Gratitude

Gratitude

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB

'Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. '

Day 176: Overflowing in Gratitude

Colossians 2:4-7 NLT

For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

         How do we become overflowing with thankfulness? This question will eventually drive you to begin to see God’s beauty in absolutely everything. Honestly, it really is not a difficult process, but it is a process that requires discipline in ways that are not considered mainstream or hip in our culture today.

         One of the greatest difficulties about being a teacher is the mandate of standardized testing. In elementary school we test students on average 2-3 times per week across multiple subject areas. This seems unrealistic and extremely unfair. I have said it multiple times in my career and will likely say it again, I just want to teach. Needless to say, it is easy to jump on a train of thought that creates anxiety, loathing, and begrudging attitudes that do not serve the students and their mental and emotional well-being.

         So, what does one do when everything seems to be working against you and your attitude about things suck, you learn how to be grateful and express that gratitude. The other day in the midst of prepping for our next onslaught of standardized testing, I told the students I was thankful for the testing. They all looked at me like I had lost all my marbles and went completely crazy. Yet I continued and I explained to them that I was thankful for the opportunity that they were going to be given to show what they know to a different group of people than normal. Then, I continued to list additional ways of being thankful for the onslaught of testing ahead of us, in that it is preparing them for life… in that life does not stop… we can’t give up when things get hard or even mundane, we have to continue to push ourselves to new heights and be disciplined in our approach to everything. I expressed my gratitude in that we got the opportunity to practice accomplishing challenging things together before life takes them away from me in a few short weeks.

         I was thankful for each and every moment I spent with them in my classroom and expressed the idea that our time together was short, and I wanted to make the absolute most out of that time together. Being thankful for my students and all the testing helps them prepare their hearts and minds for what is coming in their lives. It is important for us to model that for our students.

         Moreso, this scripture models the same ideas for us. It starts with longing for connection, rejoicing in the goodness of life and that faith is growing, a spur to continue forward and press onward towards the goals of the gospel, growing in the knowledge of Christ Jesus, building your life upon His glory, grace, and truth, and finally OVERFLOWING with thankfulness.  We have to learn how to be overflowing with gratitude.

Dear Grateful Father,

         We are grateful for so much in our lives that comes from You Jesus. Yet I like many others, often fall very short of expressing my gratitude. Jesus, Thank You for everything in my life. You have become my life, and yet I still find ways of struggling through and not expressing gratitude. So, Father, please help my heart and mind become disciplined enough to express the depths of my gratitude for everything. I am humbled by Your presence, and I am thankful that You are using discipline to bring forth these devotions. I pray that one soul is reached for Your glory and grace and that this work honors You and all You have done in my life. Let others be encouraged and seek gratitude through the work of this devotion even though life is difficult and situations feel hopeless and mundane at times. Jesus, grant us the ability to be grateful in all circumstances in such quantities that we would overflow with thanksgiving for everything in our lives. Thank You Jesus, for You have done so much more than we could ever deserve. In Christ Jesus’s name I pray, amen.

Day 177: Generosity encourages thanksgiving

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 NIV

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.”

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

         What we sow we will reap; this is a clear teaching in God’s word. There is significant evidence in this passage in support of what is a major by-product of being generous with others, gratitude. This result is stated explicitly in verse eleven, “Your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” This is a powerful result of our choice to be generous in our lives.

         Generosity encourages gratitude. One of the ways my life has become filled with beauty is by being intentionally generous with others. There are aspects in how I choose to walk through this world that enable me to walk with a generosity mindset. Partly, I set aside a portion of my tithe for walking in the spirit to give freely to others. I have found that this sets my mind and heart in a mindset of being cheerful in my giving to others. More often than not, people are never aware of where the blessings appeared in their lives, but I am. Seeing their spirit light up in gratitude knowing that the Lord blessed me with the ability to bless others is beyond personally rewarding, it results in praising God in my life. Thanksgiving others experience through the blessing also promotes gratitude in those that receive.

         This is a practical approach to giving, but it illustrates to me what the end of this verse is teaching us, “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” This is the indescribable gift we have received through grace, peace, and rest- our ability to express our most sincere gratitude for all that we have been given and share in those blessings with all those around us. This is a powerful way of living in generosity. Appropriately living in generosity encourages thanksgiving in our minds and hearts for the overwhelming grace that promotes overflowing gratitude towards our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Dear Most Generous Father,

         Thank You for Your overwhelming grace and how it abounds in our lives. You have done things through generosity that we cannot even conceptually fathom. The abundance of grace and provision allows us to share with those around us more than just the good news of the gospel, but how to live in the overflowing provision of our needs in honoring the Lord in our lives. Jesus, help us acknowledge the blessings You have provided us and let us be encouraged to the point of overflowing gratitude for Your work in our lives. So much so, that others will see our grateful hearts and see that we are passionate about what You are accomplishing through us and desire their own personal relationship with You Jesus. Thank You Lord for all You have done through our lives, in Jesus Christ’s name and authority we praise the Creator of everything, amen. 

Day 178: All means all

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

'Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. '

         All means all.

         This is the hardest concept for us to wrap our brains around in learning to seek God’s beauty and see Him for the sovereign Lord that He is. We limit so much of our understanding of Jesus to human conventions that we cannot fathom rejoicing in ALL ways, praying continually, and giving thanks in ALL circumstances. Yet this scripture is explicit in telling us directly that these actions ARE God’s will for our lives… It is direct, firm, non-negotiable, and an all-encompassing guidance for us to accept in our lives. We must fully embrace this calling and learn how to rejoice, pray, and give thanks for absolutely everything.

         I know the argument right now… even in my own mind I can see the profound influence of our culture creeping in and causing me to rebel against this all means all mentality. I have about a dozen scenarios that run through my mind of where I have either said something like this or someone I know has… But what about that violation against my ______;  what about childhood cancer; what about so in so, they were so young and vibrant; their innocence was stripped away at such a young age… This could go on for hours listing all the circumstances that see the darkness and sin nature in this world. Simply put, we are living in a fallen world, and bad things keep happening to good people. However, that does not mean that we cannot learn how to give thanks in all circumstances.

         I have firsthand knowledge of so many situations and circumstances that you rip the heart out of your chest and break you deeply. Being an educator, we are exposed to the worst that this world has to offer, and we deal firsthand with the fallout to the children that were hindered by broken adults. It is heartbreaking and often overwhelming. There has always been a truth I have held on to and often shared to encourage other teachers that has made a significant difference in my life. At the end of the day, with our relationship with Jesus Christ through being anchored in God’s word, we get to be the light in the darkness. Our worst days are better than those with absolutely no hope trying to fight off the tragic nature of this fallen world. For our hope is found in Jesus Christ, the uncaused cause, the eternal salvation, the grace filled King of kings and Lord of lords.

         So, how do we rejoice in all ways, continually pray, and through everything continue to give thanks? Just do it. Make a point to carry joy, talk to God, and constantly be graciously grateful for everything, including the bad. Practically speaking, that could mean telling the police officer thank you for pulling me over and getting a ticket which is a reminder that I must always submit to the authority God has placed in my life so that I may honor Him in everything… Even the worst of moments are opportunities to practice practical obedience to what is explicitly stated as God’s will for our lives.

