Worship Archives - Page 2 of 30

All Means All, and That’s a Comforting Thought

April 3, 2019 by Tracey 5 Comments

Have you ever been in an argument with someone who said, “You always __________” or “You never __________” [fill in the blank]? Immediately you start running that scenario through your mind, searching your memory for that one time you actually did [stay under budget, get ready to leave on time, etc.] or didn’t [forget to put gas in the car, save important tax receipts, etc.]

I’ve heard the advice that you shouldn’t use “absolute” words like “always” and “never” in an argument because let’s face it – those are usually exaggerations. Maybe it’s rare that you’re ready to leave the house on time, but it’s likely happened at least once or twice in the past!

But thankfully there are absolutes when it comes to God. And Psalm 145:17 is a wonderful reminder of this.

“The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.”

Do you see that word “all”? It’s not “some” of His ways or “most” of His works. It’s all. Every. single. one.

So let’s break this down.

All of the Lord’s ways are righteous. We think of righteous as morally right, and it is. It also means just. Whatever God does is right and just.

We know that in a big-picture sense. But when it comes down to what happens to you and I on a daily basis, do we ever accuse God of being unjust or unfair?

Maybe we’re in the middle of a situation that just doesn’t fit with what we think should be happening to us. In our humanity, we can begin to doubt that God is working what’s right for us. But that’s because we can only see it from our point of view, with human limitations and lack of eternal perspective.

Nothing can come from God but good. We have to cling to this truth. Because of His character, He can only do what is right. Just because we don’t understand His ways doesn’t mean they aren’t good and just.

So what are we to do when God’s ways seem unjust to us? It’s that word that easy to say and hard to live.

Trust.

Trust the nature, the character of God. Not how we feel or what we see, but trust in the truth from His Word that all His ways are righteous.

The second part of the verse tells us that He’s holy in all His works.

Several commentaries say that the Hebrew word for “holy” here is usually translated “merciful.” How thankful we are for both of those traits – His holiness and His mercy!

When God works, He isn’t like we are. There are no hidden motives. He works from a heart that is always pure and plans everything for our good. And in the hard and difficult moments, we have to also trust in His mercy.

Remember Lamentations 3:22-23? “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.“

All of God’s works are wrapped in His mercy. Without it, there’d be no hope for us.

In God, truth and mercy meet together in perfect harmony. Anything He brings into our lives is for our good and His glory. And His mercy is available as we boldly ask for it in prayer. [Hebrews 4:16]

Today let’s take comfort in the always righteous ways and holy works of God.

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Are You Communing or Consuming?

March 13, 2019 by Tracey 4 Comments

Earlier this week, my daughters asked me if I could pick up some Talenti gelato from the grocery store. They wanted the Mint Cookie Crunch flavor. (I think they chose that one because they know their dad and I don’t like mint-flavored ice cream, which meant they would have it all to themselves!)

Of course, the store had Caramel Cookie Crunch (which is what I’d have chosen for myself), Old World Eggnog, Sicilian Pistachio, and Almond Butter and Honey, among others….but no Mint Cookie Crunch. I didn’t want to choose a flavor they didn’t like, so I left the store without it. There were too many choices and I didn’t want to make the wrong one!

(The story did have a happy ending for them; I ran into another store later and found the flavor they wanted.)

We’re faced with many choices every day. From what to eat for breakfast to what to wear to which driving route will have the least traffic, it can be overwhelming.

We also make spiritual choices on a daily basis. And many of those boil down to whether we want to be God-focused or world-focused.

This quote from Ann Voskamp in her book One Thousand Gifts is what got me thinking this way.

“Communion with God, what was broken in the Garden, this is wholly restored when I want the God-communion more than I want the world-consumption.”

The pull of the world around us is strong. We have to make a conscious choice if we want to experience communion with God.

