Thanksgiving

THANKSGIVING

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GOD HEALS MY FAITHLESSNESS

Screen Shot 2016-03-28 at 6.13.10 AM…FATHER, You know what I’m thinking (Ps 139:2). You know what I need before I ask You (Matt 6:8) and You generously provide.

My faith is small but You heal my faithlessness (Jer 3:22). When my mind cannot fathom a good outcome to a situation, You do not leave me at that dead end. When I walk by faith, it does not have to be a blind faith.

Your countenance always shines light on my path ahead if I’m in Your presence. You never allow me to see the end of the situation, but You provide a way so I can take a forward step. I walk by faith in the light You provide; it is a seeing faith not a blind faith. This seeing faith is real to me even though I have yet to come to the end of the situation and experience it with my senses (1 John 1:7).

The light You provide directly in front of me encourages me and provides endurance (Rom 15:5) so I might continue walking in faith—this seeing faith solidifies for me that You are in the situation and will bring it to a good end. I thank You for helping my unbelief (Mark 9:24). How full of gratitude I am for You always provide enough faith for me to take one step forward.

THANKSGIVING

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“The most powerful worship will be among people whose minds…and whose hearts—whose emotions—are as near the fire of God as they can be without being consumed” Elyse Fitzpatrick (ref#75, p195).

PSALM 63

Screen Shot 2016-03-26 at 2.58.57 PMOh my FATHER, this is where I want to be. This is my most urgent prayer.

“O GOD, praise waiteth for thee, and to render it is my noblest exercise;…” says the Puritan (ref#76, p14). I must wait for You to pass by before I am able to offer up praise. I can’t just pick up my guitar or sit at the piano and sing praise songs anytime. O FATHER, compel me to wait near the fire of GOD.

Elijah came to a cave and lodged in it. There the word of the LORD came to him (1 Kings 19:9). The LORD passed by him and a strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but He was not in the wind. And, after the wind, an earthquake, but He was not in the earthquake.   And, after the earthquake, a fire, but He was not in the fire. But, after the fire the LORD came in a low whisper (1 Kings 19:11-12).

The LORD favors those who wait for His lovingkindness (Ps 147:11). Your name and remembrance are the desire of my soul (Isa 26:8). I will tie myself down and wait for Your low whisper.

“O God, you are my God;

earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,…” (Ps 63:1 ESV).

 

“…I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,

beholding your power and glory.

Because your steadfast love is better than life,

my lips will praise you” (Ps 63:2-3 ESV).

 

“…in your name I will lift up my hands.

…my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

for you have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy” (Ps 63:4,5,7 ESV).

THANKSGIVING

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BENEVOLENT

Screen Shot 2016-03-26 at 2.03.41 PM…FATHER, You open Your hand (Ps 145:16).

You are kindly and charitable—

benevolent (ref#110, p129).

You are merciful and compassionate (ref#110, p584).

 

You satisfy the desire of every living thing (Ps 145:16).

You are indispensable—

necessary and essential.

You alone are absolutely vital (ref#110, p1493).

 

You are righteous in all Your ways;

You are kind in all Your works (Ps 145:17).

You give assistance and help (ref#110, p1337).

You are large hearted and generous (ref#110, p761).

 

To You, LORD, belong mercy and forgiveness (Dan 9:9).

You are “tender and loving”—

affectionate (ref#110, p22).

You show kindness and are gracious (ref#110, p584).

THANKSGIVING

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ETERNAL BLESSINGS

Screen Shot 2016-03-23 at 4.10.20 PMYou have called me according to Your purpose, and predestined me to be conformed to the image of CHRIST JESUS (Rom 8:28-29). Your words do not return to You void (Isa 55:11). No matter how You infuse Your goodness into me, it cannot be snatched away.

When misunderstandings come in relationships and I am deeply hurt by trusted friends who have been a great conduit for Your mercy to me, Your mercy remains even if the relationship is destroyed. Ultimately the relationships You work through to conform me into the image of CHRIST is of no lasting consequence —only the conforming matters. My earthly relationships will always be tainted with sin, misunderstandings will abound, but Your Word that comes to me through those relationships will remain forever (1 Pet 1:25).

