family members who have gone before us, as saints.  We exchanged a Bible verse between Pastor and the congregation, names were read, and the bell tolled for each group.  This exchange was conducted until all the names were read.  When my dad’s name was read, along with the names of my in-laws whom I never met, emotions flooded.   They are such true saints.

The family saints I mentioned may not have been as famous as Paul, Peter, John, and Andrew, yet they are saints none-the-nonetheless.  My husband has shared many memories with me of his mom working hard for their local parish and his dad opening the Bible and reading it.  My dad also brings back many memories.  My dad loved his Lord, and he was not shy about it.  He worked hard for the church, from ensuring the grounds were kept neat, to cooking on special occasions for the church and the local food pantry.  He took the talents God gave him and ensured they were used for the good of God’s kingdom.  He prayed often.  When Daddy went to church, he revered being in the house of the Lord. 

I am certain that all of us can remember those who have touched our lives in their walk of faith.  Maybe it was a parent, a family member, a pastor, or church member.  These people lived out their faith, by the way they spoke, the way the shared God’s word, and the way they lived their lives.  I have awesome news for all of us.  We are all saints!  The Bible shares in Psalms 31:23” Oh, love the LORD, all you, His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person.”   ALL of us are God’s saints and have the same gifts that God gave to us to share with others, just as the saints that went before us.

Reflect for a few moments.  We may not consider ourselves to be saints, but God does!  Have you opened a children’s Bible to read to small ones?  Have you conducted a Bible Study?  Have you prayed for others?  Have you glorified Jesus’ name?  Dear saints in Christ, we are all preserving the faith we have in God, and as the verse above shared, the Lord repays the proud person who is proud in his name.  Live your faith boldly.  You do not need to prophesy from the highest mountains to a multitude of people.  Your simple acts of faith give you sainthood in God’s eyes – and in mine!  Let us raise our Bibles rejoicing the status GOD gives us as saints.

Dearest Lord, thank you for reminding us in your Word that we are all saints in your eyes.  May our daily lives of simple living let the world know how much we love you and know you are our savior.  Amen!

Will, Works, Way

 

I will!  How many times have we heard those words in response to a request we make?  Typically, the “I will” comes with a bit of a ‘tone,’ including an elevated pitch and possibly an eye roll.  Have you been on the receiving end of an “I will” such as that?  Does not usually feel great.  In response, I am either annoyed or I realize I may have overstepped, and I have remorse.  Either way, the sender and the receiver in this conversation is not saying “Yippee – that went great”!

I was reflecting upon that phrase recently when it made me think of God’s will, God’s work, and God’s way.  The will of God, what God wants to happen in heaven and on earth.  I can only imagine what He must think when He looks at me and the will He has for me – and how I have not always delivered His will.  Right in the Lord’s Prayer it talks about Thy Will be Done.  I do not always do God’s will.  Have I always given of my time when He has nudged me to do so?  Do I follow my OWN will versus God’s will?   Do my actions reflect responding as God would want?  I am sure you know the answer to those questions!  God has a will for my life – he as a will for all of our lives.  He knows what He wants to happen with us here on earth.  We need to open our hearts to accept HIS will!

Once we have done so, what works has He put in His will that I need to consider?  God leaves so much in our hands.  Often, we do not leave what we should in God’s hands.  When He provides us His will, He also provides us an opportunity to live out His will with works.   In Philippians 2:13, it is written “…for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Our works and how we live out God’s will is a gift from God.  God is pleased when we do His work for His will.  It is important for us to realize that when we look at God’s work as ‘one more thing to do.’  When we look upon God’s work as a chance to serve Him, our hearts will rejoice versus be hardened.

So, we have God’s will, and we have God’s work.  The missing link to all of this is ensuring we do this in God’s way.  God has a way for us to live our lives, to do His will and His work.  Give to the church, but don’t steal in order to give it.  Work at the church when it is needed, but do not forget to honor your mother/father when they need your help.  We can do much work in the name of God, but if do not do it in the way God wants us to, we have not given glory to our Lord.  It is important for us to consider this when we do God’s work in His way.  God is pleased when we do His work for His will in His way!  When we can thread all three of these together, I honestly believe God will be smiling down upon us and He will be proud of us. 

Friends, think about the will God has for you, the work He has given you and the way He wants you to complete that work.  It will not always be easy; in fact, I can guarantee it will be difficult.  In the end, God will smile upon you and the simple faith that you displayed in His goodness will warm your soul.

Heavenly Father, please help us to seek your will, your works in your way.  May we give all we have by walking in your light.  In your name we pray, Amen!swaHeaHe