I’m reminded of Colossians 3:2 which says, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Affection is a fondness for or attachment to something. And “set” is a very definite word. The fact that we’re told to “set our affections” must mean it’s easy for our affections to wander. But “set” means you’ve chosen what you want to be attached to, and you’re moving in that direction. It’s a focused mindset that’s not easily changed.

We will want the God-communion more when we feed that part of ourselves. Digging into His Word, meditating on it, and memorizing it will grow our desire to be like Him.

On the other hand, if we feed the world consumption, that is the desire that will grow in us. We’ll want more material possessions or recognition and status even though we know those things can’t satisfy us.

It’s so easy to get roped into placing all of our eggs in this one basket of the temporal, of what we can see and touch right now. It’s much harder to live with our future eyes and see what matters most.

God-communion takes time. It’s like any other relationship. We don’t just have to be sitting down and reading our Bible all day. Listening to sermons or podcasts that challenge us spiritually, playing good music, going to church or a Bible study, and reading books that teach Biblical truths can all be a part of our time with God.

This communion also means getting rid of known sin in our lives and asking God to reveal any unknown sin. The Holy Spirit can take the Word of God and apply it to our hearts and lives. It’s a daily work of God, not of me. It’s allowing Him to use every little circumstance, every seeming interruption, to mold me into His image.

Consumption means that we’re just consuming, using up what the world offers us. In the end, it’s all gone because it doesn’t last.

Communion is intimate fellowship. It grows and becomes greater the longer we do it. After all, we will spend eternity communing with God and other believers.

So you know what we’ll never regret? Choosing communion. But it’s not one and done. If we choose communion today, that doesn’t mean we’ll never have to struggle with consumption. It’s a daily, sometimes an hourly battle.

We may have to ask ourselves questions such as these. Even if what I’m consuming isn’t sinful, is it drawing me closer to communion with God? Or, on the other hand, is it distracting me from Him and pulling me towards the world?

So let’s make a choice today to choose communion over consumption. May our hearts be drawn to God and focused on all that He has in store for us as we follow Him.

7 Tips for Making Each Day Your Masterpiece

Joy at the End of the Journey

3 Questions to Ask Ourselves When We Wonder if What We’re Doing Really Matters

February 27, 2019 by Tracey 4 Comments

Maybe it’s something about this time of year.

I seem to fall into a pattern in which all my days look similar. There’s nothing particularly exciting going on at the moment. It’s just the routine, the same ol‘ same ol‘.

I understand that this isn’t everyone’s story right now. Some of you may be in the midst of really tough circumstances. Others might be experiencing great victories.

But in the ebb and flow of life, I’m fairly certain we all hit spots where it doesn’t seem we’re accomplishing much. Maybe we’re not seeing spiritual growth in our lives. Perhaps a ministry or a career or homeschooling isn’t panning out like we thought it would. Could be that our days are just filled with taking care of little kids, going to appointments, or answering the office telephone.

As I thought about what we can learn from these times, I came up with three questions we can ask ourselves.

Am I choosing faithfulness?

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much…” ~Luke 16:10

“Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” ~1 Corinthians 4:2

Faithfulness. It’s not a flashy, hip, exciting word. It’s just steady dedication and commitment.

But it’s important because the majority of life is not lived on the mountaintops. Mostly it’s going through the daily grind, and just choosing to be faithful. There’s no pumped-up soundtrack or big fanfare to push you on. It’s just doing what has to be done, doing the next thing.

Am I living with a spirit of gratitude?

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:18

In these seasons of ordinariness, it can be easy to compare. “Look at what she’s accomplishing.” “Well, if I had those advantages, I’d be getting ahead, too.”

But that verse above tells it’s God’s will for us to be thankful. In the mundane, the exciting, the challenging, and the just plain hard, we’re to give thanks.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…and be ye thankful.” ~Colossians 3:15

Am I trusting God’s providence?

We are where He has placed us today. Yes, we’ve each made choices of our own. Yet ultimately, God is in control.

