Thanksgiving.  What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read or hear that word?  Is it a day, a family meal, or perhaps a specific menu of foods?  Is it an attitude that comes and goes based on how you feel?  Or is it a way of life which flows from you regardless of your circumstances?  These devotions I will be sharing this month were originally written throughout November 2019 and then edited/updated during the summer of 2020 for a 31 day devotional journal, “The Heart of Thanksgiving:  Living a Life of Thankfulness”.  I will be re-sharing them here this month to encourage each of us to pursue a greater spirit of thankfulness in all we do.

Here is day eighteen with an important reminder that living with a heart of thanksgiving should cause us to be thankful for the work God has created in advance for us to do.

Day Eighteen:
Thankful For Work

“As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”
John 9 4 (NIV)

As I get back into the routine of a “normal” week, I am thankful for the work God has given me that brings glory to Him.  Yesterday was kind of a dreary day — it was a long day of driving with all of it under an overcast sky and most of it in rainy conditions.  Definitely not weather that tends to uplift my spirit, so I was thankful to find several encouraging messages when I got home from people who wanted to thank me for sharing prayer-based resources at ICOM.  The recurring theme in each of them was to praise God for His work in the midst of our conversations and interaction.  That is the part I found most encouraging because it served to remind me who I am working for and who will complete the work He began in me.

I find it interesting that the above verse comes in the middle of the response given by Jesus to the disciples who were asking about the cause of a man born blind.  Jesus made it clear that the blindness was not a result of sin by this man or his parents, but rather an opportunity for the glory of God to be displayed.  It also seems clear to me that the opportunity to do the work of God is not something that should be put off as not only could it be a time-sensitive opportunity, but if we don’t do the work now there may not be a tomorrow to do it in.

As I pray this week about purpose, I am thankful for a God who gives purpose to the work I do.  I am thankful that He doesn’t limit the type of work that has purpose to specific “noble” callings, but gives purpose and value to all work that is done in a faithfulness to Him that brings Him glory.  I am thankful for reminders of the good work He does through people like you and I.  I am thankful for the good work of people who make it possible for me to share at conferences.  Their work has as much purpose and value as mine — perhaps even more.

What is the work you do?  Is it easy for you to see it as work done for God?  Why?  Would a growing attitude of thankfulness for the work set before you change how you view that work?  Why?

As you pray, thank God for the work you are able to do.  Pray that you would approach all of the work you do as work being done for Him.

I pray that you and I would grow in both our thankfulness and our awareness of the opportunities to do the work of God.  I pray that we would do good works for the purpose of bringing glory to our Father in heaven.  I pray that we would make the most of every opportunity as we live with an awareness that those opportunities may cease to exist at any time.

In prayer,

Tom  

Thanksgiving.  What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read or hear that word?  Is it a day, a family meal, or perhaps a specific menu of foods?  Is it an attitude that comes and goes based on how you feel?  Or is it a way of life which flows from you regardless of your circumstances?  These devotions I will be sharing this month were originally written throughout November 2019 and then edited/updated during the summer of 2020 for a 31 day devotional journal, “The Heart of Thanksgiving:  Living a Life of Thankfulness”.  I will be re-sharing them here this month to encourage each of us to pursue a greater spirit of thankfulness in all we do.

Here is day seventeen with an important reminder that living with a heart of thanksgiving should cause us to be thankful for the nations of the world.

Day Seventeen:
Thankful For the Nations

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.  How awesome is the LORD Most High, the great King over all the earth!”
Psalm 47:1-2 (NIV)

Today I am thankful for a glimpse of the nations praising God.  As I finish up some time at the International Conference on Missions, it has been a fun few days worshiping God together and talking with people from all around the world.  I am thankful for those who have responded to God’s calling to take the good news of Jesus to the far off lands and to the nearby neighborhoods.  I am thankful to be given a small part in encouraging and equipping others through the prayer ministry.

As has become a typical experience for me at these conventions, I once again had a number of the convention center workers ask if it was okay for them to take some of the prayer-based devotional books that I was giving away.  I am thankful God has given me eyes that often notice the forgotten people.  I often pray that God would make me even more observant so that I would see each person I encounter as a person.  I am thankful that God has given me something to share that can help encourage people who want to seek after God’s heart.

While there are those ministries that seem to be highlighted every year at the conference, I am thankful for the many who faithfully do the work God has called them to while receiving little to no recognition.  They do it because of God’s faithfulness to them and in obedience to His calling.  I am thankful for young people I talked with who want to live with an awareness of God’s presence in whatever career path they may follow.  I am thankful for the great diversity in God’s gifting to people so that His light and love can be spread into the diverse areas of darkness in this world.

How diverse is the group of people you spend the most time with?  Are there people in your daily life which seem to be invisible to most of the world?  Why?  Are there people that you see, but don’t really see?  What does it take for you to feel included in a group?  Do you do those things to help people different from you feel included in the groups you are part of?  Why?

As you pray, ask God to help you be thankful for the peoples of the world.  Pray that you would be deliberate in accepting and interacting with people who are different from you.  Pray that those who look, sound, and act differently would know of your thankfulness for them.

I pray that you and I would daily realize we are not alone when we praise and worship God.  I pray that we would live with open eyes and obedient minds as we walk faithfully with our Lord.