Dear Sovereign Father,

         Gratitude is one of our best responses in all things Jesus. We come before You with a grateful heart and mind. You have overwhelmed us with such grace and poise. Teach us how to rejoice in all ways by granting us favor to see Your beauty surrounding us in every moment. Let us serve You and Your Kingdom by faithful prayer and thanksgiving. Lord, we are honored to be loved by You, and we have nothing but prayers of gratitude for a new day that is upon us. Thank You for Your abundant grace and love. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen. 

Day 179: Foundations of gratitude

Colossians 4:2 NIV

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Colossians 4:2 NASB

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving…

Colossians 4:2 NLT

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Colossians 4:2 HCS

Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.

         Devote ourselves to prayer... What does that look like in our daily lives. To be devoted means that you are extremely loving, loyal, or dedicated to a person, cause, or activity. It is why we call them devotionals. We become dedicated to reading and studying God’s word every day. You are faithful to follow through. This scripture is telling us to be devoted to prayer. This is reinforced throughout all of the scriptures.

         The coolest part of this simple verse is in what is said after devote yourselves to prayer. Notice how every translation agrees on the first part of the scripture, there is not any question about the interpretation of the original text, but the second part is a little more subtle in its interpretation. We can see the subtle differences between being watchful, keeping alert, or staying alert in prayer. Why are we supposed to be on watch and alert while praying?

         If you are anything like me, you often pray at night before you go to sleep. I cannot fathom the number of times I have fallen asleep talking to God. If anything, being honest, prayer can make me sleepy. Even the disciples in the Garden could not keep their physical bodies awake as noted by Jesus Himself:

Matthew 26:40-41 NLT

Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

So then, why does the scripture above suggest that we keep watch and stay alert in prayer? There are numerous answers that are feasible here, but I think it is simple, so that we would see God’s beauty and His power on display as He orchestrates His will in real time. Whether or not you agree with this idea, there is still a qualifier that we must all obtain according to this scripture while we pray and remain alert, thanksgiving…

         The final piece of this simple scripture is thanksgiving. We are to be thankful in all things. When we approach the throne of God, we have to come with a humble and sincere attitude, but most importantly, we must approach with gratitude. A gratefulness that comes from the heart of who we are. Without gratitude we fail to be truly devoted to the cause. We ARE saved through grace, and we must be grateful for all that we have through grace. Thanksgiving is the key to truly unlocking our ability to see God’s beauty surrounding us.

Dear Heavenly Father,

         Thank You for the richness of Your grace. Thank You that we can devote ourselves to studying Your word and seeking You out in this world. Thank You for the time You grant us to come together and seek Your Kingdom and will. Thank You for Your abundant love poured out upon us. Thank you for the overwhelming gratitude that You have provided for us to express in our devotion to You. Today, reveal Your beauty to us in a unique way that speaks to Your heart for us. Let us notice it as we keep ourselves alert in expectation of You moving in our lives. Let us share in that moment with someone around us that needs to see You at work in their lives. We trust and love Your will for us. May we honor You Jesus with love and respect as we come to You with thanksgiving. In Jesus Christ’s power and authority, amen. 

Day 180: Do NOT be anxious

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

'Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. '

         This verse has changed the way I pray more than any other verse in the bible. It has truly rewired my brain and caused dramatic shifts in my teaching philosophy. We live in the most anxious time that has ever existed. There are books after books about our children becoming the most anxious generation and the constant bombardment of social media and the scroll are taking a massive toll on our society as a whole. This verse has become one of the most powerful verses that people need in their lives every day, and sometimes moment by moment due to the overwhelming nature of our anxious culture.

         This verse serves as a direct cure for anxiety if you would allow it to do its work. First of all, it is a direct commandment. DO NOT BE anxious. Being is a current state of operating in this world. It means right now. It states explicitly that we are to NOT be anxious about anything… Anything, really?!? Anything, yes, any number of things essentially means everything.

         I get it, this verse does not get you, your anxiety is overwhelming. I have seen this over and over again, but trust God’s word. It then reiterates that in every situation we are to pray and petition, which is a formal request to authority (God), with thanksgiving. With thanksgiving, the central core to the command, we are to talk to Jesus and present our requests over our anxieties. This is as simple as it seems in words, but seemingly impossible when we are operating in anxiety. This is because as humans our brains are literally wired to be either anxious or thankful, there is no grey area in that place. Thanksgiving is the cure for anxiety, because both simply cannot coexist in the human brain. It is how God wired us. Yet our default setting is in sin nature, therefore, we operate under the anxiety side more often than the gratitude side.

         Once we have presented our request in thanksgiving to the Lord, we are granted peace that goes beyond anything that we could possibly dream of in the craziness we call life. It tells us that this transcendent peace will guard our minds and hearts in Christ Jesus. Notice the in Christ Jesus phrase. We have to live in and through Jesus- the Holy Spirit- as we walk through every day.

         Now there is substantially more to this scripture to cover because it is in one of the most powerful chapters for perspective alterations throughout all of scripture. However, we need to be practical in our pursuit of God’s word in our lives and make this directly applicable today. This morning, take a few minutes and write down 20 things you are thankful for and put the list in your pocket. Every time anxiety creeps up, pull out the list and read it to God, thanking Him for each of those things. Watch anxiety melt away and peace reign in your day. God will grant you transcendent peace if you come to Him with the right intentions through gratitude.

Dear Anxiety Killing Father,

         Thank You Jesus for Your word that demolishes every argument and anxious feeling within us. Thank You that we can study and meditate upon Your word and allow it to transform us from deep within our souls. Thank You for the opportunity to praise You in the list of things we are thankful for in our daily walks. Thank You for Your guidance to Your servant Joshua that applies to our lives today, in Joshua 1:8 You commanded him and us to study Your word continually. Meditating on it day and night so that we can obey Your commands. You promise that when we do that, we will prosper and succeed in everything we do. Thank You that Your word commands us to not be anxious, for Your grace is more than enough for us. Thank You that gratitude is as simple as turning on our water faucet to get clean water. You have so richly blessed us beyond our comprehension. Help us understand how abundant and lavish Your blessing of grace is in our lives. It is truly a blessing to be given the opportunity to pursue You in our lives. Guide and direct our steps today. In Jesus Christ’s Holy name, amen.  

Day 181: Future promises

Hebrews 12:28-29 NLT

Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.

         Sometimes we need to be reminded of future things to come in order to be grateful. This is one of the privileges of following Jesus Christ. He has promised us a future with Him that will not be shaken by anything. We have to learn how to lean into this idea and use it as a cornerstone of gratitude. This means that whenever we are facing something challenging in the present, we can express gratitude that it will not always be this way, this difficult, or this emotional. We have a promise of future things to come that will strengthen us.

         Walking in 359˚ of beauty is a challenging notion. It requires you to look back at all that God has done in your life, but it also requires you to slow down enough to see the beauty surrounding you right now. This is incredibly difficult to do in the moments that we find ourselves in daily. Eventually, it does become significantly easier to see God’s beauty in all things as you grow in your transformational process of renewing your mind and writing God’s word on your heart. One of the key strategies in learning how to see God’s beauty in all circumstances is to know that we have a future full of promises that alleviates all the distress of today. This equips you with a different mindset about current circumstances.

         I have been privileged to walk through this process with some of my closest friends. Whenever they are experiencing difficult trials, it is imperative to remind them that it will not always be this difficult. That is the hope that we have in Jesus. He had promised us a better existence. If anything, think about these future promises this way… Since God created the earth and all that is in it in 6 days, and Jesus has been in heaven preparing a place for us for the last 2000 years… How awesome will this place be? Now, if you really want to get technical… If God recreated all that we see while it was underwater over the course of 365 days, how much more incredible will His future Kingdom be since He has been preparing a place for us?