FATHER, my life here is fluid—forever changing. I ebb and flow as Your great seas. But You are my foundation—never changing, never. Anything that is spiritually attested is eternal. As You subject me to fluctuating circumstances of this earth, I thank You for protecting the Christlikeness You have already poured into me and the Christlikeness You will continue to pour into me.

THANKSGIVING

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PRAISE NEVER CEASES

Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 3.50.30 PMThe only thing I can possess that lasts eternally is praise to the Triune GOD. I feebly praise here on earth and it encourages my soul magnificently but in this world I am side-tracked and burdened with so many things…

But when You, FATHER come to take me out of this world, I will lose these burdens and be glorified to a state where I think only of praising You. Even now I realize that a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere (Ps 84:10). What joy it will be to be continually serving You as the sons of Levi served in Your earthly house (1 Chron 23:32).

King David assigned 6,000 Levites to have charge of the work in the house—to be officers and judges. He also assigned 4,000 gatekeepers and 4,000 to offer praises (1 Chron 23:4-5). I would love to minister night and day to You…

You are able to fill me with joy on this earth by satisfying me with the ability to embrace short spurts of praise to You—for this I am exceedingly thankful. But, what greater joy will I experience when I am able to think of nothing else but serving You!

ADORATION

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GRATEFUL WORSHIP

Screen Shot 2016-02-25 at 10.44.07 AM…FATHER, it must have seemed like a dream, too good to be true, to the exiles given permission to return to Zion (Ps 126:1). Or when the angel woke Peter in prison and his chains fell off. He thought he was seeing a vision it was so unreal to him (Acts 12:7,9).

With the work You’ve done in my life, FATHER, I should have the same reaction.   As I remember Your holy activity toward me, I should feel like I need to pinch myself.

Do not thoughts of You set my hearts vibrating? Is there not a sound of song in the distance? If I ponder long enough, doesn’t the music grow louder?

Nehemiah dedicated the wall around Jerusalem with gladness, with thanksgivings, with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres (Neh 12:27). The people gathered offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for GOD had made them rejoice with great joy (Neh 12:43). Doesn’t GOD make me rejoice because of all He’s done?

FATHER, stir me to rejoice; rivet my attention to the rising music in my soul which is the response to Your blessings to me. Lift my eyes to You—You, Who did all for me. Oh soul, rejoice in the LORD, again I say, rejoice (Phil 4:4). Shout for joy (Ps 66:1). In grateful worship, break forth into joy oh my soul!

“Break forth into joy o my soul. Break forth into joy o my soul,

In the presence of the LORD there is joy forevermore,

Break forth, break forth, into joy, o my soul” Composer Unknown.

And LORD, continue to do great works in me. I need Your rain in my drought-stricken life (Ps 126:4). I am like Isaiah looking at You high and lifted up (Isa 6:1). Realizing I am Yours, yet unclean (Isa 6:5). I weep because of my sin, I cry under Your discipline. I plant my crops in sin’s entanglement and despair but in the end I’ll shout hurrahs at the harvest (Ps 126:5).

With pleas for mercy I shall come, and You will lead me back to You (Jer 31:9). So my heavy soul will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing. (Ps 126:6). For all this, LORD, I shout again for joy in grateful worship to You,

THANKSGIVING

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PSALM 86

Screen Shot 2016-03-18 at 3.00.54 PMI will praise You, O LORD my GOD,

with my whole heart (Ps 86:12).

For You incline Your ear and answer me

in my distress (Ps 86:1).

 

I ask You to preserve my life

since I am dedicated to You,

since I trust in You, my GOD,

save Your servant (Ps 86:2).

 

You are merciful and gracious to me,

O LORD;

make Your servant to rejoice

for I lift myself up to You (Ps 86:3-4);

 

Teach me that I may walk

and live in Your truth;

direct my heart to reverently fear

and honor Your name (Ps 86:11).

 

You, O LORD, are good

and ready to forgive my trespasses;

I call and You send my sins away—

gone completely and forever (Ps 86:5).

 

Great is Your mercy

and loving-kindness toward me;

You deliver me

from the depths of affliction (Ps 86:13).