In prayer,

Tom  

Thanksgiving.  What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read or hear that word?  Is it a day, a family meal, or perhaps a specific menu of foods?  Is it an attitude that comes and goes based on how you feel?  Or is it a way of life which flows from you regardless of your circumstances?  These devotions I will be sharing this month were originally written throughout November 2019 and then edited/updated during the summer of 2020 for a 31 day devotional journal, “The Heart of Thanksgiving:  Living a Life of Thankfulness”.  I will be re-sharing them here this month to encourage each of us to pursue a greater spirit of thankfulness in all we do.

Here is day sixteen with an important reminder that living with a heart of thanksgiving should cause us to be thankful for a God who builds by His plan and power.

Day Sixteen:
Thankful For a God Who Builds

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”
Psalm 127:1 (NIV)

Today I am thankful for a God that takes notice and works for my good.  It can be very easy to think I have to build my life and a fruitful ministry on my own.  In fact, many voices in today’s Christian culture shout quite loudly about the secrets to church and ministry growth that can be found in self-promotion and catering to a specific group that can best further your growth goals.  It is in that world in which I often feel invisible that I am thankful for a God who watches over my work and provides direction that will honor Him and bear much fruit.

I am thankful today for conversations I will have that will be an encouragement to me and to those with whom I speak.  I am thankful that while I struggle to understand what the next step for the prayer ministry is, God continues to remind me that it is in His hands and His timing.  I am thankful for what God has been building and for the fruit that already exists.  I am thankful for the tears of those who are so overwhelmed with the goodness of God as He uses me to provide a spoken word and a printed resource that meets them exactly where they are.  I am thankful for those who look for me at conventions so that they can be encouraged, and that they can encourage me.  I am thankful for those God has touched through my writings in such a way that they can’t help but share.

As the sun rose over the city this morning, my room is facing in such a way that I didn’t have a view of the sunrise.  However, it wasn’t long before the glow of color spread around the buildings and filled the sky in all directions so that I could at least get a glimpse of what God was doing.  We may not always have a front row seat when it comes to observing the work of God, but His work is so incredible that it can’t be hidden from those who are looking for it.

As you pray, ask God to help you trust Him to build your life and the fruit He would have it bear.  Pray that you would be patient in allowing God to accomplish His work in you and in others.  Pray for a spirit that honors the working of God as it rejects the ways of men.

I pray that you and I would always look to God as the One to build our house, establish our work, and watch over our city.  I pray that we would reject the wisdom of man that gives preferential treatment to any group, and instead we would build our life and work on the wisdom of God who cares equally for each person.  I pray that our work would not be done in vain as we look to God as the source and director for all we do.

In prayer,

Tom  

Thanksgiving.  What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read or hear that word?  Is it a day, a family meal, or perhaps a specific menu of foods?  Is it an attitude that comes and goes based on how you feel?  Or is it a way of life which flows from you regardless of your circumstances?  These devotions I will be sharing this month were originally written throughout November 2019 and then edited/updated during the summer of 2020 for a 31 day devotional journal, “The Heart of Thanksgiving:  Living a Life of Thankfulness”.  I will be re-sharing them here this month to encourage each of us to pursue a greater spirit of thankfulness in all we do.

Here is day fifteen with an important reminder that living with a heart of thanksgiving should cause us to be thankful for the good gifts we receive from God.

Day Fifteen:
Thankful For Good Gifts

“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers.  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
James 1:16-17 (NIV)

As I write this morning, I am thankful for the good gifts of God.  As I walked to lunch yesterday, I passed several little flower gardens that had been planted in the concrete and asphalt jungle of the downtown city.  To see a flowering kale doing its thing as it was tucked into a small patch of soil surrounded by sidewalk was a beautiful thing.  While it took someone’s effort to put it there, for me it was a “good and perfect gift” from God.  When quoting the above passage, it seems the leading verse that tells us not to be deceived often gets left off.  I am thankful that I can see the gifts of God regardless of the apparent source or who He used to deliver the gift.

As I am spending a few days specifically talking with people about the prayer ministry and the devotional books I have written, I am very deliberate in giving God the credit for the gifts He has given me to share.  I am thankful that God’s gifts are not trickery nor some sleight of hand, but He is constant in His intention and ability to do what is good and right.  I am thankful that the good gifts God has given others have been used to instruct and equip me for a more faithful walk with Christ.  I am thankful for the truth of God’s Word that guides me in right paths so I need not live as one who is deceived.  I am thankful for pleasant surprises that only God could orchestrate.

I pray that you and I would live in such a way that we are not deceived.  I pray that we would not only notice the good and perfect gifts which come from God, but that we would freely give Him the credit and glory for them.  I pray that we would also be thankful for the people God may choose to use to deliver His good and perfect gifts.  I pray that our paying attention to even the seemingly little things that come from God would lead us to be even more thankful each day.

What are some good gifts that you have?  How often do you express thanks to God for those gifts?  Why?  Are there gifts you have received that are difficult to recognize as coming from God?  Why?  How does a spirit of thankfulness help you to more readily see God’s hand in all that is good?

As you pray, ask God to help you be more aware of His good gifts in everyday life.  Pray that you would see God’s goodness in greater ways as you learn to be more thankful.

May God be praised abundantly, both now and forevermore, for His very good and perfect gifts with the greatest of them being the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

In prayer,

Tom