Tag: Jesus

God Gives Us Choices, Choose LIFE in Him

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As so often happens God gave Isaiah prophesies that ran one into another. Isaiah 8:11-13 pertains to King Ahaz and God desiring that they look to Him, trust in Him and not worry or fear their enemies. Isaiah 8:14-15 were about the coming Messiah. Verse 16 was addressed to Isaiah’s disciples or those who would take care of his teachings or would be preserving them so prophesy could be verified. Verses 17-18 were again referring to Messiah. Prophesy is complex but we have the benefit of seeing from the future and can see how these all played out.

In verses 14-15 we see opposition to the Messiah’s message. He will be a holy place;
    for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
    a trap and a snare.
15 Many of them will stumble;
    they will fall and be broken,
    they will be snared and captured.” The coming Messiah, Jesus, was/is to be the cornerstone of their lives and ours or He will be something they/we would stumble over. He is either the solution or the problem. The New Testament disciples saw Jesus as the foundation of their faith. Ephesians 2:19-20 “ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” Many of the Pharisees and other religious leaders opposed Jesus. They stumbled over His truth and light from God. Luke 11:53“When Jesus went outside, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose him fiercely and to besiege him with questions,” Their opposition lead to his crucifixion and condemnation. They led the people to cry “Crucify Him” and demanded he be put to death. As Isaiah prophesied, this Jesus would be the solution to our sin and separation from God problem or He would be something we’d question, desire that he’d be gone from our lives or even wish Him into non-existence.

The next verse in this prophesy was aimed at those following Isaiah. Perhaps they were the recorders of the prophesy and he wanted to make sure they wrote it down so it could be authenticated when the events came to pass. He wanted God’s words affirmed as always true! Verse 16 “Bind up this testimony of warning and seal up God’s instruction among my disciples.”

Verses 17-18 bring us back to Messiah. 17 I will wait for the Lord,  who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in him.” 18 Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion. The author of Hebrews applied these verses to Messiah, Christ, in Hebrews 2:13 “Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the Lord Almighty, who dwells on Mount Zion. “ Jesus was the ultimate example of trusting faith and that those who believed in Him were given to Him by the Father. He called them his children and his friends.

What do you take away from these verses?

** Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith and you have to chose to build upon Him and His truths or not.

**Many reject Jesus as the Son of God and stumble over His truth, love and redemption.

**God’s words to Isaiah were authenticated, showing God keeps His promises.

**Jesus is our prime example of trusting faith and those who follow Him are claimed by Him as His children and friends.

Which is it for you? Do you claim Jesus as the author and founder of your faith, the chief cornerstone upon which everything is built? Or do you deny He is God and ignore His teachings and truth? You can’t have it both ways. He is either a building block or untruth, lies and deceit. God created us with free will and leaves this crucial choice to us. We either choose life or death. Moses’ words from Deuteronomy 30:19 still ring true. “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”

As we continue to see in Isaiah, Christ is the Holy one, the Only one, who can Save us.

Linda

Immanuel, God with Us!

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We learned that in Isaiah 7 the enemies of Judah were marching towards Jerusalem. Isaiah had prophesied before King Ahaz that the enemy would not be victorious. They were to stand firm in faith and believe and trust God for this victory. Isaiah then told Ahaz to ask God for a confirmation sign. Ahaz refused to ask God saying he did not want to test God. Isaiah chastized Ahaz for not wanting a word of prophecy from the Lord. This prophesy was meant to convince Ahaz that God could indeed rescue him from his enemies and to grow his faith. The prophesy is one of the major prophesies about Jesus and what would happen to Ahaz and Judah in their near future. Isaiah 7:14-17

14 All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). 

This prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled in Matthew 1:20-23 which was given to Joseph.

 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

I was also fulfilled in Luke 1:26-31 which was given to Mary:

 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.“

Scripture records the actual birth of Mary’s baby in Luke 2: 4-7 in the ‘Christmas Story’.

