There has been a question going around facebook for a while now. "What if you only had in the morning what you thanked God for the night before?"
What would I have?
What would you have?
That question changed the way I pray. First and foremost I am thankful for all my Heavenly Father provides for our family. He supplies all of our needs.
I am thankful for ...
My Heavenly Father who has loved me longer than anyone. He knows all of my sins, my faults, my thoughts and He stills loves me more than anyone.
Jesus. That He came to earth to die for my sins that I may be forgiven. He took up the cross for me. Praise the One who paid my debt! That He rose again. That one day His Father will say Son, go get my children. That I am one of His children.
My Husband and our marriage that God has transformed. Only He could give us the marriage we have today.
Our children. Our children are blessings. Our children are the next generation that we need to train up so that they will spread the wonderful Word of God. We need to invest time in them. We need to teach them character. We need to show them God's love so they will show God's love.
Our health. We were without health insurance for quite a while and through that time we remained healthy.
Our home. We have been blessed with a roof over our head. A home that we can afford. To the world it wouldn't be much because it is small, but to us it is a gift.
Our van. Our van is almost ten years old and fits all of us in it. It is a full-size van and is pretty hard to miss. Most people wouldn't like our van, but we are blessed to have it.
Our pantry. God has supplied us food to nourish our bodies. We may not have gourmet meals, but we will not go hungry. We are blessed to have our pantry.
He supplies all our needs and I am thankful.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving and then enter into the Christmas season, I turn to the book of 2 Corinthians, in chapter 9.
The Cheerful Giver.
9:6 - "...he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly."
During this time of year there are several ways of giving. There are food drives, angel trees, adopt a family, donate to an orphan advocacy. But what do you give? When there is a food drive do you give what has been on your pantry shelf the longest, or do you give your family's favorite foods?
9:7 - "...give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."
When you give, do you give out of a feeling of necessity? Do you give because you want to make a good impression? Do you give out of guilt? Do you give in order to get a tax break? Or ... Do you give to help an orphan? Do you find a family with little and build up their pantry? Do you realize how much you have?
9:8 "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."
If you are truly giving with a cheerful heart, then you will see the abundance that God has provided for you. Your heart will change to see all your blessings. If you have a roof over your head, a vehicle to drive and food in your pantry, you are abundantly blessed. You will see the difference between needs and wants. You will stop having the world's view of needs and start seeing your many blessings.
I did not always see our many blessings. I did not see that God met all of our needs.
When my husband lost his job over two years ago and was unemployed for 9 months, God changed my heart. God supplied our needs.
When my husband took a job making almost half what he was previously making, God continued to supply our needs. We continued to be thankful. We are now much better stewards with what He provides than we were before. And for that I am forever thankful. Our whole family will be forever changed. And for that I am most thankful.
What would I have?
What would you have?
That question changed the way I pray. First and foremost I am thankful for all my Heavenly Father provides for our family. He supplies all of our needs.
I am thankful for ...
My Heavenly Father who has loved me longer than anyone. He knows all of my sins, my faults, my thoughts and He stills loves me more than anyone.
Jesus. That He came to earth to die for my sins that I may be forgiven. He took up the cross for me. Praise the One who paid my debt! That He rose again. That one day His Father will say Son, go get my children. That I am one of His children.
My Husband and our marriage that God has transformed. Only He could give us the marriage we have today.
Our children. Our children are blessings. Our children are the next generation that we need to train up so that they will spread the wonderful Word of God. We need to invest time in them. We need to teach them character. We need to show them God's love so they will show God's love.
Our health. We were without health insurance for quite a while and through that time we remained healthy.
Our home. We have been blessed with a roof over our head. A home that we can afford. To the world it wouldn't be much because it is small, but to us it is a gift.
Our van. Our van is almost ten years old and fits all of us in it. It is a full-size van and is pretty hard to miss. Most people wouldn't like our van, but we are blessed to have it.
Our pantry. God has supplied us food to nourish our bodies. We may not have gourmet meals, but we will not go hungry. We are blessed to have our pantry.
He supplies all our needs and I am thankful.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving and then enter into the Christmas season, I turn to the book of 2 Corinthians, in chapter 9.
The Cheerful Giver.
9:6 - "...he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly."
During this time of year there are several ways of giving. There are food drives, angel trees, adopt a family, donate to an orphan advocacy. But what do you give? When there is a food drive do you give what has been on your pantry shelf the longest, or do you give your family's favorite foods?
9:7 - "...give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."
When you give, do you give out of a feeling of necessity? Do you give because you want to make a good impression? Do you give out of guilt? Do you give in order to get a tax break? Or ... Do you give to help an orphan? Do you find a family with little and build up their pantry? Do you realize how much you have?
9:8 "God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."
If you are truly giving with a cheerful heart, then you will see the abundance that God has provided for you. Your heart will change to see all your blessings. If you have a roof over your head, a vehicle to drive and food in your pantry, you are abundantly blessed. You will see the difference between needs and wants. You will stop having the world's view of needs and start seeing your many blessings.
I did not always see our many blessings. I did not see that God met all of our needs.
When my husband lost his job over two years ago and was unemployed for 9 months, God changed my heart. God supplied our needs.
When my husband took a job making almost half what he was previously making, God continued to supply our needs. We continued to be thankful. We are now much better stewards with what He provides than we were before. And for that I am forever thankful. Our whole family will be forever changed. And for that I am most thankful.
"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15
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