Thankful in Times of Sacrifice – Part 3 of 5

 One thing that my husband and I gave up soon after we were married was the TV. We realized that it was a big temptation for us simply to watch whatever was on even if there was nothing worth watching. We realized that we weren’t allowing God to talk to us concerning our free time, so we decided to get rid of the TV. It wasn’t always easy living without a TV. We had to retrain ourselves on how to get along without it, but the sacrifice paid off as it ceased to be a driving force in our lives. Once we felt we had learned our lesson,...

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Thankful in Times of Sacrifice – Part 2 of 5

The Israelites, at first, had only manna to eat while in the desert. They were put on a forced fast by God from earthly food. This was God’s way of cleansing them, not only physically, but also spiritually. Sometimes fasting is necessary to get breakthroughs. The Israelites didn’t realize that God was busy freeing them, not only from the visible chains of slavery, but also from invisible ones. They had been corrupted by lusts of the flesh. God cared about every aspect of their lives. He cared about their physical, spiritual, and emotional...

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Thankful in Times of Sacrifice – Part 1 of 5

It’s easy for us to recognize God’s faithfulness and protection towards the Israelites because we know the outcome of their story. They, on the other hand, had a much harder time believing that this crazy adventure would have a happy ending. We know from the Bible that God took care of them. He provided them with food and drinking water. The first miracle food that He gave them they called “manna”, which, translated, means “what is it?” It was a kind of bread that tasted like wafers, honey, and fresh olive oil. None of them had ever...

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Poem - Walking by Faith

Walking by faith is a hard road to travel Living under the law is easier to understand But it’s by grace that we receive from Your hand Even when others don’t, help me in Your grace to stand. I want my life to be a life of faith To trust You in every situation Even when worrying can be such a temptation Help me to remember You are my rock and salvation. When things get hard it’s easy to forget what You’ve promised Help me remember in the dark what You’ve shown me in the light Even when my mountain seems to be such a great...

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Thankful in Times of Need - Part 4 of 4

What would be your reaction if, after following the Lord’s voice, things didn’t turn out as you expected? How would you feel if your family didn’t have a place to stay or enough money for the next day’s meals? It can seem frightening when you no longer have control over basic things. The faith walk that we are called to doesn’t depend on what we see, but on what we don’t see (God and His promises). Thankful hearts provide the positive perspective we need despite seemingly negative circumstances. Being thankful when we don’t see provision...

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Thankful in Times of Need - Part 3 of 4

I’ve walked the road of faith with my family and I can testify that when God calls, He also provides. I’ve learned to trust God wholeheartedly and to thank Him for his faithfulness even when life isn’t going my way. A story that always sticks in my mind is about what occurred in the life of George Mueller (1805 - 1898). He was born in Prussia (now Germany), but felt called to England during the time that child labor was a major problem. To try and protect some of these children, he started a few orphanages where they would...

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Thankful in Times of Need - Part 2 of 4

Humans are creatures of habit. We like the security of the familiar, so the unfamiliar can be a scary place. Egypt was a familiar place to the Israelites. They had been in slavery for a few hundred years and were used to relying on their oppressor’s resources. Of course it was a place of terrible slavery, but at least they had access to plenty of food and water. They could see, hear, feel, taste, and touch Egypt, but they couldn’t do the same with God. It made more sense to rely on man’s resources, even if it came from the hand...

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Thankful in Times of Need - Post 1 of 4

When Moses and the Israelites had to flee Egypt, how did they respond to adversity? Perhaps you have heard that story or read it several times and concluded that they were an unthankful and ungrateful people. After all, they had God performing miracles before their eyes. Why should they grumble and complain? Actually, it’s easier to point out their faults while ignoring our own. In this series, “Thankful in Times of Need,” we’ll take a closer peek into their lives, which will offer us a greater understanding of them and, consequently,...

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Poem - Father, Thank You for Your Love

Father, thank You for the love that You give The only love which helps me live I would be nothing without You You are sweeter than honey and refreshing as dew When the world becomes too great And I find myself in a terrible state You lift me up with Your tender hand And I realize that You understand When the weight of my burdens become too much And I feel discouraged as such You remind me that You’re there To take my burdens, because You care When everything seems to go wrong And I think I won’t last long You fill...

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Joy and a Thankful Heart – Part 3 of 3

All believers are meant to have the joy of the Lord consistently operating through them, but this is often not the case. After taking a quick look at regular Sunday morning churchgoers, we might conclude that this joy is present, but if we were to look closer we might be surprised to find that many are just doing a good job of role playing. All the smiles and nice clothes hide the turmoil, the depression, and the loneliness. God’s joy doesn’t hide these things, but acknowledges them. I chose to marry in my husband’s country of South...

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