 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

Isaiah’s prophecy contained both events near to their present time and one that would not occur for another 600 years! Prophecy is often given this way and time alone helps us to discern what is close and what is far away. However, whether it is near or far, all of it is absolutely true. Here is the remainder of the prophecy from verses 15-17 that tell of the coming destruction of the land by Israel’s enemies. This destruction of the kings mentioned was also foretold in Amos 1:3-5 and Jeramiah 7:15.

15 By the time this child is old enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong, he will be eating yogurt and honey. 16 For before the child is that old, the lands of the two kings you fear so much will both be deserted. 17 “Then the Lord will bring things on you, your nation, and your family unlike anything since Israel broke away from Judah. He will bring the king of Assyria upon you!”

The prophecy that Isaiah gave from God about the coming Messiah was to bring hope to all Israelites. It was show that there would be a miraculous coming of ‘God with us’. This child would be a miracle of birth sent by God. Since the only God with us the Israelites were familiar with was God’s indwelling of the temple and the tabernacle before that, this would have been a gigantic revelation. It was to change the course of human history. Never before had God dwelt with his believers in bodily form. Ahaz did not want a sign from God but the sign God gave was definitely one we would not want to turn down. It was a sign that would change the course of history.

As I close this section of prophecy from Isaiah, I am blessed by God’s words of hope and deliverance that Messiah would bring. On this side of the cross, we see the effect Jesus had on humanity and how he was indeed God with us! My faith is strengthened in that God knew what his plan was to save all mankind through Jesus the Son and he gave us this prophecy to help us see that He is indeed Sovereign and Omniscient. He is the one that has a plan that will not be thwarted by the events of any age and His will will prevail. I pray that seeing the prophecy fulfilled from verse 14 increases your faith.

One other thought, Ahaz did not want a word from God for whatever reason. I can’t imagine anyone would not want to hear something from God. I had to ask myself though, am I listening to God and hearing His messages to me? Do I welcome His revelations? Do I treat God’s Word with reverence and respect? When I study and read God’s Word, am I looking for His messages to me? His whole book is a love story to me and for me, do I see that? May you look with fresh eyes as you read and study His Word during this Lenten Season.

Meditating on verse 14, may you welcome Jesus into your life today and let Him be ‘God with you’. You will be blessed.

Linda

The Valentine that Keeps on Giving!

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I love this Valentine and keep sending it each year as the message is timeless and the graphics so true.

The cynic might say Valentine’s Day is the day for florists, candy and card makers to earn a great deal of money.  I walked into a local supermarket yesterday, and I was overwhelmed by the amount of flowers, cards and candy that were on display.   On the love side, Valentine’s Day is a day when we can express our love for one another freely and not be thought of as sentimental or mushy.  How about God?  How does God express His love for us?   Here is a familiar verse that gets right to the heart of God.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that who ever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For He did not sent his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  John 3:16-17  

How much more love could God show towards us than sacrificing His only Son on our behalf?  He loved us that much.   He sent Him so that through faith in Jesus we could be saved and not condemned.  Only sinless Jesus could erase our sin and present us whole and perfectly clean before our Holy God.

valentine

When you say ‘thank you’ today for a Valentine gift you receive, a card, note, flowers or someone simply saying ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’, think about thanking God too.  Thank Him for sending Jesus.  Thank Him for making a way for your salvation and eternal life with Him.   That is the best Valentine I can think of that is filled with all of God’s love for now throughout eternity.

Blessings on this Valentine’s Day.

Linda

Why would YOU travel to see the New Born King?

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In yesterday’s passage from Luke 2:8-13 we saw the bucolic scene with shepherds tending their flock by night. Their calm evening was interrupted by an angelic host of angels who arrived with news of the new born king, the Messiah. The angel announced this baby’s birth to the amazed shepherds. “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” After this startling announcement, the angelic host burst into praises to the glory of God and proclaimed what this newly arrived king would bring. He was to bring peace if His favor rests upon you. God’s favor is His grace which is undeserved, unearned and a gift from Him. To receive this promised grace, one just needs to believe in His Son, Jesus.

