PSALM 136:26 O GIVE THANKS

PSALM 103:1-5 PRAISE THE LORD, O MY SOUL

COLOSSIANS 3:15 LET GOD'S PEACE REIGN AND BE THANKFUL

LET GOD’S PEACE REIGN AND BE THANKFUL

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other,

in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—

have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives.

Instruct and direct one another using good common sense.

And sing, sing your hearts out to God!

Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—

be done in the name of the Master, Jesus,

thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Colossians 3:15-17 (MSG)

God is sovereign, is completely in charge, and when we surrender our all to Him, we will have the peace and confidence to live in harmonious community with our brothers and sisters in Christ. There will be peace in the “familyship” as we each have the peace of submission and obedience ruling in our individual hearts and lives. The word of God is our instruction manual, our life-coach, the source of continuity in living for Jesus. As we fully immerse ourselves, soaking in the Scripture, we will not only have peace ourselves but will be able to encourage others to live and dwell in peace by abiding in the word. As the word begins to seep into and overflow our being, the Lord will infuse us with the power to accomplish all He has called us to do in the grace of and to the glory of God. When we are steeped in the peace of God, all that we desire is to be an overflowing reservoir of gratitude and thanksgiving.

Father, may our hearts burst out in songs of praise and thanksgiving as we realize the peace that passes all understanding has been bountifully accredited to our accounts because Jesus paid the price of our sin on the cross and was raised from the dead. Thank You, Lord, that Your peace permeates our lives in such a way that we need not live in fear and we can share peace with others. 

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 JOY NO MATTER WHAT

JOY NO MATTER WHAT

Dedicated to Betsy Hall

At this very moment, I am in pain. My foot that is no longer there is having spasms, phantom pain. We tend to think of rejoicing as a feeling, but it is not. It is bound up in relationship, my relationship to our heavenly Father that I am devoted to and committed to no matter what. Joy is possible because God loves me and chose me when I was unworthy because of sin. I wouldn’t even have the capacity to love Him unless He loved me first. I can give thanks to God when I pray, even when I am in pain, because He is faithful. I have trusted Jesus, surrendered my life to Him; and thanksgiving is His will and destiny for me. What the Lord instructs me to do, He empowers me to do through the Holy Spirit within me.

Lord, in obedience and by the power of Your Holy Spirit within me, I thank You for the phantom pain, the spasms, the sleep apnea, and all the challenges Cerebral Palsy gives my earth-suit. Thank you for giving the calm assurance of joy deep within even during the times of greatest struggle. 

2 CORINTHIANS 2:14-15 ABUNDATE GRACE: ABOUNDING THANKS

ABUNDANT GRACE

ABOUNDING THANKS

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

We celebrate Thanksgiving Day later this month. To whom are we giving thanks, and why? Of course, we as believers are directing our gratitude to the Lord God Almighty. We may be thankful for many specific things this year—God’s provision in our finances, the Lord’s healing of a loved one, the safety of our military and first responders, a new life brought into our family, or God’s mercy in the homegoing of one of His saints. However, the primary point of Thanksgiving, our main focus, should be to express our gratitude for our Lord Jesus Christ, and His vicarious satisfaction of the Father’s holiness by dying in our place on the cross. We need to thank God that because of Jesus’s sacrifice of Himself, we experience atonement—the privilege of being one with the Lord as He prayed for us as our High Priest which is recorded in John chapter 17. Because we have been given the faith to believe and trust in this truth, we have the assurance that Jesus will come back for us so that “where He is, there we may be also” John 14:3 (personalized). This shout of thanksgiving should rise up from all believers in a resounding chorus bringing glory to our loving Father, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. We should use our voices as instruments or even megaphones of thanksgiving. As a once popular chorus said, “We’ve got so much, so much, so much to be thankful for!” This should be our theme on Thanksgiving Day and every other day of the year. If you belong to the family of God, join us in lifting your voice in praise and gratitude for all He has done for you. If you do not know yet know Jesus, please contact us via our website www.preciousjewelsministries.org and allow us the privilege of sharing more about Jesus with you!