Reminder - A Heart for Thanksgiving - Thanksgiving Devotional #7

We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone.
Psalm 33:20-22 NLT

The Thanksgiving Holiday was established in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln. Unfortunately, in American society, Thanksgiving is often overlooked. Christmas decorations and offerings start appearing immediately after Back-to-School sales. Thanksgiving is barely acknowledged, except to promote gluttonous greed, football...and let's not forget the sales that start at midnight.

Seemingly gone forever is what Lincoln proclaimed as "a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father..." Nor do we hear Lincoln's advice to acknowledge God's goodness to us and to repent as a nation. Following are a few excerpts from the Presidential Proclamation of 1863.

"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the Source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God..."

Wisdom is eternal and the words of wisdom proclaimed by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 still hold true. It would be great if before we are consumed with the unholy that we take time to adhere to the tested truth that should still ring out today...

"No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, ...fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union."

And while it is true that Lincoln addressed a nation torn by the Civil War, we are a WORLD divided and we desperately need God to heal the wounds and to restore peace, harmony, tranquility, and Union.

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You for the mercy and grace You and You alone have bestowed on our nation and the world. Father, let the people heed Your call to repentance and hear Your voice. Forgive us for our sins against You. According to Your Word, let Your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in You alone. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

In God’s Presence - Thanksgiving Devotional #6

Written by Rachel Schmoyer. Pastor's wife and mother of 4, she finds simple truths in complex parts of Scripture through her Read the Hard Parts blog and speaking ministry.
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Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6 NIV

Thanksgiving is an invitation into God’s presence. On Thanksgiving Day, we are reminded of God’s presence through prayer and by enumerating our blessings. When my grandfather was living, he was the designated person to pray a hearty prayer before our meal. Now my husband usually does it since he is a pastor. But the beautiful thing is that God invites us into His presence with thanksgiving all year long. 

The Psalmist knew the importance of thanksgiving when entering the temple for worship. Psalm 95:2 says “Come into His presence with thanksgiving.” In Philippians 4:6, Paul encourages us “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In this verse, thanksgiving is not just the attitude we are supposed to have when we ask God for our needs, but it is the answer to anxiety in every situation.

Giving thanks in God’s presence is a daily thing. We can do this in a number of ways:
Start each prayer with thanking God for what He has already done for us before we ask for what we need.
Write down our thanks to God to keep us in the habit of it. (I have some friends who have a thankfulness journal and they write down one thing they are thankful for every day.)
Pray a prayer of thanksgiving before you eat every meal. Many of us grew up with this habit, but if you have fallen out of the habit, restart today.

May this Thanksgiving [Season] remind you to bring thanksgiving into God’s presence all year long.
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Prayer:

Father,

           We pray as King David prayed, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."  Give us grateful hearts, O God! In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen 
(Psalm 139:23-24)

Where Is God in the Struggle? Thanksgiving Devotional #6

By Cindi McMenamin - author of "The New Loneliness: Nurturing Meaningful Connections When You Feel Isolated."

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“The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.” 

Psalm 138:8 ESV

“I don’t understand why God is allowing us to struggle like this,” a friend told me recently after she and her husband experienced a series of financial and relational challenges.

After four decades of ministry to women, I can tell you, without a doubt, that struggles are a part of life. You are not being discriminated against or punished by God when you experience difficulty, delay, disappointment, or loss. And if you know God, you don’t struggle alone. He’s there, ready to redeem your suffering and refine you through it, and He’s placed more people in your path than you realize who can help you through it.

Disappointment can make us feel so very lonely. So can loss or a setback or a series of frustrations. Just because life is full of struggles doesn’t make them any easier to navigate. But, oh the comfort of knowing there is a reason (whether you are privy to it this side of heaven or not) and there is help along the way.

In the early years of my marriage, it seemed like my husband and I had one situation after another in which we needed to trust God to get us through financially. One day, after I was briefing my husband on all that needed to happen for the bills to be paid that month so we wouldn’t go into credit card debt, Hugh said, rather casually, “If these faith tests are still happening because you haven’t yet learned to trust God with our finances, I sure wish you’d trust Him. I learned long ago that He will provide.”

His statement took me by surprise. And instead of feeling insulted that his remark implied I was the one who was worrying and he wasn’t, and that’s why the test was happening, I realized he was right. I did still worry about the finances. I did still have to talk it all through and see it all on paper to understand it would work out in order not to panic. I was still trying to control it all.

That day, I repented to God for still not trusting Him to provide, even though He had an excellent track record of providing for us in every way since the day we married.

“God, don’t let us go through this on account of my lack of faith,” I prayed, “Help me to rest in You when it comes to financial matters so we can get beyond this.”