         These thoughts are only supported more by Ephesians 3:20, “'Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.'” Therefore, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with Holy fear and awe. This is a reverence that goes beyond being a fan of God, but more of a bond servant with Christ Jesus. So, being grateful for future promises in the moment is beyond helpful in learning how to live in the 359˚ of beauty mindset.

Devouring Father,

         Thank You that You are all consuming and that in Your consummation of our lives, You promise us far more than we can even imagine. Lord, we want to do what is pleasing in your sight. We desire to be found in Your will, and we are thankful for the multitude of blessings You have filled our lives with. Who are we but dust and ash that You would form us for greater purposes than we can possibly imagine. Thank You that You have made all of this possible with Jesus Christ. Thank you that He was willing to follow Your requirements of sacrifice and forgiveness on our behalf. Let us Praise You God in awe and reverence for You are Holy. Thank You Jesus for all that You have done, are doing, and will do in our future. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Day 182: Commanded to be thankful

Colossians 3:12-15 NLT

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 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.

         Being found in gratitude is a command of scripture. Each and every time we encounter scripture that is advising us on what to think, or how to think about things of God, we encounter the same thing over and over again, ALWAYS BE THANKFUL, in all ways be overflowing in gratitude, or in whatever you do or say give thanks through Jesus. This becomes more and more evident the more you study and look at scripture.

         I love the way the translation of this verse illustrates the idea of how we are to put on the qualities of Jesus Christ. It says clothe yourselves. One of the funniest things about being a 5th grade teacher is what kids choose to wear to school. Most of the boys are completely clueless and do not care what they put on, but the little girls are often meticulous about what they choose to wear every day. Choosing an outfit is an intentional act, mostly… unless you are a 5th grade boy of course! The idea of put on these qualities means we are to be intentional in how we go through this world. We have to be active in the process of presenting ourselves to the world around us. Not only do we need to be intentional with what we present to the world, how we engage others is vitally important as well.

         This passage counsels us to be mindful and make allowances for people’s faults. We are all sinners and we are to love them for who they are and forgive them when they cross our moral and ethical lines. We have to remember that the people around us do not have the same boundaries guiding them in their relationship with Jesus Christ. We too did not have the same ethos of Christ when He forgave us… So, we are to embody His leadership in that He accepted and forgave us.

         We are to do all of these things in love and thanksgiving. When we live with love and thanksgiving expressed to those around us, we encounter the peace that this verse is speaking about. The beauty of all this thankfulness is that we get the privilege of being thankful to a God that allows us to love each other the way that He loves us. As this chapter continues in Colossians 3 it proves this idea of thankfulness in ALL things even further.

Colossians 3:16-17 NLT

'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. '

We are to sing and praise with thankful hearts and in whatever we say or do, as a follower of Christ Jesus we are to give thanks through Jesus to the Father in Heaven for allowing all these things and more to be added to our being. We are commanded to give thanks in and through Jesus for the eternal soul saving work He has done on our behalf by taking the consequences of our sin upon His body and forgiving us of our failures. Then, we are to do the same with those around us too. Learning to operate in this place opens our eyes to see the beauty in the relationships God has provided in our lives.

Dear Counseling Father,

         Thank You for the abundance of love in our lives due to Your Holy Spirit being so lavishly given to us. Thank You for our ability to clothe ourselves in the qualities that You find enduring and that we can love others with gratitude for who they are in our lives, but more importantly who they are in You Jesus. Thank You that You equip us so well to bind us together in unity of the Holy Spirit and that we can agree that You are the King of kings and Lord of lords. Father, we give thanks for all that we have been given through Jesus. We know that we exist because of Your grace and that is only by the work of Jesus Christ that we can be in Your presence. Let us always turn to You Jesus and embrace the equipping You have for us to love others well. In Jesus Christ authority we praise the Father, amen.

Day 183: Preloading Gratitude

Psalm 9:1-2 NASB

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will rejoice and be jubilant in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

         There are a vast number of versus that one could choose as a verse for their life. I have seen classic verses taken out of context, ones that did not make sense until you heard their story, and even ones that just left you scratching your head. In all the verses I have seen and spoken with people about we do not tend to share the ones that direct us to thanksgiving very often. I have been meditating on this for some time and even recently heard a sermon where a pastor had tattooed choose joy on his arm in Greek. There is nothing wrong with any of these actions and I think it is a great reminder of our commitments in this life. But what I am curious about is the idea that very few if anyone would or have chosen verses that remind them to be thankful in all circumstances.

         Let’s be honest, there are times when we do not want to be thankful in everything. I had an exchange with a sister in Christ one morning where she was just in a mood due to a lack of sleep and the pressure of all the things, she grumbled, “I just can’t get anything to go my way today.” I think we all feel that way from time to time. I know I am no exception to that, but when I have days like that, I tend to choose laughter. I laugh at it all and just find it beyond amusing. I looked at my sister in Christ and I said, “but you have God’s grace today.” She cut me that look a true sister can look at you with, and she knew I was just trying to encourage her, but still said, “Just give me my moment!”

         That’s what we all want, a moment to be heard. The Lord will listen to those moments in our life too. That’s where today’s verse carries a lot of weight, it is in those moments where we can preload our mindset with verses like Psalm 9:1-2. Notice the verbiage here, “I WILL give thanks with all my heart, I WILL tell of all Your wonders, I WILL rejoice and be jubilant in You; I WILL sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” The verb tense here is beyond important to being thankful in all circumstances. We have to predetermine our gratitude in all situations. When we just want to have a moment of humanity, we can still be thankful and express gratitude.

         There is one area that most people get triggered and have a very difficult time being thankful, traffic… When we want to go somewhere and everybody is going the same somewhere and no one can get anywhere. Have you ever been there? I know I have multiple times. This is one of the hardest areas I think we have to express gratitude in our lives. So, in order to help you realize how you can preload the thought process, let’s do a little exercise, let us predetermine some points of gratitude for the next time you encounter traffic.

         I will be thankful the next time I am navigating traffic. I will be patient and wait my turn. I will praise Jesus that I have a car to transport me. I will be thankful that I have the opportunity to travel to this place and share the experience. I will be thankful for those brothers and sisters driving their cars around me and not causing me to crash. I will be thankful that the cars going in the other direction are not swerving into my lane and they are obedient to the rules of the road. I will be thankful for the crews that built and established this road and pray for safety for those who will repair that pothole that did not ruin my tire because God has covered me with His grace…

         Gratitude is an active process. It helps reveal the beauty in all things. We have to be active and choose it. We also have to preload those grateful thoughts to help us be expressive of gratitude in all circumstances.

O Most High God,

         Thank You for the verses You have laid upon our hearts to predetermine our praise and gratitude in and through You Father. We are incredibly blessed to be able to think about gratitude and plan ahead for how we WILL praise You in our lives. We pray over and ask for Your guidance as we walk through this day Jesus. Please help us seek You and Your Kingdom. Thank you that we can count on Your grace as a steadfast source of provision and something we can always praise You for. Lord, we can remember to be abundantly thankful for all that You have, are, and will do in our lives. Thank You Jesus for Your forgiveness. In Jesus Christ’s power we pray with thanksgiving, amen. 

