Thankful in Light of Our New Covenant – Part 3 of 3

We need to remind ourselves regularly that the moment we received His Spirit we also received a new nature. We should not live out of our old nature any longer. This requires the renewing of our minds: the process of changing our thought-life by developing a new perspective. He wants us to realize that He is there to enable us to accomplish His will in all areas of our lives.

The Holy Spirit has been given to us who believe not only as a seal guaranteeing our salvation, but also as our teacher and our comforter. He is there every step of the way. It’s up to us to acknowledge His presence and His divine guidance. He offers us to come and be active members on His team. The only way we are able to be followers of Jesus is by learning to listen and obey His Spirit.

We can be thankful that we have Christ’s Spirit living inside of us. Even if we embarrass ourselves in a moment of weakness, He has promised to stay. He is more interested with the condition of our hearts than He is with our outward achievements. We can confidently surrender our lives with all our weaknesses to Him because He will empower us for successful living. Jesus paid such a heavy price for you and me because He thought we were worth it.

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Thankful in Times of Drudgery – Part 2 of 5

At one point along the way, the children of Israel complained that their food lacked variety. They were fed up with manna, manna, and more manna (Num. 11:4-10). Their complaining got so bad that it turned into weeping. All the men stood in the doorways of their tents and wept bitterly. Their families who were inside their tents wept with them. That must have been quite a noise!

Of course, God was highly offended, and Moses was extremely displeased with them. If they had only asked nicely, they might have received a proper portion of meat to eat every day, but because of their bad attitude they suffered God’s wrath instead. Indeed, their complaining infuriated God so much that He sent them a plague of quail (the meat that they had requested), which lasted for an entire month. They had so much meat that it made them sick.

Thankfully, His wrath didn’t last forever. There was a point where God put things back in balance because, according to the account in Exodus (Ex. 16:12-15, 35), their daily diet consisted of a day’s worth of manna in the mornings and quail in the evenings. Interestingly, they ate manna for the entire forty years that they were kept wandering in the desert, until they entered the Promised Land.

When I consider our modern-day grocery stores, I’m amazed at the wide variety of foods available. I wonder if we really appreciate what we have. Do we realize how blessed we are? Are we thankful that we can buy almost anything we want so conveniently?

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Poem - Gardens of Joy

Once I was destitute, a captive of sin,

But then You gave me life and dwelled within.

You took my waste places, You took my tears,

You took my heartaches, and all my fears.

You took that pot, which was made of clay,

You took all of my darkness and made it day.

Then gave me wings, made me into a silver dove

With yellow-gold feathers, covered in Your love.

You gave me rivers and gardens of joy;

Things more precious than some material toy.

You gave me gladness and also thanksgiving

And filled my heart with continual singing.

In light of all this, what can I give in return?

Worship and obedience from a love that is firm.

by Christina Morley

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Thankful in Times of Difficulty – Part 4 of 4

Besides saving the Israelites from slavery, God had another plan of salvation for His people, salvation from the slavery of sin to the freedom of righteousness; a plan that would include not only Jews, but Gentiles also. God began with the Israelites through Abraham, and later, through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, made it possible for all who believe in the Son to have access to God.

What God began in the wilderness, He is perfecting through all who place their faith in Jesus. We have access to all the blessings given to the Israelites, who were set free from Egypt. Also, the curse that was theirs because of sin was dealt with on the cross. Not only are we free from the curse, but we’re also adopted as children of God.

We’ve got lots to be thankful for. So, the next time we can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel, it’s a good time to start praising God. Our praises will turn the darkness of fear and despair into the bright assurance of God’s love and hope. Praise reminds us of the truth that we’re on the winning side!

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Thankful in Times of Difficulty – Part 2 of 4

Not very long afterwards, while standing on the outskirts of the Promised Land, the Israelites were faced with another test. Now God had previously promised them that the land that they were going to inherit would already be well established. They would live in houses that they hadn’t built with their own hands and enjoy vineyards that they hadn’t planted. Their scouts confirmed that the land was well inhabited and tremendously fruitful. They’d never seen anything like it in all their lives. However, when they saw the strength of the peoples in the land that God had promised them, they lost courage, and they lost hope.

The Israelites lost their courage and hope, because they hadn’t been practicing a grateful attitude. When things didn’t go their way, they would give Moses a piece of their mind. They even threatened to stone him. If they had taken the time to thank God for past breakthroughs, then they would have been more inclined to recognize His protection, His favor, and His power in their lives.

