This month many will turn their hearts toward God with thanksgiving. It is a beautiful posture to be grateful for all that God has done in our lives. Of course we should be thankful every day and not just during November, but this seems like a wonderful time to get back to my Thankful Thursday posts.
Psalm 92:1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High:
You can find many scriptures that encourage us to give thanks to God and praise Him for all He has done for us. Today I want to go to a less familiar passage perhaps and read from the book of Hosea to find out just what is the greatest gift from God and how we can give thanks with gladness for this sweet, precious, priceless gift.
Hosea 13:4 Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but Me: for there is no saviour beside Me.
Hosea 14:1, 4-9 O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for Mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under His shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard Him, and observed Him: I am like a green fir tree, From me is Thy fruit found. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
God is speaking to Israel in this passage, but now that we are adopted and grafted into the True Vine, the message is for all who follow Jesus. There is no Savior but Him. Jesus died for our sins so we did not have to.
We may desire to have many things in this life, but the one thing, the main thing, is that we seek God's amazing grace. Let's repent and turn from our wicked ways and lean heavily on the Master to get us through this world. This wicked world is not our home. We are pilgrims. We are just passing through and everything we do down here for Christ will last and will go beyond our lives.
I think of the many times my sister Deborah and her husband Steve would sing to me and pray for me over the phone. I think of the times I was in the pit of despair with all these chronic health problems and at the right time I would get a text message of encouragement, cheering me on, and telling me not to quit fighting, not to give up, but to endure.
My sister and brother-in-law are with the LORD now and I will not see their names on my phone screen ever again. I will never hear them pray another prayer for me, but the good news is God keeps working on those prayers long after the one who prayed has passed. That is a blessing!
The greatest gift we received was salvation, freedom from sin, and a place with the Savior forever.
John 14:1-18 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto Him, Lord, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him. Philip saith unto Him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
What a beautiful promise! We have comfort in this troubled world because we have Jesus in our hearts. The Holy Spirit of the Living God is alive and well inside us and we have peace as our minds stay upon God. Friends, if you are struggling with the chaos and noise of this wicked world, step away and get alone with God. Find comfort in His words. Read your Bible and pray to Him. He longs to lead you and have fellowship with you.
If you have not placed your trust in Jesus, please let this be the moment you say yes to Him. He is waiting with arms stretched out, holding out nail scarred hands for whosoever will. If you are in fellowship with Jesus, stay there. Do not get caught up in the news and politics and confusion of this world. Seek Jesus and He will be your shelter.
I hope you will think about what you are thankful for today. I am thankful for the Comforter, for peace, for Jesus as my Savior and for all God has done in my life. I hope something I shared today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
No comments:
Post a Comment