Day 184: Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

Psalms 107:19-22 NLT

“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death. Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

         This idea of sacrifices of thanksgiving is a hard concept for us to wrap our brain around. The word sacrifice means giving up, destroying, or surrendering something of value (such as time, money, or a possession) for the sake of something deemed more important, worthy, or to help others. There is an implied loss or forfeit in exchange for a higher notion or to appease God in heaven. So, what does that even mean in context to our relationship with God? It is difficult at best for us to wrestle with in our minds and to write this into our hearts, we have to understand it better.

         Sometimes it is hard for us to let go; there is an art to letting go. We often hold on to things where we should release them to God. Whether it is a control issue or something trivial, we tend to hold on to things far longer than is healthy. When we are holding on to things we tend to call out to God for help. According to this scripture, when we call out in distress, He sends out His word to heal us. His word comes in many forms. It can literally be the bible, the Holy Spirit, Jesus, any number of things in His creation for He spoke and all came into existence! But the verse clearly states, “He sent out His word and healed them… snatching them from the door of death.” This is an eternal salvation, but it can be so much more than that too.

         It is because of God’s love for us AND His abundance of blessings in our lives that we are to praise Him and offer these sacrifices of thanksgiving and to embody joy as we sing about who Jesus is in our lives. The praise and joyful singing are typically easy, it is the thanksgiving part that can be hard, because we do not know what it means to fully give up thanksgiving.

         There have been times in my life where I just did not feel like expressing gratitude. One of those times manifested over a season in my life. It was about a year after my wife had passed and things seemingly just kept getting harder. This lasted for a while. I found it incredibly hard to continue to be thankful for the difficulties I was faced with daily, but on top of that I needed to make some big life decisions, and I felt more isolated and alone than I had ever felt before. It was coming upon a season when I needed to purchase a car, and I was missing so much about the daily discussions one has with a significant other about the direction life was going. I felt like my dreams were still shattered. I felt stagnant. It was incredibly hard to express gratitude towards God in my life because life felt hard. I struggled and wrestled with God. I continued to go through the motions and pushed through not really sharing much with everyone around me.

         Throughout that season there were things I still did to give up of myself and feelings and praise the Lord for doing. Daily my daughters and I would praise and thank God for receiving their mom, my bride into heaven. We praised God for sustaining us in the desert and thanked Him for providing each day for us. We died to ourselves and continued to be thankful for each day and ask Him for help. It was not easy at all. It was truly a sacrifice of thanksgiving as we navigated the depth of feelings and shattered dreams, but we still offered those up to Him.

         Whatever you are going through, while it seems impossible, praise and thank God for it. It makes you better in the end. I am thankful every day for that season of life. I know how much Jesus loves my daughters and I and it makes life so much sweeter and more peaceful. He wants to hear how grateful we are for all that He does in our lives. We have to learn the art of letting go of our feelings and praising God with sacrifices of thanksgiving for ALL that He has done. Including the hard things we do not like.

Dear Magnificent Father,

         Your word is a lamp onto my feet Lord Jesus. Thank You for lighting up my next step. Lord, I admit there are times when I am not thankful or even good at expressing my gratitude for all that I have. I want to complain and wallow in my feelings of isolation and shattered dreams, and for that I praise You for Your patience with me. You love me enough to see me through those times and seasons in my life. Thank You for that provision and for covering me in those moments. Jesus, You are mighty to save, and You have done a work that is praiseworthy. We are thankful for all that You have done. You set the example with the truest sacrifice of thanksgiving on the cross. Your act saved all that would call upon Your name in faith. Thank You for that grace. In Jesus Christ Holy name we pray, amen.

Day 185: Being thankful for everyone you meet

1 Timothy 2:1-4 NLT

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

         Have you ever met someone that just pushed all the wrong buttons? You know the kind of personality that just left you with an icky feeling? The kind of person you pull your children in closer to you.  Guess what? According to this verse, you are called to pray for that person and be thankful for them. Wait, what? Yeah, according to this verse we are to pray for all people. That actually means all people including the one that drives you crazy, makes you feel off, or even does the worst of things to you…

         I know, I get it, you do not want to do that, nor do I… but we are called to do that for a whole multitude of reasons! This means that person you find cold or irritating, you are to pray for them and be thankful for them. The person you absolutely hit it off with, pray for them and be thankful for them. With everyone in between, we are to be thankful for them, and we are to express thanksgiving to God. This even means the people in authority over us that we do not necessarily like, we are to give thanks on their behalf for God has given them that authority, no one else. That’s the key, we have to realize that all authority is granted by God, even though we may not understand it, we are to respect it and praise God with thanksgiving for it.

         Why are we to be thankful for all people? Well, looking back at the verse above we can see the outcomes of that thanksgiving. In asking God to help them after being thankful for them, it says that this is in order for us to lead peaceful and quiet lives. People that live this way are marked with godliness and dignity. They are unique and different from most people in this world.

         I am thankful for several people that I can clearly tell are marked with this godliness and dignity. Recently a couple has come into my life that embody these qualities. I admire them greatly as they quietly serve their community with such peace and grace. They give so abundantly out of the generosity God has graced them with in their hearts. It is such a cool situation, in that the gentleman had retired from his career. When he retired, he desired to spend more time with his wife, but she was not ready to retire from her job yet. So, he went to work with her, serving the same community. They both embody service and that desire to live a quiet life as outlined in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 NLT, “Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.” This couple is clearly living out both of these verses! I am thankful to God for their example.

         Chances are you know people like this, and they are the ones it is easy to be thankful for in your daily walk. It is the person that is not like this that is the challenge. So today, when that person just irritates you, causes you grief, or even challenges you, silently turn to God in your mind (or out loud, but be sincere and not sarcastic…) and thank Him for them. Actually, think of a thing or two that you can express to God about who they are even though you may not align with them to be thankful for. One of the ways I have found to be successful in this is being thankful for who they are for someone else. God- thank you for this person because they are a sister or brother, son or daughter, they are someone’s whole world. Thank you that they have the opportunity to be loved and encounter You in their lives… Prayers like this shape the mindset and heart of those who talk to God about everyone they encounter. This is what the scripture above says God finds please, good, and aligns us with His will for all people.

Dear Thanks-Granting Father,

         Thank You that You have granted us the ability to be thankful for all people. Lord, this one is not always easy for us to do, but you have set the path before us and laid such a clear example by accepting all, we have to embrace You to be able to pray with thanksgiving for everyone we meet. Thank You for teaching us with Your word how to do these things. Thank You for establishing our steps and calling us to lead quiet lives through gratitude to gain the respect of others through a godliness and dignity that can only come through Your grace. Today, grant us the ability to pray for everyone we meet. Let us give thanks and praise to You today for each person. Thank You for granting us favor with You through Jesus Christ death and resurrection. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen.

Day 186:Gratitude leads to everything good

Isaiah 12:1-6 NLT

In that day you will sing: “I will praise you, O Lord ! You were angry with me, but not anymore. Now you comfort me. See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! In that wonderful day you will sing: “Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is! Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.”

         Wouldn’t it be great if we could just wave a magic wand and make everything awesome? We often go through life looking for quick fixes. We have gotten to the point in our culture where we do not have to wait very long for things to arrive. Therefore, we have learned to expect things to happen quickly. This is true in every area of our lives. We want a quick fix to our situation or circumstance. We want our relationships to be better. We want our bank accounts larger. We want to know we are secure. We want all these things and more and we want it now.