Have your eyes been focused on problems rather than on God’s blessings? Just as eating right and exercising protect your physical health, taking time to thank God for what He’s done in your life will protect your spiritual health. As you practice a thankful attitude on a daily basis, it’ll be easier to notice the silver lining in the dark clouds of difficulty. You might be surprised to find that your difficulties aren’t as bad as you had previously imagined.

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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 can only come by faith. With faith on our side, we will thank Him no matter what the circumstances.

Your faith is tested by your actions, but you mustn’t act until you know what God is asking of you. Faith operates through obedience. However, if God has called one believer to give all his money away, that doesn’t mean that He has told you to do the same. Other people’s testimonies are there to enrich you and to help you grow, but not to dictate to you your faith walk. Your faith walk is unique.

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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 be properly cared for. These were not government-funded orphanages, and Mueller didn’t personally own lots of money. He ran his orphanages on faith alone.



One morning, he and his orphans sat down for breakfast, but there was a hitch: they had no food. In faith and obedience they thanked God for their food while looking at any empty table. Right after giving thanks, there was a knock at the door. They were surprised to receive a basket full of bread which a baker had felt prompted to give them and the milkman decided to give them milk, because his cart broke down outside their orphanage.

These were just some of the many miracles that God performed for George Mueller and his orphans. They had big needs, but they had an even bigger God. Just as God was faithful to them, He’ll be faithful to you.

The photo below is of the five orphanages that were built because of George Mueller's great faith in a miracle-working God.

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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 of the Egyptians, rather than from the hand of God. You see, the idea of supernatural provision just didn’t make much sense to them. Since they didn’t believe that God would continue to look after them, they began to complain bitterly. Instead of having faith in the invisible God (who had demonstrated His abilities and favor toward them), they had fear of the visible desert.

Don’t we also find comfort in what’s familiar to us? There’s a strong sense of security in a steady job and income. Even if the pay is low, it’s better than the feeling of not knowing where and when the money will come from next. What if God asked us to give up that steady income, move from our home with our family, and go to a place that we’ve never seen? Before going out into the unknown, we would have had a certain amount of security and control over our lives. If that were taken away, all we would have left would be God and His love and mercy.

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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, ourselves.

The Israelites were excited when they first set out from Egypt. Not only did they gain their freedom, but they won the respect of their oppressors too. God’s favor toward the Israelites was so powerful that they were able to ask the Egyptians for their gold, silver, and clothing (Ex. 12:35&36).

God gave His people a great victory that day without their having to give their husbands and sons to war. How astonished they must have felt at their swift and glorious release. However, these feelings didn’t last long. Soon they found themselves trapped: the Red Sea was in front of them, and the entire Egyptian army behind them. What now? Had God lied? Could He pretend to love them one moment and then abandon them the next?

We all know that the Israelites did make it across the Red Sea as God miraculously parted the waters and dried the ground under their feet. And God gave them another great victory when the sea collapsed on top of the Egyptian army and drowned them all.

With that problem behind them, they now faced a new challenge. On the way to the land that God had promised them, they found themselves in the desert and it wasn’t looking too promising. By their complaints, they must have concluded that the desert was not a place to keep a few million people along with their livestock even if it was for just a short trip to a place called the Promised Land.

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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 me with Your staying power
And make me strong as a fortified tower

And when my troubles reach their peak
And I realize that I am weak
You cradle me in Your loving arm
To keep me from anymore harm

Then I realize the love that You give
Is the only thing which helps me live
You are sweeter than honey, refreshing as dew
And because You first loved me, I can love You

by Christina Morley

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Joy and a Thankful Heart – Part 2 of 3

Joy is not a feeling that just comes and goes like natural happiness. Natural happiness is gained by the ups in life and not the downs. Joy, however, is supernatural. You can have joy even in the midst of great trials. God gives us the grace to live joy through it all.

If that is the case, then how can we maintain our joy? Joy is maintained by nurturing a thankful heart.

It’s easy to be thankful when everything is going right, but what about when adversity strikes? How do we react then? The ultimate test is to see if we can be thankful while experiencing difficulties. It takes courage to trust God no matter what, and it takes even more courage to thank Him in the thick of things. Thankfulness is a Kingdom principle that protects a person from getting knocked off course.

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