Life may not be as glamorous as we would like. We may be serving when we want to be served. It may look like piles of laundry, filing your taxes, or driving two kids to different sports practices.

While the following verse is used often, it’s still true. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” ~Romans 8:28

Job asked about God, “Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?” [31:4] Isaiah says, “The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:” [14:24]

Trusting God’s guidance in our lives involves a surrender to His will, even when it doesn’t match up with our plan. He is always working, whether we see it or not.

This is encouragement I need today. I hope it is for some of you, too. When we’re stuck in one of those days/weeks/months where the little that we’re doing doesn’t seem to matter, let’s remember to be faithful, be thankful, and trust God to use our efforts for His purposes.

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.“ ~1 Corinthians 10:31

The True Purpose in Prayer ~ And Why It May Make Us Uncomfortable

February 13, 2019 by Tracey 6 Comments

Do you have a prayer list?

I’ve shared the template for my monthly family prayer list before. I also keep a list of current requests for other family, friends, or needs that I want to talk to God about.

Most of the time when you and I pray, we have an outcome we want to see. It may be that someone gets well, that God opens a door, closes a door, mends a broken relationship, or meets a financial need. The list could go on and on.

As I was reading R.A. Torrey’s book How to Pray, the following line stuck with me.

“The true purpose in prayer is that God may be glorified in the answer.”

So as we bring every concern, fear, hope, and desire to God in prayer, beyond all else, we should want God to be glorified.

If we have a self-centered purpose or wrong motive behind our request, it is highly likely that our prayer will not be answered. Remember what James 4:3 says?

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

In every request I make, my main desire should be that – no matter how God chooses to answer – He will be glorified.

What’s sometimes hard to accept is that God may be glorified by allowing us to continue in our trial, our sickness, our financial trouble, or dealing with our difficult child.

In our humanity, we don’t know the outcome that will bring the most glory to God. We have to trust that God will accomplish that goal as we surrender to Him.

Here’s a personal example. Our 18-year-old daughter will be heading to college in August. This month I started specifically praying for her roommates. I’m asking that God will put in her room girls that she can become good friends with. I’m praying that they will get along, and that she’ll make many happy memories with these girls during her freshman year.

But I have to admit that God, knowing what is best, could potentially give her a roommate that’s hard to get along with. Maybe their personalities will clash. Perhaps one of the girls will disturb everyone else by staying up super late or being noisy when she gets up early.

(Admittedly I have flashbacks to a roommate during my junior year who would set her alarm clock at some extremely early hour, then hit snooze over and over and over. She could – and did – sleep through it, but it woke me up every. single. time. Mercifully she got transferred to another room for the second semester. Not that I’m still bitter over that, ha!)

Maybe God would be glorified by my daughter learning to live with a difficult person. Perhaps God knows she’ll experience more growth if she has to deal with some frustration.

Will that be easy for her (or her mom)? No. But I need to understand that whatever the outcome of the roommate situation, the ultimate purpose is that God would be glorified.

“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.” ~Psalm 115:1

So maybe we need to say it out loud or write it in colored ink at the top of our prayer list.

Lord, as you hear the requests I make, may You be glorified in every answer.

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You’ll Never Have One Without the Other

January 30, 2019 by Tracey 6 Comments

There’s a constant theme in all of our lives.

We are blessed, we have much to be thankful for…and yet we all have trials or struggles.

I’ve heard it said that we’re all either in a trial, have just come through a trial, or will be facing one very soon

Trials come in different sizes and shapes. I’d think of a smaller trial as something like walking out in the morning and seeing that a car tire is flat. It’s very inconvenient to take the time to go get the tire fixed when you have a full day planned.

A larger trial would be someone losing their job or a sick family member going to the hospital.

Trials might be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. They can be tied to our marriage, children, friendships, work, or finances. Perhaps it’s just an unexpected disappointment.

Regardless, we all think of a trial as something that causes pain or suffering.

This quote from Spurgeon that I read recently was a huge encouragement to me.