Luke 2:14-15 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Obviously the shepherds’ interest was piqued and they wanted to go and see the baby for themselves. They believed that traversing to Bethlehem would bring them face to face with this marvelous child, their long awaited Messiah. So immediately after the angelic hosts departed they decided to go and see for themselves.

What about God piques your interest? Are you curious and seek to know Him more fully and understand His ways better? Are you just interested in answered prayers or daily comfort? Do you love fellowshipping with believers and want to serve Him with others? Are you looking for answers to the problems of life and relief from worry and pain? Are you looking for promises to claim in your life? There are so many aspects to faith and a daily walk with the Lord. All of the above may be of interest to you but I pray your major motivation towards God is LOVE. He loved you and me enough to send Jesus to die to restore our relationship with Him. He desires that we fellowship with Him for eternity. John 3:16 reveals God’s motivation towards us.“ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” He loved us while we were still sinners according to Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” What a gracious and loving God!

I pray that you can catch a glimpse of the love God has for you and me in the Christmas story. May it show you God’s love in a new way and motivate you to a renewed faith and commitment now and in the New Year.

Linda

Joseph, A Second Look

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Joseph’s encounter with the angel and his stunning message to Joseph is worth a second look. Matthew 1:20-25 is the rich account of how God told Joseph in a dream of His Son that was to be born to Mary, Joseph’s fiancé. Yesterday we looked at Joseph’s character that shone with faith and obedience to God and we looked at the attributes of God revealed to us in this heavenly meeting. Today I want to focus on this Son of God that was to be born of Mary.

20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
    She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
    which means ‘God is with us.’”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. 25 But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Joseph was told by God in a dream that the child conceived within Mary was God’s Son by His Holy Spirit. He would be named Jesus, which means God with us. This Son was coming with a purpose which was to save all mankind from their sins. All men inherited their sinful nature from Adam and Eve when they sinned in the garden. God’s plan was one of restoration and redemption though the coming of His Son Jesus. This was a lot of information for Joseph to process. He was righteous, which meant he was knowledgeable about the scriptures and laws of Moses which he practiced faithfully. Joseph would have known the quote in verse 23 is from Isaiah 7:14. He would have known of God’s promised Messiah who was to save His people. Joseph must have been overwhelmed by the responsibility and privilege God was placing upon him to be the earthly father of His Son. He took all this in and stepped out in obedient faith to follow the command God gave him. He married Mary immediately and did not stop to count the cost. The cost as we will see was significant but the blessings and privileges of serving the Lord would have been immense.

What obstacles are you facing in your service to God? Are they ones you create in your mind, the what ifs? Are they circumstances that you feel are too big for God to overcome? If so, think about Joseph and all he had in front of him, and yet he trusted God and walked in obedience. Jesus is the key- He came to be with us ‘Immanuel’ and to save us from our sins. Take His hand and walk with Him. When things get hard He promises to never leave you nor forsake you, He’s got this!

Linda

Promise Keeping God is Revealed

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Today we hear the first half of Zechariah’s prophesy about the coming Savior.

Luke 1:67-75 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
    and to remember his holy covenant,
73     the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him without fear
75     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

What do we learn about the coming Messiah from Zechariah’s prophesy? Verse 68 tells us he will be sent by God to redeem or buy back people from the penalty of sin. The Messiah will be the vehicle for that redemption before God. Verse 69, he will be from the house of David, just as God promised to Abraham that though him all people would be blessed. Genesis 12:3 “and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” David was a direct descendant of Abraham. Verses 71 and 72 speak of salvation from enemies and haters which they thought meant the foreign oppressors, Rome, but in the long term our greatest enemy is Satan and Jesus will rescue us from our bondage to sin and its power over us. This is further explained in verse 74 which speaks of freedom, rescue so we can serve Him without fear. God is sending the Messiah as promised as He is remembering the Covenant to Abraham to be their God and they would be His people. Verse 75 tells us that the promised one will be holy and righteous and will enable us to serve him in holiness and righteousness.

