Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Are we really thankful?

I'm thankful:

1. Yesterday the devotional book* I'm using took me to one of my favorite thankfulness passages: Philippians 4:6-7, "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." I thought it especially encouraging since I was wanting to write something here to celebrate my 5 year anniversary of keeping a thankfulness journal! (see yesterday's post)

The devotional goes on to ask, "But are we really thankful? Are we thanking Him for His presence, or bewailing our difficulties?"

Good questions! I often struggle with that. But even the Psalmist David spent some time bewailing his difficulties. I think the key is that he took his frustrations to God. He did not let them turn him away from God. Eventually he came around to praising God and giving Him thanks. No matter how dark the circumstances he always chose to trust in God's love and faithfulness.

2. The devotional* reading for the day also featured the hymn: "Now Thank We All Our God" (by Martin Rinckart, c. 1636; translator Catherine Winkworth, in the public domain)

1 Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mothers' arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.


2 O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
to keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
of this world and the next.


3 All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son and Spirit blest,
who reign in highest heaven
the one eternal God,
whom heaven and earth adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore. 
3. For the lovely piano music N played during Communion this past Sunday. It actually facilitated my prayer and communion time! Normally I have trouble praying during the Communion time. The music is usually pre-recorded stuff played by the sound person and is so loud and the lyrics so dominating that I can't filter it out. I was planning to start using earplugs, but I did not need them this week!

4. i just figured out how to block the blog stat counter from counting my activity. So i can tell if other people are reading this.

5. The Lord is Risen! Risen indeed!


*"Healing Devotions" by Anne S. White

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