 

You are great and work wonders!

You alone are GOD (Ps 86:10).

You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness,

and I will glorify Your name forevermore (Ps 86:5,12).

THANKSGIVING

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THE SPIRIT REVEALS THE FATHER AND THE SON

Screen Shot 2016-03-15 at 4.02.04 PM“By working beyond all our weaknesses, the Holy Spirit attests how great is the heavenly Father’s love for us. The privileges of prayer demonstrate that God treats us as his children, with love as great as he lavishes on his own Son (1 John 3:1)” Bryan Chapell (ref#66, p82).

FATHER, JESUS exercises His autonomy through the HOLY SPIRIT by daily bringing me to a willing bondage under His easy yoke where I find His commands not difficult to follow (ref#79, p73).

JESUS is gladly one with You, FATHER, and He desires I would enter in to the fellowship (John 17:21). I thank You for the SPIRIT, who endears me to You. He takes every opportunity to glorify JESUS so that I am able to “blaze and glow with devotion to Jesus Christ” Oswald Chambers (ref#7, July 2nd). The SPIRIT is the only Lover of the Lord JESUS and He transfers that love to me (ref#7, July 2nd).

“The one and only characteristic of the Holy Ghost in a man is a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, and freedom from everything that is unlike Him” Oswald Chambers (ref#7, Feb 8th).

Praise You, FATHER, for commanding love from me. Praise You, SPIRIT, for enabling me to give that love to You, FATHER.

THANKSGIVING

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PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS

Screen Shot 2016-03-15 at 12.06.03 PM…FATHER, when You bless me You bless me forever. It is You, LORD, who makes me continue forever before You (1 Chron 17:27).

“The preservation of the saints means that all who have been elected by the Father, atoned for by Christ, and regenerated by the Holy Spirit will be saved…, and that not one of them will fall away totally or finally” R. C. Sproul (ref#71, p46).

King David conspired to murder an innocent man, yet You caused him to continue desiring You to the end of his life. You even called him “a man after Your own heart” (Acts 13:22). It is not my control of my sin or my submitting to Your commands that will keep me to the end, but Your hand alone.

What You start, You will finish. You began a good work in me and will continue to complete it until the day of CHRIST JESUS (Phil 1:6). I may sin severely and fall into a great length and depth of backsliding but You will keep me from falling completely away. My disobedience will keep me from joy, but it will not keep me from continuing on eternally with You.

FATHER, You alone preserve me. I cannot rely on myself to keep myself. I am “too weak; too changeable; too ready to be led astray; too much disposed to yield to temptation” Barnes’ Notes (ref#16, [Phil 1:6]).

But, lest I willingly slip into apathy because of Your goodness, prick me about You holding me responsible for every careless word from my mouth (Matt 12:36). I must be responsible before You for You are not mocked (Gal 6:7).

THANKSGIVING

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YOUR STEADFAST LOVE KEEPS ME FOREVER

Screen Shot 2016-03-14 at 3.46.48 PM…FATHER, You have found me and anointed me with holy oil; Your arm establishes and strengthens me so that my enemies cannot outwit me. You crush my foes; Your faithfulness and steadfast love are with me (Ps 89:20-24). You keep me forever and Your covenant stands firm for me (Ps 89:28).

And when I forsake Your laws and don’t walk according to Your rules violating Your statutes and not keeping Your commandments You faithfully punish my transgressions with the rod and my iniquities with stripes (Ps 89:30-32). But, You will not remove Your steadfast love from me or be false to Your faithfulness; You will not violate Your covenant or alter the word that went froth from Your lips (Ps 89:33-34).

FATHER, everlasting thanks to You for keeping me when I do not keep You. My life is like Your chosen Israelites so aptly depicted in the book of Judges—“And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord….Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel…” (Judges 3:7-8 ESV). “But when the people of Israel cried out…the Lord raised up a deliverer…who saved them…” (Judges 3:9 ESV).

You are forever disciplining me with Your rod, then saving me with Your staff (Ps 23:4). And assuring me that by Your holiness I will endure forever; like the moon, I am established (Ps 89:35,37). Sin will not win over me. Hallelujah.