Thursday, October 3, 2013

Deliberate Thankfulness

In life we can get caught up in the day to day activities. It happens for me frequently. What do we miss? What we miss is the foundation for the day. Think about it for a moment. If just start our day with the lengthy list of to-dos, we don’t really have a foundation, just a running endless list of what is and is not done. As the day progresses, we can feel overwhelmed because it seems like the list is in control. It was our focus and starting point.

However, if we begin by deciding on purpose to thank God for the blessings in our life, then when the list seems overwhelming, we still have that starting point to reflect back upon and restore that blessing within us. Perhaps this is what Lamentations 3:21-26 is referring to when we read,

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Like building any house, we first need a foundation. Perhaps thankfulness toward God for daily renewal is a good place to start…

Prayer
Father, we thank You for showing us Your mercy and truth every day. We thank You that You do not hold grudges or anything against us and give us a path to renewal through confession to Jesus and seeking forgiveness. Help us today to stay focused on You. In Jesus (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.