As a result of that prayer, nothing changed for the next 20 years in terms of our financial situation being tight. But my anxiety level changed tremendously. God didn’t necessarily bring us more money, or give me more faith (you and I have all the faith we will ever need at the point of our salvation). What changed was my determination to trust God to be Who He promises He will be—our Provider, Sustainer, and Giver of every good and perfect gift under heaven (James 1:17). I started living what I professed to believe.

Have we still faced financial concerns? Of course. But they are no longer concerns that we won’t have what we need. Rather, our concern is that we will fail to manage well what God has given us. Our concern is that we might overlook the needs of others whom God clearly brings our way. But mostly, our concern is that we will—even if for a moment—fail to trust the One who has a million times over proven that He is trustworthy in every area of our lives.

As you and I honor God with our time, talents, and treasure, He honors us as well, by faithfully providing all we have ever needed, and so much more simply because He is the God who loves to bless.

Faith tests grow us into people who take God at His Word—people who experience peace rather than panic, and people who trust rather than fret or complain.

Whether it’s a financial difficulty, a relationship struggle, a health problem, or an overall fear of the future, God is the One who can work it out, redeem it into something good, and grow us through the struggle.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
God knows all about what you struggle with. He knows. He’s in control. He has His reasons for allowing what He does. And most of the time that reason is because He wants us to trust Him like a child instinctively and unswervingly trusts the protective care of his loving [parent]. When we get a glimpse of God’s greater purposes for us, or just believe He has a plan that is far bigger than ours, we can trust His goodness, even if we can’t yet see it.

When you and I realize we can’t control our lives, we can relax into His control and realize every circumstance—even this disappointment or loneliness you’re feeling today—is in His hands and He is allowing it to show you a new side of Himself, and bring you into a closer relationship with Him.

Further Reading:
Psalm 121
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Prayer:

Father,

          Thank You for always being our Provider - physically, financially and spiritually. Thank You for placing us in circumstances that test and grow the strength of our faith in You. Your Word assures us in Psalm 121 that You "will watch over our lives; and that You will watch over our coming and going both now and forevermore".  Help us to relax and live in these precious promises. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Not Living Like the World - Thanksgiving Devotional #5

By Alexis A. Goring whose first devotional book, Stories and Songs of Faith: My Journey with God, was published in April 2020.

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“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” - 1 Peter 2:9 NIV 

“What a Beautiful Name” is one of the many songs by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir that inspires my heart.

The soloist starts by speaking to the audience, explaining that there are many notable and famous names in this world, but there is no other name like Jesus Christ. His name has power and brings healing. She says we, as followers of Christ, don’t have to live the way the world does. God calls us higher. We don’t need to worry because God cares for us and provides our every need.

But how often do we still live the way of the world? How often do we worry about how we’ll be able to afford food every day or clothes to wear in every season? Maybe we’re worried about losing our income-yielding work and being broke. Perhaps we’re concerned about things going wrong in a romantic relationship or losing a friendship. Therefore, we rush around, chasing money and people, not realizing that all we need is Jesus. If we seek His Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33) then everything else will fall into its proper place.

Living a self-centered luxurious lifestyle and chasing money isn’t the only way to deprioritize God. It can also look like being caught up with the worries of the world. It means being so focused on all that is wrong that we forget that God is in control. This is His world. He made it. The prince of this world (Satan), who tries to control it, only has so much time left to wreak havoc. His reign will end when Jesus comes again, this time to take His faithful followers home to Heaven. This means that our pain and our problems have an expiration date! It also means that we have hope if we’re following Jesus.

In the end, God wins! He is victorious and will put a permanent end to sin and all the suffering it causes. The devil, his evil demons, and people who he deceived into following him will be thrown into the lake of fire, never to live again. God will make the Earth new and all will finally be right with our world.

But until then, we must live for God and remember who He is. We can’t allow our problems to overwhelm us to the point where we forget that we have a good God who is watching out for us. We don’t have to fret and run around in panic mode when we feel like things are going wrong. Let’s relax and rejoice because God has covered us with His love, grace and mercy! The Bible says that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) and great is His faithfulness. God is more than capable of meeting our every need and helping us survive everything life throws at us.

I’m speaking to myself as much as I’m speaking to you. Too often, I have let the worries of this world consume me and I’ve forgotten about God’s sovereignty. I’ve fallen into the trap of thinking that everything relies on me, and so I need to work harder, be better on my own, and do what I can to provide for myself. But the opposite is true: God is known as Jehovah Jireh because He is our provider. We can trust Him completely to cover us and support us in every way. The home we own or place we rent, the food we eat, the vehicle we drive, the clothes we wear—all our possessions—are gifts from God. He owns everything. We’re only borrowing it during our lifetime here on Earth.