“Thou shalt never find a bundle of affliction which has not bound up in the midst of it sufficient grace.”

I like the word picture of “a bundle of affliction” because that’s what a trial often feels like. We’re just surrounded by it. We can’t get away because the difficulty fills our thoughts all the time. We can’t sleep because we’re worrying and fretting about how it’s all going to work out.

Yet in the middle of that distress, there’s sufficient grace.

Praise God for His grace. That freely given, unmerited favor of God.

“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”” ~Ephesians 4:7

And it’s not just a token grace, but a sufficient grace.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” ~2 Corinthians 12:9

I see a fellow Christian encounter a hard thing, and I wonder, “How can they get through that?” Yet I know from my own experience that they’ll be given the exact grace they need moment by moment.

These trials that we go through are necessary for our spiritual growth. What weak Christians we would be if we were never forced to turn to God, to exercise our faith, to recognize Him as the only one who can work in a certain situation.

“But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” ~Job 23:10

Trials refine us by making us see what’s really important. All the extemporaneous stuff goes out the window and our focus becomes laser sharp.

They build our faith. Every trial we go through gives us the confidence to face the next one.

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” ~1 Peter 1:6,

Today, right in the midst of whatever bundle of affliction you might be unwrapping, may you find for yourself the sufficient grace of God.

My Lord never said that He would give
Another’s grace without another’s thorn.
What matter, since for every day of mine
Sufficient grace comes for me with the morn.

And though the future brings some heavier cross,
I need not crowd the present with my fears:
I know the grace that is enough today
Will be sufficient still through all the years.

~Author Unknown

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The Spiritual Truth I Realized While Riding with a New Driver

January 16, 2019 by Tracey 4 Comments

Our 16-year-old daughter is learning to drive. She has her beginner’s permit, has taken the classroom part of Driver’s Ed, and will have her first in-car driving lesson with an instructor next month.

In the meantime, she drives me around in our car whenever she has a chance. And let me say up front that she’s going to be a fine driver.

But just like with any new skill, learning to drive takes practice.

One morning last week, she was driving to school. I was in the passenger’s seat, giving occasional instructions. And I will say that I truly make an effort to speak calmly as I offer advice from my side of the car.

We were riding in the right lane, with two lanes of cars to our left. I’d already mentioned to her the possibility that cars in front of us might be turning into a row of businesses we were passing. I wanted her to be ready to brake and slow down. Sure enough, I noticed someone turning several cars ahead of us. The SUV in front of us hit its brakes.

I just didn’t feel like we were slowing down at quite the rate we needed to. In my mind, we were approaching that SUV’s bumper very quickly. I said, “Brake,” but it didn’t seem to have much effect. I repeated “Brake” a little louder, and then said it a third time, even louder.

She did brake at that point, and then calmly assured me she’d had it under control the whole time. (She also asked me why I’d gotten louder each time, and what I expected the increase in volume to accomplish!)

While she’s doing well overall, she’s still learning. And if she wants to avoid an accident, she’ll listen to what I’m saying. (And hopefully I’m saying it in a normal tone!)

As I was thinking about that experience later in the day, I realized that there’s a spiritual application for us.

As we navigate our lives, God wants to teach us and guide us. He wants to help us avoid “accidents,” and learn to stay focused on where we need to go.

Yet we have to be willing to listen. We can try getting by on our own, but there’s a good chance we’ll take a wrong turn or get involved in something we should have avoided.

Things will go much more smoothly for us if we’re listening to that first quiet instruction He gives us. And while we may think we know what’s best, we have to learn to trust that He will lead us in the way He wants us to go.

“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” ~Psalm 32:8

If my daughter would have had the radio cranked up, she likely wouldn’t have even heard me tell her what to do. In the same way, we won’t be able to hear God if we’re tuned in to what the world is saying rather than listening for His guidance.

