11-15-2021

J. Fields

 

Where has this year gone? I cannot believe we are only a couple of weeks away from Thanksgiving! The smell of fresh-baked pies, deep-fried turkey, sweet potatoes, and oh, did I mention fresh-baked pies, oh how I love this time of the year.

 

While Thanksgiving gives us a time to come together with friends and family and have a wonderful meal it is also a great times to just reflect. Personally, I get so wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of the world that I sometimes forget to just stop, contemplate, and let God know just how thankful I am for all of His blessings.

Let me ask you when you think of Thanksgiving what are some of the thoughts that come to your mind? Do you think about family? Do you stop and consider just how blessed you really are? Do you think about all the Black-Friday sales? What is it that you enjoy about this Season?

Being thankful isn’t just for this time of year, yes it is a great reminder but scripture tells us to always be thankful. You may be thinking, “You expect me to be thankful when everything around me seems to be falling apart” — My answer is honestly pretty simple, Yes, while you may not want to hear it, I believe it is something we all must be reminded of.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. It’s easy to be thankful when everything is going great in life but the real testing of your faith is how thankful you are during the low times. What if I told you that your breakthrough or miracle was on the other side of your thankfulness, would you then praise Him in the valley? I believe that is exactly what God wants to see from us, He wants us to showcase our faith through the thick and thin.

This November I give you a challenge — Get up every morning and start thanking Jesus for all of His goodness. Turn your complaining into praise. When you go through your day just give Him the honor. When something challenging happens, just thank Him. In everything you do give God all your praise, honor, and thanksgiving. I guarantee you one thing, when you start declaring the goodness of God in everything you do, God will, in return bless and shine upon you. 

 

Psalm 118

 

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let Israel say: “His love endures forever”. Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever”. Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever”. When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down. I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. The Lord has chastened me.”

 

Blessings,

Pastor Jason