When we make God our first priority every day, we can trust that He’ll meet our needs and be there for us in every way. God’s track record is flawless. We can trust Him more than the most trustworthy person we know, because mere mortals are flawed. We’re only human, which means that we’re bound to fail. But the good news is that we have a Savior. He knows what to do and He will always help us.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

How does it feel to know that God is our provider who will meet our every need? In what ways can you seek the kingdom of God and put Him first?

Further Reading:
Matthew 6:25-34
Psalm 145:13
Proverbs 3:5-6
Psalm 62:8
Psalm 56:3-4

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Prayer:

Father,

           We choose Your Word over everything in our life, Your wisdom, Your direction, Your guidance for our Christ-like character development. Forgive us for those times we have fallen into believing we could do this life by ourselves. Keep us ever mindful of seeking You first and Your kingdom. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

The Power of a Gentle Invitation - Thanksgiving Devotional #4

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
John 1:43-46
(Written by Jennifer Slattery author of a devotional blog at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com.)

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Early in my faith journey, I created a lot of conflict in my desire to see loved ones develop a relationship with Christ. My pride also pulled me into numerous unproductive conversations where I attempted to debate people into belief. Inevitably, this pushed the other person further away and left me with regret and shame.

Sadly, in the years that followed, I erred in the opposite direction in which I largely remained silent. I told myself others would see Christ in the love and grace I displayed, but I failed to share the truth necessary for people to draw that connection. I’ve since learned the value of Philip’s approach, recorded in John 1. Upon encountering Jesus, he immediately sought out his brother, excited to share the news of the Messiah.

Nathanael responded as many people do today, with mocking disbelief. “Nazareth,” he said, “Can anything good come from there?”

Had Philip been me, in my early years, he probably would’ve tried to convince his brother of his discovery. Had he been me in my silent period that followed, he might’ve shrugged and simply walked away. Instead, Philip invited Nathanael to investigate Jesus for himself.

“Come and see,” he said.

Curiosity evoked, Nathanael got up and followed. The Lord took care of the rest. Verse 47 states, “When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit’” (NIV). “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked, to which Jesus replied, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree, before Philip called you.”

These words, ignited by the Holy Spirit, birthed within Nathanael life-changing faith. In verses 49-51, we read, 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”

Did you catch the progression? Philip encouraged his brother to check out Jesus for himself. When he did, he encountered the Lord, who spoke a nugget of truth. Again, Nathanael responded, this time with faith, after which the Lord revealed deeper truth...

The more we understand the transformation available through Christ, the more we long to see our loved ones accept His gift of grace. Our desire for their salvation is beautiful and holy. Problems come, however, when we lose sight of our role and forget our limitations. We can’t argue someone to faith. Our attempts to do so will likely only push them further away.

But while God commands us to love others and live as radiant reflections of Him, kind actions alone don’t often lead to spiritual conversations. People need to see how we are different and understand why. They need for us to draw the connection and then invite them to experience the truth for themselves.

A missionary friend with Cru refers to believers as cojourners. We’re travelers who gently invite people to embark on a journey of spiritual discovery. Then we walk beside them, first as an explorer, then a guide, builder, and finally, mentor. This is what it looks like to, “meet people where they’re at,” while, through active listening and remaining compassionately present, lovingly nudging them forward.

In doing so, we are imitating our Savior who invited people to come closer and evoked their curiosity through questions and stories. When people, like Nathanael, responded positively, Jesus revealed more of Himself and His truth. When they rejected Him, He didn’t try to argue them into belief. Instead, He let them go, remaining available should they decide to return. We honor Him and experience the best results when we do our part to invite and walk beside and trust God to create life change.

Further Reading:
1 Peter 3:15
John 4:28-42
John 1:38-39
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Prayer:

Father,

          According to Your Word, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Let my words and my actions be a powerful and gentle invitation to a lost and dying world. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Uncontrollable Hunger - Thanksgiving Devotional #3

This devotional was written by my sweet friend, Naticia De Hoyos.
Reprinted here with her permission.

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A satisfied appetite refuses honey, but to a hungry appetite, everything bitter tastes sweet.
Proverbs 27: 7 7

This verse can be translated in many ways, However, in many places in the Bible, honey is representative of God's blessing and the richness of God. In a spiritual interpretation of this verse, if someone is so filled with the world, they will refuse God's goodness. Then I thought, the one that hungers would gravitate to God's goodness but that word 'everything' kept bothering me. The part of that verse says "but to a hungry appetite everything bitter tastes sweet."

Isaiah 5: 20 reads, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter."

These appear to be two spiritual dangers: someone is who is so satisfied with the world they have no need for the riches of God. And someone so hungry for something, anything, that everything that appears to look good. They'll take in and believe and convince themselves that even though it's poison and bitter it's really sweet. 

