“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Christmastime in our culture can be a tough time of year. As Christians, we struggle with those who miss the whole point of the celebration because they do not believe in Christ. Beyond that, there can be many hurdles to our joy shining through in this season. The holiday schedule can get hectic which often leads to stress. For those of us with illness, we often have enough trouble managing our heath without the additional burden of the social obligations that can exacerbate our symptoms in various ways. For some, it will be the first Christmas without a loved one…or a few. Others may have learned that this may be the last Christmas that they celebrate with a loved one as disease advances. The opportunities for Satan to jump in and help us lose our joy are varied and endless, but if we are truly going to celebrate and maintain our joy, we need to intentionally focus on why we are celebrating…the incarnation of Christ. This declaration of love bestowed upon us that brings us both joy and hope now and for eternity is the single source of our reason to celebrate. We celebrate because He came, He rules and He is righteous.
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Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15
As we move from the celebration of Thanksgiving to the celebration of Christmas, I can think of no better way to conclude the series about thankfulness than to consider being thankful for the salvation provided by Christ our Lord. While there is much that can be, should be and has been said about this gift, I’d like to focus on the act of love, the ongoing gift and the benefit yet to be received.
One of the first verses we learn as Christians is John 3:16 and it is certainly a great passage to know for it speaks of the love that is the backdrop for this indescribable gift. The Father has done what He has never asked of any of us in that He has sacrificed His only son. However, to truly put it into perspective we need to also look to Romans 5:7-8.
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We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for even those dispensations which appear dark and frowning.
Albert Barnes
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/inspiring-quotes/30-favorite-thanksgiving-quotes-experience-gratitude.html
I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations. For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be above all the earth. Psalm 57:9-11
While it may seem a bit elemental, are you ever just thankful for God? I’m certainly not often enough. We regularly thank Him for what He provides and what He does for us, but the root of all that we are thankful for rests in God alone and who He is. He is the starting point. He is a living being who desires a relationship with us…those that He has lovingly created for specific purposes, those whose lives He has carefully planned and those whose righteousness has been purchased with the death of His only Son. If we took the time to consider His attributes, His care and His concern for us, wouldn’t our souls be overwhelmed with thankfulness for our Creator…Father, Son and Holy Spirit? The reasons that we can and should be thankful for our God are innumerable and exceed the scope of our awareness in this life, yet scripture is still full of so many details that we can comprehend and appreciate. Consequently, for this post, I have selected a sampling of passages that speak to Our Lord’s character as well as a few of the reasons that we should fall on our knees in awe and be thankful for our God and our relationship with Him.
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The Christian who walks with the Lord and keeps constant communion with Him will see many reason for rejoicing and thanksgiving all day long.
Warren W. Wiersbe
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/inspiring-quotes/30-favorite-thanksgiving-quotes-experience-gratitude.html
The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.
Henry Ward Beecher
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/inspiring-quotes/30-favorite-thanksgiving-quotes-experience-gratitude.html
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7
The call to live and to die well especially in the face of adversity, i.e. according to God’s will, has at least three purposes: it strengthens our relationship with our Lord, it provides us a better quality of life and it strengthens the body of Christ. With respect to the latter, sometimes we learn from studying scripture and sometimes we learn from and are encouraged by watching others as they live by faith. For this post, rather than presenting a discussion of the precepts that encourage healthy relationships for which we can be thankful, I’d like to present evidence of God working through the body of Christ.
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Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now.
A. W. Tozer
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/inspiring-quotes/30-favorite-thanksgiving-quotes-experience-gratitude.html
Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Psalm 34:9-11
Our pastor kindly reminded our congregation this past Sunday that there were 57 days until Christmas. I find that challenging for a few reasons. First, there seems to be so much that “needs” to be done to prepare. Second, my health issues regularly make it a challenge to face a “normal” day, let alone the additional activity that surrounds a holiday…or two very close together. Finally, there is the mental hurdle…many of us facing challenges and trials will find it difficult to enjoy the holiday season let alone be thankful and joyful. Yet as Christians we are called to be both at all times. As those of us in the United States will be celebrating Thanksgiving this month, I will be focusing November posts on various reasons why we should be thankful. This week, I would like to reflect on God’s provision for us.
“I recall hearing something: a boy who lived in a box by the trash heap said ‘You westerners are the ones we can’t understand. God has given you so much, you have been so blessed …why are so many in your country so unhappy?’” This quote is from the book “When God Weeps” by Joni Eareckson Tada and Steven Estes. Joni is recalling the statement spoken by boy who lived in a dump in Ghana as they left a joyful time of praise celebrated by those lived there following the distribution of some wheelchairs. Sadly it’s true.
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