         Often our desires overwhelm any gratitude that we express. They are the things we go to God with first. There is a sequence that is overlooked in scripture that would really help if we paid close attention to it. Here we can see it in Isaiah chapter 12. When we turn to the Lord and sing praises to Him, we acknowledge our place. We are to acknowledge the sovereign nature of God, and we are to not be afraid of His power and authority, but we are respect and revere it because He is the source of strength for us in any victory we may have. We are to take in His fullness and allow it to become a deep part of ourselves.

         When we have done these things, gratitude springs forth because we are overwhelmed with God’s goodness. Gratitude is a direct result of acknowledging God in the right context. He has done great things for us as people, but even more so as individuals. We all have been granted equal access to His Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. Once we find the depths of that love, we have a deep innate desire to share in the goodness of God to everyone we would encounter. Since we have the Holy One of Israel living within us, the Holy Spirit, we can go forth and tell everyone about Jesus and the gratitude we have in and through Him. This joy should be evident for all to see within us.

Wonderful Father,

         Thank You for Your grace and mercy. When I was yet a sinner, You chose to die for me. You established all of this at the beginning of creation, and You knew what it would take to love me. Thank You for all of that. May we approach Your throne with humility and awe, knowing how powerful You are. May we sing Your praises and shout for Joy because of Your mighty power. Let our lives be living witnesses to Your glory and grace and let others see You through us. May we serve Your Kingdom Jesus. Thank You for everything as our gratitude leads to everything good and wholesome in our lives, which in turn returns us back to the source of all things good, Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen.

Day 187: What we say and do matters

Ephesians 5:3-4 NLT

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.

Ephesians 5:3-4 NASB

But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

Ephesians 5:3-4 CSB

But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks.

         What we say and do matters in our lives. This verse is very clear in how it approaches things of this world. We are simply called to not let them exist in our walk. Regardless of the translation you can see subtle differences in the scripture, but the truth is still present that we are not to allow these things into our minds.

         In some ways this next challenge has become extremely hard to adapt my life around, but in order to see the 359˚ of beauty it is becoming more and more necessary. What I watch on the TV is probably one of the areas I struggle with the most. There is a lewd and pervasive way that has infiltrated even our children’s movies to add “entertainment” value to our consummation of content. I have challenged myself to become more aware of it and remove it when I feel convicted by it. Trust me, it’s there, just be watching for immorality, greed, impurity, foolishness, and inappropriate joking present in the content you encounter. Now, each of us is to measure our own self in regard to what is allowable in our lives. I am not suggesting you get rid of all your TVs or live like a monk. I am just suggesting you be more vigilant than you have been and on guard for it.

         What I love about reading scripture in context is the fullness of it. We are going to read the fullness of this section of scripture and it is granting us a view of how we are to live. Right in the middle of this view, we are told explicitly to be thankful to God. It sets up the glory of living in grace, tells us what we should avoid, we are to give thanks, and then it ends with the justice of Christ Jesus. This cycle is repeated through the first 20 verses of Ephesians 5.

Ephesians 5:1-9 NLT

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes - these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. '

Dear Heavenly Father,

         Thank You for everything. Your word is a guide for how we are to live. You have abundantly supplied the sustenance of our lives in ways we cannot fathom. You are so gracious and giving and we are thankful for all of it. Lord, we often miss so much of You because of where our minds are fixed. Let us become more aware of the things in our lives that would detract from You and stand up against their entrapment with strength and dignity. Jesus, we see it again here that we are to give thanks and express our deepest of thanksgiving to You for all You have done. Thank You Jesus. We are humbled that You chose to die for all of us. May we be able to reflect Your light to others in this world so that the darkness that surrounds them is shattered by Your grace. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray, amen.

Day 188: Thankful for you

1 Corinthians 1:4 NLT

I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.

         Thank You God, for the soul that is reading this now. Whoever you are, that would glance across these words and internalize them. I am writing to you; to say I thank God for you. Chances are pretty good, I do not know you. If I do, and you have chosen to read, please forgive my misgivings and mistakes. I am humbled that any of you would choose these words to meditate upon in thinking about God’s words.

         It is my humble prayer that just one soul would come to know and belong to Jesus through the work He has called me to do in 359˚ of beauty. Each morning as I wake up and Jesus delivers another verse and thoughts to my mind and hands, I am humbled and I am thinking about you.

You are someone’s world, someone’s son or daughter, mother or father, brother or sister, even someone’s best friend. Yet, you are more than all of those things put together to Jesus. He created you and formed you. He knows every detail, scar, regret, and failure. He does not see the person you look at in the mirror the same way you see them. He sees you from the inside out. He sees the darkest parts of who you are and He still said, “I’ll die for you.”

         At this point in the devotional, if you have been reading for a while or if this is your first one, please know with all your heart that God loves you. Yeah- you! In all your ways, Jesus has chosen to love you. This is the most immeasurable beauty that exists in all creation, the beauty found in the fact that God loves you. Honestly, there is absolutely nothing you can do to change that. You simply have to come to terms with it and accept that Jesus’s love is real and tangible.

         You have been given incredible gifts from God to find your purpose, the thing He has designed you to become, and He wants to help you find what that is. It is a process of discovery and the closer you get to Jesus, the more alignment you will find with His will for your life. Thank you for following Jesus with your whole heart. Keep going! Keep fighting the good fight! You are an incredible human meant for so much more than you can imagine. Jesus has promised us eternity if we belong to Him. How do we belong to him? We have Romans 10:9-10 (NLT) to lead us to the truth, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”

         Please know that I am for you! I am thanking God for you and that you can be saved by faith through acceptance of Jesus and what He has done for you. You are important and have an integral role in reflecting the light into the darkness.

Dear Holy God,

         Thank You for the one reading this today. Thank You Jesus for purchasing their eternity on the cross and dying for their sins. Thank You for gifting them with grace in such abundance. Thank You for bringing them to this day and this devotion. Lord, I am humbled that You have chosen me to reflect You to them and help guide them along their path. Lord, You are my all in all. You are the Lamb of God and worthy are You to be praised. Thank You for all that You are doing in all of our lives. Thank You for whoever is reading and praising you for all that You are. In Jesus Christ’s authority and grace, amen. 

Day 189: All means all 2.0

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

'Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.'

         All means all. I cannot get this verse out of my mind since I first wrote about it eleven devotions ago. Even then the Lord led me to say it was the hardest concept for us to wrap our brains around. He has been allowing this to bounce around in my mind for several weeks now. All still means all, and in every circumstance and situation we are to rejoice, pray, and give thanks. Practicing this gratitude mindset has been going well, but can I say it has happened in all situations? No, of course not. I have been in multiple situations I just do not like and as a result thanksgiving did not come at the moment. It had to come after that moment. It came through reflection. This is one of the most difficult transitions we make as we learn to walk with Jesus. Learning to be thankful in real time when we cannot see the outcomes of the situation.

         The Lord has continually led me back to grace. In every situation, if I grant grace first, it is far easier to be thankful for whatever is going on in that moment. It reminds me of another section of scripture that might explain this process of being grateful in every moment. When I grant grace first, I have peace, that allows me to rest in the confidence of Jesus Christ, therefore making me thankful for every situation, regardless of the outcome. We do not always know how to get there, but it is the process of being perfected over time and realizing that we are meant to grow as believers in our relationships with God and our fellow humans. God’s word illustrates a similar process here:

         Proverbs 16:20-25 NLT

Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful. The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive. Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted on fools. From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive. Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

Often, my path has led me to angst and grief. It ruins relationships and causes pain in my life.

         This means we must learn the art of letting go of the things that have a deep hold on us such as control over the smallest of things, especially in relationships with others. I am learning to be thankful with all interactions. I am even trying to express that gratitude more, and the more I do it, the more I have grown to see that it is encouraging my heart and the heart of others. By expressing gratitude for all situations, the more I understand Proverbs 16:20-25. Which also reminds me of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” I do not want to follow my own path, and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 is illuminating the next steps for us all in God’s word, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Path Illuminating Father,

         Thank You for Your word this morning. I am humbled that all of this came together like it has. You have been working hard in my heart and mind to change me. Thank You for the opportunity to share this through this platform. Lord, I know this will come to the person that needs to have their path illuminated through You Jesus. You have so much desire for their hearts and minds to be fixed on You, so that You may do such amazing work through them that You have prepared! I am lifting the person up that may read this to seek You today. May You bless them and keep them. May Your glorious face shine upon them and they be seen by You, May they see You in the new light of understanding and gratitude. Thank You for the path You set before us all to seek Your will. Thank You for Jesus. In Jesus’s authority and path illuminating power, amen.

Day 190: “One size fits all” approach to gratitude

1 Corinthians 15:54-58 NLT

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

         Gratitude comes in many shapes, sizes, and from so many different things. So, is there a single approach for all to take to express gratitude? This is a question that has driven much thought in my mind. How can all of us learn to universally apply gratitude in our journeys to seek God’s beauty? Questions like these require time to process and think about as we navigate our relationships with Jesus Christ.

         I have found that there is an initial “one size fits all” approach to expressing gratitude that I believe is universally applicable to all. It is remarkably simple. Check this out:

Dear Heavenly Father,

         Thank You for today. Thank You for granting me another moment to figure out who I am in You. Thank You for life. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.

Gratitude is initially universally applicable. We all have been given the same opportunity by being made in God’s image and granted the same opportunity to figure out who we are in Jesus Christ. Ultimately, this applies to all humans, even in the worst of situations. Regardless of the circumstance, we all are universally equal in that we have been given life by the grace of God. We can all be thankful for that opportunity. Therefore, initially, we all can express some level of gratitude towards the Creator.

         Then we encounter verses like the ones above. Universally, we have all sinned and fall short of the perfection necessary to enter heaven to be with a perfect God. Why? Well because of the laws established at creation. We have never been able to follow them perfectly. We have to put to death our old selves and understand that one day we will be transformed into new creations. This is both spiritual and physical in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. The spiritual death is performed while we are living and breathing on this side of heaven and the physical transformation is after we have died physically. This example is modeled for us in the resurrection of Jesus Christ himself. Those of us that have died spiritually are awaiting the physical fulfillment of Jesus’ promises. Therefore, death no longer has its sting! We are in turn meant to praise God with thanksgiving for the future promises on top of the things we encounter today. This is also universally applicable to all that follow Jesus Christ.

         Once we realize all these things to be true, one of the byproducts of that mental and heart transformation is our ability to work enthusiastically for the Lord. We have the assurance that everything done for Jesus is of value. We can also rest in that assurance because we have the Holy Spirit within us helping us operate every day. So, be strong and immovable in gratitude for all that Christ has done!

Dear Heavenly Father,

         Thank You for today. Thank You for granting me another moment to figure out who I am in You. Thank You for life. Thank You for the future promises. Thank You for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thank You for the Holy Spirit. Thank You for loving us through grace. Thank you for life altering faith in and through You. Thank You for Jesus! In Jesus’s authority and power, Amen.

Day 191: Give thanks to the Lord - morning, noon, and night

Psalms 92:1-2 NLT

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening…

         One of the most challenging questions I choose to ask is when do you have a quiet time? The truth is many of us sporadically spend time with Jesus. If you have been following this devotion up to this point, I am proud of you for being faithful! However, what I have found is that most people claim they do it later in the day or in the evenings. While there is nothing wrong with this action, is it what God’s word advises us to do?

         According to the scripture above, we are to proclaim God’s unfailing love in the mornings. Then proceed through our day and report on God’s faithfulness in the evening. This is a cycle that starts new every day. I am willing to bet that if you spend time with Jesus every morning, your days feel genuinely more productive and you have a greater sense of accomplishment. If you do not feel that way, would you like to feel that way? Let’s look at a slightly different translation of the same verse and check to see how others are translating it.

Psalm 92:1-2 NASB

It is good to give thanks to the Lord And to sing praises to Your name, Most High; To declare Your goodness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night…

         You can see this theme across scriptures. For instance, in Isaiah 50:4, Psalms 5:3;30:5;57:8; etc.) But one of my favorites is Psalm 88:13 because I personally related deeply to this entire Psalm. It says, “But I, Lord, have cried out to You for help, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.” The reason I relate to this one so much is because the Psalm ends with where I found myself in my life, “You have removed lover and friend far from me; My acquaintances are in a hiding place.” Psalm 88:18 NASB

         Walking the journey I have walked, I have been forced to learn how to be grateful in all things, including the victory my wife faced through the journey of cancer. God has been faithful in my life, and I desire to express gratitude for all that He has done each morning, during the day, and every night when I go to rest. To work towards gratitude in all things takes time, but it can be found. I found it after six months spent inside my inner room. I believe you can find it too! This was my prayer that I shared on Day 43: The day of my full restoration…

Father-

Thank You that You search our hearts and test our resolve. Thank You for breaking me. Thank You for removing Ashley from me. Thank You for taking friends away from me. Thank You for driving me into exile and forcing isolation upon me, so that I would seek You with every fiber within me. Thank You for binding up these fractures and remaking me as a man into something completely different. Thank You for the gift of 359˚ of Beauty. Thank You for the depths of healing that comes from your grace and mercy. Thank You for writing Your Word Jesus into my heart. Thank You for loving me better than I ever could. I love and trust You Lord Jesus! Amen.

          Gratitude was a natural expression of my truest healing. When I could look at all that I had been through and be able to express my deeply heartfelt appreciation towards the Lord. When I could see His faithfulness throughout my life. When I was finally at the point where I knew everything was good… I expressed my deepest gratitude for all that the Lord had done. It did not make sense at first, but it was sincere and truly from my heart.

         This is God’s will for our lives, that we may express gratitude for all that He is doing. He desires for us to see His beauty surrounding us in every moment of our lives. It is ours to be grateful and express gratitude in all situations. In doing so we begin to unlock parts of ourselves we did not know existed. God reveals purpose and a depth of love for us that brings us home. Home is where love is, and God is love…

Dear Loving Father,

         Thank You for gratitude. Thank You that we can come to You in the morning and proclaim Your unfailing love. Thank You for bringing us home to You through Jesus. Thank You for reminding us of Your faithfulness and how Your word is directing us to give thanks to You in the morning, during the day, and at night when we come back to rest. Thank You for the grace that so abundantly covers all things. Thank You for Your richness poured out lavishly upon us. Thank You for the daily trials that test us to perfect us in You Jesus. Thank You for dying on the cross for us. In Jesus Christ’s Holy name, we pray, amen.

Day 192: Testify to God’s wonderful deeds

Psalms 75:1 NLT

We thank you, O God! We give thanks because you are near. People everywhere tell of your wonderful deeds.

         Sometimes we need to hear other people’s stories in order to express gratitude. Our testimonies are incredibly powerful tools to help others learn about the goodness of God and we have a responsibility to share ours whenever we can. However, what we should learn is to be more interested in the other person’s story. Hearing from others the marvelous works of God should ignite our passion and gratitude towards Jesus for He is at work all around us. He has not forsaken us, and He is close at hand and working towards the good of His Kingdom through His people.

         Working in a men’s ministry for the last decade has taught me the true power of our stories and how testimonies can truly change people. Inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places. One of my favorite types of testimonies to listen to is the most mundane unexciting kind. Most people thrive when they hear of a story that God rescued someone out of some great pit of despair or they had a miraculous conversion. Those are amazingly true and extremely powerful, but for me the stories I love the most are the stories of people just doing everyday life. Honestly, it is my story in a lot of ways.

         I was raised in a classic American culture household with two working parents. We did not attend church for various reasons. Religion was not a priority growing up. It was a work-hard, play-harder mentality, all while taking care of your family. My father was an engineer, and my mother was a marketing executive, and they slowly built the idyllic lifestyle that the western world would idolize. We had trips and toys to play with all the time. As we got older the toys got more extreme, but we still had hand-me-down items and used cars. I learned how to work on cars, remodel houses, work with my hands, invent cool solutions to crazy problems, and sell all kinds of things to people, especially my grandmother’s handmade ceramics! We took care of ourselves and worked hard to take care of our family and friends.

         Eventually, my parents made enough money to make the choice to send me to a private high school because the local public school had enough going on at the time that compromised my parents’ confidence in the education system. This single decision changed so much of my life. I had repeated the 5th grade when I was in elementary school and was diagnosed with a learning disability, which I can say is still persistent to this day. I had a normal middle class American childhood. I had my life set before me and had every opportunity America can offer laid at my feet.

         Then one random Saturday morning at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes event, that I felt inclined to go to being on the basketball and baseball teams, I encountered Jesus through some friends. I was not exposed to anything flashy, preachy, or miraculous. It was just ordinary people, teenagers that loved Jesus that ultimately led me to an encounter with Jesus that changed my entire life. About a year later, after studying and reading scriptures and reading the story about the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8 that I desired to be baptized. So, I called the one man that I knew that knew Jesus Christ to baptize me, my grandfather. The morning that I called to talk to him; I asked him to baptize me. He said he would… and I said, “Today...” He proceeded to get up, and within two hours he was present and I went and got baptized in a local church that opened the doors to their baptismal.

         I had normal teenage kid stuff going on in my life when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. There was nothing amazing or grandiose going on in my world, it was normal everyday communication with those in my life. Since then, walking with Jesus, life has had its ups and downs, but it has been a slow and steady progression of faith. I lived the idyllic Christian lifestyle. I had a great marriage and two beautiful daughters. A house to call our home, good work, functional cars, and extended family with all the adventure toys we could want, ultimately, we have had it all at our fingertips. Honestly, not much has changed to this day, but we have been refined by the fire of life… I would not wish losing a spouse to cancer at such a young age on my worst of relationships, nor would I wish single parenthood upon anyone…Yet God is still sovereign and good. He is strength in every single weakness I possess, which there are many… I will always tell of His wonderous deeds and give thanks to Jesus Christ!

         Share your story… Tell of His wonderful deeds and give thanks, even if your story is “boring.” It is still a powerful testimony to the goodness of our God!

Dear Wonderful Father,

         Thank You for allowing us to tell our stories. Thank You for Your miraculous deeds. Thank You for meeting me in a driveway over two decades ago and walking with me everyday since then. Thank You for allowing me the platform to share of Your wonderful work in my everyday life. Thank You for establishing grace before creation and then operating in that grace through Jesus to save us all. Thank You for the stories I have heard over and over again that tell of Your wonderful works. Thank You for the people that will read the story You have written in our lives and be inspired to follow You. Thank You for life and the abundance You provide. Thank You for turning everything meant to destroy us into something good. You are a wonderful Father. Thank You for sending Jesus to die for us, so that we may walk with you and praise You with thanksgiving. In Jesus Christ name, amen. 

Day 193: Searched for Gratitude

Jeremiah 17:9-10 NLT

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord , search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

         Upon writing this I am in the middle of being searched and tested. All at the same time my students are being tested in their retention of this year's skill acquisition. In education we all face extremely difficult battles. It is just the nature of educating other people's children. We are questioned on every aspect of our daily decisions. We work tirelessly to ensure the academic, emotional, and physical well-being of our students.

         Currently, I am learning to be thankful during a situation that feels bigger than anyone can possibly imagine. While we await various decisions from our superiors, we wait with prayer. The reality of the situation is not a mystery, but it is also not revealed to all involved. This is where gratitude has to be my guide. Instead of being overwhelmed spiritually, I am constantly asking God to reveal His beauty but also indicate to me where gratitude can exist. When I see it, I am doing my best to express it.

         This is a living example of being searched. I keep asking myself a simple question, what and where can I express gratitude in all situations and circumstances. Where can I cast all of my cares and worries on Him and allow myself to just be. Part of asking myself these questions, I know I have to seek out Jesus. I know that I serve a God of grace and mercy, but also justice and wrath. Within the context of the situation I am in, I can grant thanksgiving in the circumstances because of who God is. He is sufficient for all who are involved in this situation. Therefore, I can pray with thanksgiving that we are going through it with God’s grace or justice. This is validated by the scripture above, God says, “ I give all people their due rewards, according to what they deserve.”

         Now, there is another scripture we can be thankful for in regard to how God searches us. In Psalms 139:23-24 NLT it says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” We have to learn how to allow God to be Lord of our lives and become thankful that He is Lord. He is in control. He has everything laid out for our good.

         God loves us more than we love us. Which is why in the middle of my situation, where my encouragement and resolve were wavering slightly, God sent the most perfect little reminder that blew up my heart in the best ways… It takes the lead as one of the most profound moments of God intervening and reminding me of His truths. In my classroom of all places, 4.5 years after she had passed (and a classroom move), I found one of my wife's prayers she wrote to herself many years before. Of all the times for me to "stumble" upon this... This week is one of those weeks where I have coveted her prayers more than ever... She wrote, “Father, teach me and help me cast all my anxiety on you because you care for me!” 1 Peter 5:7. You see, I found it in a note card spiral I decided to grab and look at for a moment during testing. I had absolutely no idea it was even there. Gratitude in God's grace and love for me is all I have in me to respond to such lavish love from our Father...

Dear Loving Father,

         Gratitude overwhelms my heart in an absolutely ridiculous situation where the only fault is found in that we live in a fallen world. People will say and do things that are counter to You Father, I know to not take anything personal against me, for I am just trying to be a faithful follower who You have searched my heart. Lord, You know how much I love You and love Your children. Jesus, Your word in 1 Peter 5:6-7 instructs us to “…humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” May You grant us the power to cast our cares upon You in gratitude for all that we are experiencing in this life. May we lift those that persecute us up to You So that they find You sovereign and repent and may You deal with according to the richness of Your grace or the righteousness of Your Justice. Father, thank You for loving us all, even when are sinners and fall short of Your glory. Thank You for Jesus Christ, amen.   

Day 194: Humbled by a warrior King

Psalms 138:1-8 NLT

I give you thanks, O Lord , with all my heart;

I will sing your praises before the gods.

I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.

I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;

for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.

As soon as I pray, you answer me;

you encourage me by giving me strength.

Every king in all the earth will thank you,

Lord , for all of them will hear your words.

Yes, they will sing about the Lord ’s ways,

for the glory of the Lord is very great.

Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,

but he keeps his distance from the proud.

Though I am surrounded by troubles,

you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.

You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me.

The Lord will work out his plans for my life—

for your faithful love, O Lord , endures forever.

Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

         We are to give God our gratitude. Our gratitude with ALL of our hearts. This means that we must truly believe in our hearts the depths of what we have to be grateful for. This scripture tells us some of the things that should be easy for us to express the depth of gratitude towards Jesus.

         First off is Jesus’s unfailing love. Unfailing- NOT capable of failing us- love. This is something that goes far beyond our comprehension. I tell my students all the time that there is nothing that they can do to make me unlove them. In a sense they get it, but they don’t all the same. We are designed to have a giant hole in us that can only be truly filled by our creator. The coolest part is that His love is unfailing in that it will not fail to fill us above abundance, to where that love can pour out through every broken crack in our hearts. This is something we can always be thankful for.

         Second, God’s faithfulness. This is a steadfastness that we cannot even begin to think about as we navigate life. We can always express gratitude even when we feel like God is silent or not working, He is always working in our lives.

         Next, according to this scripture is that God answers us when we pray. Not only does He answer us, but He also provides us with encouragement and strength in knowing that we have consulted the Lord of all things. These answers come whether we are paying attention or not. God is not a cosmic vending machine, He is the architect of all creation, One that spoke and it came into being. His answers are often far superior to what we can fathom or comprehend, but we can rest and be at peace that God hears us. If He hears us, then we should express thanks for all that is being answered that remains unseen by us.

         The final major point from this scripture that we can be grateful for is that even in our troubles, when enemies surround us, and we choose humility through gratitude, we remain protected by Jesus. For context, this Jesus protects us…

Daniel 10:5-6 NASB

I raised my eyes and looked, and behold, there was a man dressed in linen, whose waist had a belt of pure gold of Uphaz. His body also was like topaz, his face had the appearance of lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.

Revelation 19:11-16 NASB

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND Lord OF LORDS.”

I am not sure I need anything more to be thankful for! We have a warrior King and we do not often think about this side of Jesus. This is someone I can trust to work out my life and lead me. I would humbly submit to Jesus for He is faithful to love us and answer our prayers according to the richness of what brings Him glory through grace.

Dear Fierce Father,

         I am humbled that You in all Your glory have made me and brought me forth to find You in my life. I am thankful for the beautiful depictions of Your power, but more so that You would be so faithful and unfailing in our lives. Thank you for always answering and providing strength through Your word. Thank You that no one can stand against You. Thank You for sacrificing Yourself on the cross as payment for my sins. Thank You for Your forgiveness and then lavish blessings You have poured out upon us so that we may share with others Your glory and grace! Lord, let others see Your light through us today. In Jesus Christ’s authority and power, amen.

Day 195: Gratitude in trials and tribulations

James 1:2-4 NASB

Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Romans 5:3-5 NASB

And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

         Gratitude in our trials and tribulations will likely be one of the hardest transformations possible in your pursuit to find the 359˚ of beauty God has for you to see. Simply put, gratitude is next to impossible to express until you stop focusing on the 1˚ of the situation or circumstance you find yourself in. When you seek the beauty surrounding you, gratitude becomes a natural expression.

         I am reminded of one of the most challenging nights of my life. The night my wife passed. After all was said and done, we contacted the funeral home to come and prepare her physical body. No one had left yet, and we were all still in a state of peace, relief, but also deep anguish and grief. If anything, it felt as if we were in the shadows as clearly it was a solemn mood. As the men did their work, they were so kind and knowledgeable about handling families in this moment. They had worked to get everything prepared. As they were rolling my wife’s body out, I stopped them. I brought my girls by my side and asked everyone to bow their heads so I could pray one last time over the physical presence of my wife.

         In those moments, I knew the beauty that she was with Jesus. The moments of her passing had clearly indicated that her soul was with Jesus in heaven, but in that next moment of prayer, it was a deep prayer of thanksgiving. Thankful for the shell of what was. The vessel that had carried the essence of Ashley. You see, I knew deep within my soul that she was finally complete and lacking nothing. I could be thankful for that within the depths of the grief that would be coming. We could celebrate the tribulation with gratitude because of who our God is.

         Life is full of disappointments and can bring us into a place of great disillusionment. However, gratitude can ground us in knowing that we can consider all of this joy. When we frame our understanding through joy, we can find ourselves having deep gratitude and appreciation in all the trials and tribulations we experience.

Dear Soul-saving Father,

         Thank You for every trial and tribulation we experience in our lives. It is extremely difficult for us to wrap our finite brains around the notion that everything has its purpose in Your Kingdom. We simply get too focused on our 1˚ that we miss so much around us that You are doing on our behalf to save our souls. Jesus, You are beyond unique in all of our knowledge. You created and established us for Your purposes far beyond our comprehension. We are thankful for You in all circumstances. Let us embrace joy as an outpouring of Your grace and love in our lives. In Jesus Christ authority and power, we pray, amen.

Day 196: Thankfulness in what we have

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 NLT

What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.

         Gratitude is a journey that will take a lifetime to master. Even in eternity we will never be able to see the full scope of God’s work in our lives. It just is not possible for we are created as finite beings. Which is where this scripture gives incredible insight and hope for which we can easily be thankful for in our walk with Jesus.

         Solomon glimpsed the depths of our inexhaustible God. He experimented and explored all aspects of life in his quest for wisdom, and he concluded that there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. We should enjoy the fruits of our labor and praise God for them, because the fruits come from God Himself. With the fruits coming from God then we know they are His to grant to us and we are to be good stewards of them, but we are also meant to enjoy them.

         Acquisition of fruits can be a very slippery slope of desire. It is easy to become slave to the things in which you have acquired and desire to hold on to them and they become objects of worship versus objects of praise. This is hard to admit to people. Once humans have obtained something, they desire to keep that something and continue growing it. It is human nature to hoard up our resources for we feel like there is a sense of security in those things. However, that is false and not from God himself. This is why Solomon talks about these things being gifts from God that are final. He goes on to state, “ Nothing can be added to it or taken from it.” As a result of our lack of ability to add or take away, we begin to understand that all of it is a gift from God.

         Currently as of writing this devotion I am remodeling my home. Essentially it is a major project that is affecting every aspect of our house. We are repainting everything. I think about how grateful I am since I am not living at home while the work is going on. However, I also long to be back in my own home. This is a time when the Lord graciously granted me favor, for I could not necessarily afford to move, but my daughters and I needed change. God is working towards our benefit and allowing us to make necessary changes to develop something new in our lives.

         One of the most beautiful desires that we all have and are planning for is to bring people back into our home and make it a place where people feel welcome. We desire to share the fruits of what God has given us to others, and we have intentionally made decisions based upon those truths. We are to rejoice and be glad in what God has done in our lives knowing we cannot add or take away from things. This is true for everything including relationships. We cannot add or take away relationships for God guides our hearts even in those spaces when we chase after Him with our whole hearts.

Dear Faithful Father,

         Thank You for another day and another opportunity to praise You in You faithfulness to see us through all things. Father, we are nothing without You for we cannot add anything to ourselves nor truly take things away without Your consent. We wrestle with this idea Lord, but it is what Your word teaches to be true. Let us rejoice and be glad in all that You have provided in our lives. We cannot fathom the depths of which You love us Jesus. We cannot see the beginning or the end and will never be able to, but we can be grateful all the same. Let the gratitude You see in us lead us to the eternal Hope You have place before us. Thank You Jesus for everything, In Jesus Christ authority and power, amen.