Where do I start? I see myself a lot with the guy with the hungry appetite. There was a time when I was starving for affection, validation, purpose, the need to belong, to be loved that I latched on to everything and everyone. I stayed in a physically abusive relationship for two years telling myself he loved me. I latched on to different belief systems designed to put me first above everyone else - to give me purpose. I latched on to really bad people, called them my friends, and did horrible things with them so they would validate me and tell me how great I was. 

I was so uncontrollably hungry for all these things, I called everything that was bad, good because bad was so easily attainable. I was surrounded by a buffet of bitter fruit that I convinced myself was sweet. Forgive me

Prayer:

Father God,
                  There is nothing better tasting in this world than the richness of Your blessings. I never want to tire of Your goodness. I don't want to get bored of the sweetness of Your Word. Father, make me hungry for Your Word every day! Make me hunger always for Your richness and presence in my life. I never want to be so satisfied that I refuse You. Put a hunger in me that drives me to seek only You and feast on Your Word daily.  Amen

Giving Thanks for the Power of Praise - Thanksgiving Devotional #2

Written by Whitney Hopler - She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books Wake Up to Wonder and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel Dream Factory.

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“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” 

Acts 16:25-26 

I was struggling to sleep because of persistent pain from an injury. No matter how hard I tried to find a comfortable position to go to sleep, I couldn’t find any way to escape the pain or relax enough to sleep. Frustrated, I glanced at a nearby clock. It was already close to midnight, and I still didn’t know how much longer it would take me to go to sleep. Rather than ruminate on my problem any longer, I got up out of bed and did something I knew would always help me somehow – I sang a worship song to God. Even though I was singing softly (to avoid waking up my husband), it didn’t take long to feel a powerful sense of peace wash over me. God was with me even in my pain. I kept singing, and by the time I was done, my pain didn’t seem as distracting as before. Finally, I was able to drift off to sleep.

There’s something powerful about praise. It lifts our perspective beyond our problems and to the all-powerful God who can help us solve them. When Paul and Silas found themselves in prison, they could have chosen to give in to despair or to question why God allowed them to endure such suffering. Instead, they lifted their voices in prayer and praise to God. Their decision to worship in the middle of suffering may seem surprising. But the miracle that happened when they did shows us that praise opens the door to God’s power.

In their darkest hour, at midnight, Paul and Silas began to sing hymns to God. The prison, which was often a place of defeat and silence, became a place of worship. As their praises rose, God’s power descended. The Bible passage tells us that suddenly there was an earthquake so violent that even the foundations of the prison were shaken. The result was that not only were Paul and Silas freed, but every prisoner in that place was unshackled. Praise brought liberation to everyone around them!

When we praise, we shift our focus from ourselves and our problems to God. Praise acknowledges God’s greatness and faithfulness, no matter what challenges we’re facing. By praising God in difficult times, we invite God into our circumstances. That is when transformation happens.

The prison couldn’t contain Paul and Silas because the power of God was greater than their chains. When we choose to praise God – despite how impossible or painful our circumstances may seem – we’re acknowledging that God’s power is greater than anything we face. We’re inviting God to step into our situation, trusting that God is more than able to deliver us.

Praise also acts as a weapon of faith in spiritual warfare. Just as it broke open the prison doors for Paul and Silas, praise has the power to break down spiritual strongholds. Evil wants to keep us imprisoned in fear, doubt, and despair. But when we lift up praise, we declare that God is in control, no matter how hopeless our situation may appear. Praise declares victory before it’s even visible. That welcomes God’s light into the darkness, dispelling it.

When we lift our voices in worship, we’re welcoming God’s power to shake the foundations of whatever holds us captive. Chains will fall, doors will open, and freedom will come when we praise God.

So, whatever you’re facing today, choose to praise. Trust that as you lift your voice to God, God will work powerfully in your life. The same power that set Paul and Silas free is available to you. Praise welcomes God’s power into your life, and nothing can stand against it.

Intersecting Faith & Life: As you consider the power of praise, reflect on these questions: 

When you think about the circumstances Paul and Silas were in, what surprises you most about their decision to praise God in that moment?

How does praising God in difficult times shift your perspective?

Have you experienced a moment where praise helped you feel God’s presence with you? How did it affect you?

In what areas of your life do you feel “imprisoned” right now, and how can you begin to use praise as a way to invite God’s power into those situations?

Further Reading:
Psalm 22:3
2 Chronicles 20:22
Psalm 34:1
Isaiah 61:3
Hebrews 13:15

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Prayer:

Father,
          Forgive us for the times we choose to grumble and complain in the tough times rather than praise You. Today we choose according to Your Word, to enter into Your gates with thanksgiving, and into Your courts with praise! We will be thankful unto You and bless Your Name, for You are good; Your mercy is everlasting; and Your Truth endures to all generations. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen