Thankful

Thankful

Thought- Thankfulness is a natural expression of being touched by God’s grace.

Scripture- “ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7

Insight: What are you truly thankful for? I would answer that question so differently now as a Christian than I would have before I knew Christ. Before, I would have equated thankfulness to my view of my current situation. It would have been an emotionally based answer dependent on my circumstances. It most likely would have reflected to one degree or another a materialistic bent. In other words, if I had accumulated enough “stuff” I wanted or been happy with my relationships or job or whatever else, then I could muster the enthusiasm to be “thankful” although it was a superficial thankfulness at best.

But now as a Christian, as a follower of Christ, the answer I give has much more validity to it. I can truly say I am thankful for I know that God truly loves me, and His love is not circumstantial! It is all encompassing. It is real and it is full of the grace needed to activate my gratitude for all he has done for me. When you realize that you were a dead man walking, and then given a “pardon” for what your sinful nature deserved, through the sacrificial death of Christ on the Cross, how can you not respond in any other way than uncontainable gratitude and thankfulness. It must flow out through you because it cannot be contained within. Like a wineskin will burst if it is filled with too much new wine, so we can’t contain all the joy within us when we are truly thankful for all that God has done for us. It must be passed on to others through generosity and kindness as a result of our genuine and deep-rooted gratitude.!

Prayer: Father God, we are thankful for so much, but most importantly we are thankful for your grace, illustrated to us through the love of your Son, Jesus. Help us to worship Him always as the provider of all that we are truly thankful for and with the gratitude that flows out of us like a river as a result of our proximity to you through him. We praise your name Lord. We are truly thankful for your atoning sacrifice on the Cross. Nothing could ever provide a bigger reason to be thankful than that. Amen!