#GivingTuesday

READ: Psalm 77:10-15

Today is Giving Tuesday, a unique phenomenon to the decade in which we live whereby we wrap up the first week of holiday shopping with a day of giving to our favorite non-profits. Since its inception in 2012, Giving Tuesday has grown exponentially, many years almost doubling the estimated total donations year-over-year. 

The numbers don’t lie: Giving is contagious.

In today’s scripture reading, the psalmist reflects on the many things God has given him. I’ve caught the fever, so let me do likewise. 

God has given me mercy by forgiving my sins through the atoning death of Jesus Christ. He has given me new life by raising Christ from the dead. He has given me companionship, wisdom, and guidance through the gift of the Holy Spirit. He has provided for my material needs, surrounded me with the family of believers, and begun restoring all that is broken within me.

Because of his great love for us all, God offers you these same gifts.

How then should we respond?

Let us today give forgiveness to those who have wronged us. Let us tell them about Christ that they may experience new life. Let us love one another, making time for each other, imparting our wisdom to each other, and guiding each other through the difficulties of life. Let us provide for the material needs of our fellow man, accept strangers as family, and lovingly spur one another on toward righteous living. 

Let us freely give as God has given to us.

A Happy Thanksgiving to all our Readers

Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV)
¹²  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
¹³  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

My prayers often end up with me asking God to help me to trust and obey. To trust His Word and rest in the reality that He loves me more than anyone ever could, in spite of the fact He knows more about me than anyone else. Then my plea is often to give me strength and courage to obey because of that trust I have in Him.

It is almost comical how those words - trust and obey - appear to me. It has happened so often that now, when I see or hear these words I know that change is coming into my life. This change needs to be embraced by me and accepted as part of God's will.

This journey has brought me to living a life of Thanksgiving and anticipation. Thanksgiving because His provision is so amazing each and every time these seasons of change come. Anticipation because God's plan is always so perfect that I am stunned when all is said and done. My faith grows, my relationship with Jesus blossoms into one of daily thanksgiving and most of all a new feeling of contentment.

Philippians 4:10-13

Giving Thanks

Psalm 107

Psalm 107 is 43 verses long.  In 7 of those verses, God's people 'cry out to the Lord in their trouble' (vs. 8, 13, 19 and 28).  And each time they cry out, God saves them from their distress.

Were the Israelites slow learners?  Certainly after the fourth or fifth time of being in trouble, they would figure out that there has got to be a better way.....ah, but all too often, we modern day Christians do just the same thing.  We cry out to the Lord in our trouble, he rescues us, we dust ourselves off, get back up, and continue to run our own lives, forgetting to give God the glory.

What recommendations does the Psalmist have to correct this cycle?  A simple yet profound act:  give thanks to the Lord.

• Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (v. 1)
• Give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind (vs. 8, 16, 21, 31).  Yes, four times.  Give thanks to the Lord.

How do we give thanks?  Through prayers, song, serving, confessing and asking for the strength to turn aside from sin and sorrow.

Have you ever tried this?  Have you shared your thankful heart with a friend?  With a coworker?  With a loved one?  Verse 2 says "let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story."  We all have a story to tell, and when we have a bad experience, we are more likely to pass on our dissatisfaction.  The way to stop that cycle is to Give Thanks in All Circumstances! (I Thessalonians 5:18).

Thanksgiving is around the corner.  We are all getting ready to head to family or friends and enjoy the most caloric, tradition-laden meal of the year.  Why not include a time of thanksgiving that focuses on all that God has done for us?  

Here's a song to help you get started on giving thanks as you re-read Psalm 107.  The psalm ends with this verse, and I would urge you to join the psalmist in pondering God's love:

Let the one who is wise heed these things and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord.

 Watch a video here. 

Sharing Is Caring

Hebrews 13:15-16
15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Happy Thanksgiving. I pray you are having a blessed day, and taking time to thank God for all that He has given you. I also pray that you will be able to share that blessing with others, especially with someone who needs some kindness.

Our scripture passage says, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” As my eleven year old put is “sharing is caring”.

It funny but so true. When Evan was three I would take him to the park several times a week and he always brought two or three cars with him. One to play with and the others to share. He learned quickly that people like it when you share.

Our passage today says it pleases God. So, on a day when we like to be with family make sure you share a bit of yourself with someone who needs your kindness. Because after all, sharing is caring.

Coming Before Our God

Psalm 95:1-7

What does coming before God mean and what does it look like?

At times it may be on your knees, head in your hands and tears in your sorrow filled heart.

Another time it could look more like grateful hands raised upward for all God has offered you.

Possibly the first thing in the morning in the quiet of your favorite room, you engage in silent conversation with the Savior.

We present ourselves before the Lord in many ways and for numerous reasons, but let us be reminded that regardless of our location or stance, we are to preface our prayer and petitions with praise.  

Psalm 95:1-7 reminds us;

“Let us come before Him with thanksgiving.”

“”Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under His care.”

No matter what our prayer may be addressing, when we go to Him, we are acknowledging God as our Maker and caretaker.

Throughout the Bible, references are made to the importance of worshiping in spirit and truth.

Hebrews 12:28-29 “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

Lord, we praise and worship you for all that you are and always will be. We honor your unconditional love for us, and unending faith in this world. Glory to you, oh great and mighty one!

Read/Listen to Psalm 95:1-7 

What Was, What Is and What Is To Come

Thanksgiving.

 

A day for remembering and celebrating. A day to spend time with family and friends.  A day to relax and watch football. A day to eat and eat, rest a bit and eat some more. And best of all, today is the day!

 

At our house we remember all the good things God has given us and give thanks. We look back to the past and reflect on what we have, and we reflect on the good things we have in the present. These include family, new family members, friends, our material possessions and perhaps a special vacation we took over the summer.

 

We give thanks for what is and what was.

 

Today’s reading is Isaiah 25:6-9.

 

Isaiah is describing a sumptuous banquet that at first may seem like a Thanksgiving Day meal. It is greater than that, though. It is the wedding banquet of Jesus and his Church.

 

The banquet is to honor the groom, Jesus, as well as the bride, his church. Since his church includes you and I, we will be there, not as invited guests, but as guests of honor!

 

Preceding this feast, Jesus returned to earth to gather the saints and take them to the banquet. He resurrected the dead; the once deceased saints will be there as well. He perfected us, he destroyed Satan and he removed all sin. All this is done in the “twinkle of an eye” (see 1 Cor 15:52).

 

The banquet will be a celebration of thanks for all that God has done for us.

 

Obviously this great banquet occurs in the future, yet we can be certain that it will happen. We know that Jesus will overcome Satan and his minions. We know that we will be there. What a great joy it will be!

 

Back to Thanksgiving at my household.

 

I have to modify the prayer for Thanksgiving  this year.

 

We will give thanks for what was, what is, and what is to come! (Cf. Rev 4:8)

 

Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

Gratitude

“After taking the cup, [Jesus] gave thanks ... And he took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them ...”  Luke 22:17, 19

Stop and ask yourself, “When am I most thankful?”  [And take time to answer.  We can wait...]

Pondering this question, I identified three types of scenarios in which I find myself most thankful.

When someone helps with or eliminates an overwhelming challenge for me, I am especially grateful.  And greatly relieved!  For not only is the obstacle gone, so too is the anxiety that accompanied it.  Those are the moments when we pause and heave a great sigh of relief, “Thank you!” ... and “Thank you, God!”

Then there are the gifts that clearly involved great sacrifice, whether time or money.  When we were engaged, Peggy gave me for Christmas a beautiful quilt over which she had toiled for several months.  The thought of the love flowing out through those painstaking hours brought tears to my eyes then, and brings a lump to the throat even now.

And I treasure humble gifts, given from a loving heart.  My son, Matthew, and I took up golf when he was 12 and I in my early 40's.  AFter I shot under 50 for nine holes for the first time, this middle-school boy surprised me with a sleeve of golf balls purchased with his own money to celebrate the occasion.  That box and its contents sit as a trophy on my nightstand even now, not to memorialize my score that day, but as a treasured reminder of my son’s love for me, expressed in a simple gift.

As I thought about these “thanksgiving” occasions, it occurred to me that they all share one thing in common.  They all emanate from grace – undeserved favor.  Which I guess makes sense.  For what is thankfulness, but gratitude?  And what is gratitude, literally, but the soul’s overwhelming response to grace?

How different might this Thanksgiving be if, in addition to thinking of the blessings in our lives, we ask ourselves, “What favor have I received that I clearly did not deserve?”

[To see the daily reading in Luke 22:14-23, click here.]

The Story - Chapter 13 - 2 Chronicles 5-7

Following the lines of yesterday’s post about following God with integrity of heart and uprightness, comes one of my favorite readings. But, I have to admit that in the past I only concentrated on a portion of verse 14. I find reading a little bit before and a little bit after, shed fresh light and insight.

2 Chronicles 7:11-16 (NIV) “When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace, the LORD appeared to him at night and said: 

"I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”

God is addressing Solomon, He is responding to the prayer Solomon offered up during the Dedication of the Temple. He is reiterating that as long as the people follow Him and not practice the worship of other gods, as long as the people are faithful to The One True God, as long as they walk with integrity and uprightness, God will hear their prayers.

The same is true for us. If we turn to Him and away from our sin-filled lives, acknowledge Jesus as LORD and believe He is the only path to everlasting life, we will be heard. Our prayers will be answered and we will experience such healing of heart and mind that we will be filled with hope and joy.

This writer can find no better reason to give thanks, so with that, I wish everyone of you and truly blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.

Read 2 Chronicles 5-7 here

Listen to 2 Chronicles 5-7 here

Philippians 1:1-11

I once listened to a Philippians teaching shared by Jill Briscoe.  She referred to Paul's letter to the Philippians as 'jail mail' written by a free man in chains. Paul's letter to the faithful of Philippi is a letter to people he truly loved, people who partnered with him to spread the love of Jesus.

When I am in the company of other believers, I feel energized.  When I am working alongside fellow followers, I have the sense of joy and peace that is so different from other situations.  There is a writer's conference I attend with about 600 Christian women.  We are gathered in the same room, praising and praying, and there is no feeling quite like it. Having experienced that, I understand Paul's words below.

"It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me." Philippians 1:7

Philippi was a Roman colony and the Romans had a strong opposition to the Gospel. Paul spent many days in Roman prisons, and he spread the Word of God even in lock up. During his times of confinement he knew the members of his church were praying for him and that gave him courage and strength to continue his ministry. The prayers of our Friends in the Fellowship of Believers, lifted for us whenever we are chained to trouble, are mighty.

The prayers on our behalf by Friends in the Fellowship of Believers provide strength to go on. Petitions lifted up for us when life's challenges have us in the valley, are a thing of beauty. The words of Paul are echoed, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” (Philippians 1:3)

Read Philippians 1:1-11 here

Listen to Philippians 1:1-11 here

John 20:1-10

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.  So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

 So Peter and the  other disciple started for the tomb.  Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.  He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.  Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.  Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.  (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)  Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

I can't think of anything to be more thankful for than this.  Because Jesus died for us, we will be reunited with our loved ones in the not to distant future.  This is the first Thanksgiving Holiday without my husband and I am not sad because I know this to  be true.  

Have a blessed holiday today and know that I will be thanking God for sending His Son and I will be praising Him because He has made life worth living and dying for.  

Read the John 20:1-10 text here.  Listen to a reading of the John 20:1-10 text here.

God Works in the Desert - Psalm 107:33-43

Have you considered what God has done for you?

"Let the one who is wise heed…and ponder the loving deeds of the Lord." (v 43) No matter what I am facing in my life, I would be wise to pay attention to and think about what God has shown me. That is: He is over all. In His loving kindness and His power He always knows what's best for me.

God is generous with His love. His love shows how important we are to Him. He wants to bless us and take care of us. He wants to carry us through difficult times to experience His peace. He wants to provide our every need. This doesn't mean we will get everything we want. It means He will provide every real need.

God is faithful. In return, He expects us to be faithful, obedient, and committed to Him. He wants to be important in our lives. He wants us to have a relationship with Him through worship, prayer and reading and studying His Word. He will increase our faith, opening our hearts to His will and His love.

God has us in His hands. He has His eyes on us. He loves us beyond our understanding. God offers us His forgiveness and grace when we make mistakes. He is in us and with us whether we are experiencing mountaintop joys or desert thirst.

Take time today to say, "Thank you God, for Your faithfulness, Your loving kindness, Your grace and Your abundant blessings!"

Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day!

Read today's text on Biblegateway.

Don't Be Caught With Your Praise Down, Psalm 30

How often do you praise God? Do you make sure and thank Him for all the blessings you have? Often when I pray I immediately start pouring out my needs to God. Asking for wisdom, strength or guidance, I also pray for my family and friends. None of those prayers are bad or wrong, but many times I forget to praise God.

Our scripture today is full of praises to God. “I will exalt you, LORD… You lifted me out of the depths… you healed me.” The praises continue and then something at the end of the passage struck me. The psalmist writes, “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you?”

Wow, that made me think, would the lack of my praises be noticed if I were to pass away? I’m afraid to tell you what I think. All I know is, I have a lot to Praise God for and I should be filling the heavens with those praises. How about you, are you going to leave it to the dust to give God praise?

Read the entire passage on Biblegateway Psalm 30