Grateful in His Word- 11-25-11

Grateful in His Word 11-25-14

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

Each year we Americans and Canadians look around and celebrate the reasons we are thankful for certain things, people or whatever it is. I was thinking about this and wondered are we grateful to God for these things? Or, are we just thankful to whom ever on earth made it happen?

For that matter, what is the difference if any between being thankful and grateful?

I know some of us get to be greatly full on thanksgiving, but seriously thinking now who among us is truly grateful for that?

In my single years I was never as grateful for a bountiful blessing of being invited to a dinner as when I had only a cup full of mashed potatoes and some chicken broth in the house, and probably some coffee and milk and sugar to go with that.  I would be pleased to have those but God always seemed to bless me with an invite to supper with one of the families at our church. For those times I was truly grateful to God for providing.

And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. Jonah 4:6

I can remember times when I was blessed with food, and even clothing in the days I worked for a day care full time and only brought home about four hundred and fifty dollars a week if I was lucky.  Take from that the rent, gas for the car, that I saved by walking to work as much as possible, and whatever else I may need, utilities, phones, wood for my stove that heated the house. Yet even though times were tight I felt blessed because I had friends around me, I had a God to provide, protect and help me to persevere through times that were really ‘short ended’ now and then.

Sometimes we forget to be thankful to God, and we just thank the people who give us the food, for inviting us to dinner, for providing the soup kitchen; we need to remember that it is God who put it all into place so that we could be at the right place at the right time.

 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name. 2 Samuel 22:50

This month I celebrated my anniversary of when I married my beloved wonderful husband. He is one thing I know was really brought to me by God; we met in church for one thing! But he was also the answer to prayer for a husband that loved God with all his heart, soul mind and strength. Who knows the Word of God and obeys it to his ability and God’s directions. What more could you ask for? He loves me! 

God provided me with a provider, a man who loves his children and guides them in life just as God Himself has guided us.  So I am grateful for a lot of things this year, every year really.
I could grumble and complain over the little things like shoes that don’t match my outfit, or clothes the kids leave on the floor, and I do! But today I am grateful because my husband loves his children and goes to great extents to see that they are happy. Watching my husband recently when we went to watch one of our children in a play; seeing her with her friends and life in general full of joy pleased my husband the way I think God is pleased when He sees us making the most of the opportunities He presents to us.

 

Can’t you just imagine Him as the Father in heaven watching his children, us, play around at life and sometimes He thinks, “When will they learn to follow my directions and stay on the path?” sometimes and other times “There you go! You have gotten the idea child! Now run with it! Watch it fly!” when we do exactly what we are told, directed to do and follow through.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Sometimes when we think we have nothing to be grateful for we are wrong. After all we are the ones who make the wrong choices. We can be grateful that God will forgive us our sins, or our mistakes and set us back on the road to ‘the good life’ or ‘happily ever after’ with Him. It’s our choice though that matters.

I choose to be thankful. I choose to be grateful!

“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.” Revelations 11:17

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for everything! For the sun, the moon, the stars, for Jupiter and Mars! Thank you for those in my life whom we love and those who love us even when we do not know it. Thank you for your guiding hand directing our paths, in Jesus name, amen.

Suggested reading: Colossians 3:1-25, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28, 1 Corinthians 10:1-31