This was a lot to take in at the time and much was still hidden from their understanding. More was fully revealed though Jesus’ life, teaching, death and resurrection. Lastly, more is revealed to us through His spirit that indwells us, His Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 14:26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” We have the benefit of God’s Holy Spirit to help us understand in a new way God’s plan of redemption, the message of salvation, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the truth of His complete Word. Just as Zechariah was blessed that day by God’s revelation, we too are blessed by our knowledge of Jesus and our faith in Him.

Let the truth of God’s Word and character be renewed in you today. God is who He says He is and will eternally keep His promises. The whole world is indeed blessed by Jesus and His redemptive work on the cross, His death and resurrection. Stand on His promises with hope and conviction this Christmas season as you experience anew Christ’s work in you.


Linda

God’s Plans can be Unexpected!

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In today’s passage, we see Gabriel bringing news to Mary this time, the future mother of Jesus. Just as previously when Gabriel delivered his message, he was aware of Mary and her emotions and feelings. He knew she was afraid because he was a heavenly being and his news was unsettling. She wondered how she could possibly be with child as she was unmarried and had never slept with her betrothed Joseph. Her questions come from fear and concern not unbelief. Gabriel is patient with her and tries to relieve her fears. Mary does not question the fact that God could cause her to be pregnant or that an angelic being is speaking with her or even the validity of the content of his message. Mary accepts these things by faith. Luke 1:26-34

 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

Yesterday we saw Elizabeth’s response to the miracles God brought into her life. Mary likewise is not fearful of being used by God for this great purpose, only curious. As a young Jewish woman she would know the prophecy’s about the coming Messiah. She would know the implications for both she and Joseph if she were to become pregnant outside of marriage. However, she receives the message from Gabriel with wonder. Zechariah questioned God’s ability to bring a child into their marriage because of their age. Mary does not question God’s ability to do this but is curious as to how this can be. Her response to the coming miracle is one of faith and not a question holding doubt in her heart. What about you? When God provides in an unseen way or does something miraculous in your life, do you question His ability to do it? Do you say why or wait a minute this can’t possibly be? God expects us to respond with faith and then thanksgiving which we will see Mary does as the passage unfolds.

One other observation about this passage, Gabriel calls Mary ‘highly favored’ of God and that the Lord is with her. Do you consider yourself ‘favored’ by God? If you know Jesus as your Savior, you are recipient of God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness. His Holy Spirit indwells and empowers you to live for Him. You are definitely highly favored and loved by God!

Today take a few minutes to ponder what God has done and is doing in your life. Look at how you have responded to His goodness and provision. If it is with a thankful heart, keep on thanking Him. If it is with hesitancy or doubt, turn to Him and seek His forgiveness. Remember and claim Jeremiah 29:11 for your life and believe it as Mary and Elizabeth have shown us. “ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” They trusted God with the plans for their lives and knew that God’s plans would be for their good and His glory! Can you do the same today, you who are also highly favored by God?

Linda

Give Thanks for Prayer and Friend Jesus

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November 4, 2022

Today’s verse features the action words ‘give thanks’. How thankful do you consider yourself to be? Do you live with a continual attitude of gratitude or is it fleeting depending upon your circumstances? If truth be told, the fleeting gratitude is probably more to what really happens in our lives. However, it is God’s desire that we be thankful at all times in all things.

1Thessalonians 5:17-18 “ pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Paul is exhorting the Thessalonian believers and us too, to be prayerful at all times and have words of thanks on our lips as we pray. This combines two actions towards God- prayer, talking with God, and giving Him thanks with our words. What fills your prayers? Do you constantly seek His help with a give, or an I want attitude? This exhortation is focused on talking with God and having thanks be at the forefront of our praying. Being thankful – not just when things are going well but in all times. This is often very hard to do but seeking to see something to be thankful for in your situation gives you hope. It helps alleviate pain and refocuses you on God and the power of His might in Christ Jesus. God knows there is suffering and pain in this world but He wants to keep us focused on Jesus. Jesus will give us peace, hope and endurance as we look to Him in thanksgiving and praise. Seek to live each day with a prayerful thank-filled attitude just as Christ desires.

A truth to claim with thanksgiving: I have a friend in Jesus. In John 15:14-15 Jesus calls us His friends. “You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” Being a friend of Jesus means He is always with you, supporting and caring for you. I pray the desire of your heart is to follow His commands and seek to know Him better. We are not considered servants but friends and we belong to His family. Being a member of God’s forever family is always something you can give praise and thanks for. Knowing Jesus as a friend gives hope and reassurance to us each day. Thank you Jesus.

Linda

A Double Blessing today!

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November 2, 2022

Psalm 7:17 “I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness;
    I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.’

What a wonderful verse of praise from Psalms. This verse tells us God is due our praise and worship because of His righteousness. Without His righteousness, we would be lost. Scripture is filled with references to the righteousness we receive through faith in Jesus. Romans 3:22 “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Romans 4:23-24 “ The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ” Philippians 1:10-11 “ so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Without the righteousness given to us through faith in Jesus, we would be hopelessly lost. We would be dead in our sins. What a wonderful position we are in as loved ones, as believers in Jesus! We are loved and cared for by Almighty God. Let your praises be heard today. Tell God how grateful you are and tell someone else about your wonderful Savior!

A truth to claim with thanksgiving: I am sanctified. Because of what Christ did on the cross, because of His imputed righteousness to me, I am sanctified. According to the dictionary to be sanctified is to be made holy, consecrated. Left to myself, I am buried in my sin as there is nothing I can do to make myself clean enough before God. However, Jesus has made me clean by faith and washed me by the forgiveness of sin through His blood. Because I still live in a sinful world, this sanctification or transformation takes a lifetime. Here are some verses to encourage you: Hebrews 2:11 “Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” Philippians 2:12b-13 “—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” and Ephesians 4:22-24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

What a double blessing today as we consider our righteousness imparted to us through faith in Jesus and His work within us to conform us to what He knows we can be in Him! Take Paul’s prayer from 1 Thessalonians to heart claiming it over your life today.

Linda

Let’s Begin with His Love and Goodness

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I always look forward to the start of November. The weather is cooling and we are headed into the holiday months with Thanksgiving and Christmas. I also begin to panic a bit as I have no ideas right now for Christmas gifts. I also like it because for the last several years I have blogged daily from November 1 to Thanksgiving and then December 1 to Christmas. It is a busy time and causes me to stretch and grow my faith as I depend upon God each day to I write from His Word. I have been in prayer about these blogs and the message God wants me to send out in His name. We will begin each day in November with a scripture highlighting Thanks and then I will add a remainder to you of a spiritual blessing we have in Christ. I am praying that these blogs will encourage your own attitude of gratitude and thankfulness towards God.

Day 1 of November 2022

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34 This same praise is found repeatedly in scripture. The basis of all our thanksgiving is based upon the goodness of the Lord. This is not based on something temporal but in the enduring, eternal love of God for us. Let that sink in for a moment! We can give thanks no matter what the circumstances as God’s character, His goodness, never changes. When things are hard and seem to be going wrong, God’s goodness and His love are still there. He is always available to us and turning to Him will give you hope and reassurance. We can cling to His promise in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God works all things for our good and His glory as we trust and put our faith in Jesus. The part that is continually tested is our enduring faith in His goodness. Claim His promises, lean into and on His goodness and love today! Then, live like you truly believe it!

A truth to claim with thanksgiving: I am sustained by Christ. Is Christ your sustaining power? Claim Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Along with 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” My go to verse for claiming the sustaining power of Christ in my life is 2 Corinthians 12:9 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. In His goodness and love, He promises to sustain, care, support and love each of us. He will always be enough for whatever we are going through, so claim His sustaining promises today!

Linda