“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” ~Isaiah 30:21

We’re going to hear God speak to us through His Word and His Holy Spirit. We can choose to ignore His instruction, but it might not end well. We can also hurry ahead of Him, but it’s best if we wait on His leading.

“Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.” ~Psalm 25:4,5

The more our daughter drives, the more experienced she’ll become, and the better decisions she will make when she gets behind the wheel of the car. In the same way, the more we make choices that are pleasing to God, the more we learn to respond to situations properly and grow in our faith and in trusting God.

My goal with our daughter is to make her a good driver. God wants to make us successful Christ followers. Let’s listen to and follow His instructions in the same way that I want my daughter to do that for me when she’s in the driver’s seat.

10 Things God Might Use To Change Us This Year

January 9, 2019 by Tracey 8 Comments

We’re just over a week into the new year. How are you doing so far? Working toward some goals or getting on track with your word for the year?

On a very superficial note, I’ll say that we’ve had several days of beautiful weather here (after lots of cloudy, rainy days), so I feel like 2019 is going well!

While I didn’t choose change as my word for the year, I definitely want to experience some change in my life this year, especially spiritually speaking. I don’t want to be the same person on December 31, 2019 as I am today.

For example, one way I need to change is in not being critical in my thoughts and words. We had some of that beautiful weather on Sunday afternoon, and my husband and I were out walking in the neighborhood. I caught myself starting to say something critical about someone, but thankfully I backed off and didn’t take the conversation any further. I’m not always that quick to control my tongue, but I’m thankful that I listened to the prompting of the Holy Spirit that time!

I’m guessing we all want to change in some way. It’s not just change for the sake of change, but rather so that we can become more like Christ. That’s our ultimate goal.

So how might God change us this year? Here are ten things He might use to make us different as we walk with Him in 2019.

1. His Word

As we read and study the Bible, the Holy Spirit uses it to convict us about sin. Or, He may encourage us to step up to the plate and do something for Him that we’re not currently doing.

2. Meditation.

I’m not so good at this one. I’ve done the method of write a verse on a 3×5 card and put it in a prominent place in the kitchen or put a sticky note on the bathroom mirror, but after a couple of days, it’s like I don’t even see it anymore.

But I know meditation will help me – for example, with my critical spirit, like I mentioned above. Something as simple as “Let your speech be always seasoned with grace…” [Colossians 4:6] could go a long way toward helping me fight that spiritual battle.

3. Prayer

We might think more of prayer as a way God might change others, but the act of praying can change us, too. God can increase our faith as we see prayers answered. Including praise and thanksgiving in our prayer time focuses our thoughts on the greatness and goodness of our God.

4. Preaching

Being under the teaching of God’s Word, whether in a church service on Sunday or watching an online Bible study video during the week, can cause us to grow spiritually. The Holy Spirit can use a sound Bible teacher to show us truths and principles from God’s Word.

5. Music

Every time I’ve had a major trial in my life, God has given me a song to encourage my heart and draw me to Him. Sometimes I’ve heard it randomly on the radio or in church. At other times, a family member or friend has shared it with me.

6. Trials

So this one scares me. Yet I know if I’m going to change, I will likely face some hard moments in 2019. How you and I respond to these trials will determine whether or not growth and change happen.

7. Service

God can use our service for others to change us. I would guess we can all relate to a time when we went to be a blessing to someone else, and ended up getting a huge blessing ourselves!

8. People

I feel like this could go one of two ways. We may develop a new friendship with someone who edifies and encourages us in our Christian life. Or, God may place a difficult person in our lives who makes us see how unloving we really are. Learning to deal with him/her could bring about some very positive changes in ourselves, whether it effects that person or not.

9. Circumstances

This wouldn’t necessarily be a trial, but just something that comes along, perhaps that’s unexpected. In God’s providence, He may start us moving in a different direction than we had planned.

10. Books

How important is it to read good books! A couple of books that I think are worth reading every year are Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss and Keep a Quiet Heart by Elisabeth Elliot. I’m currently reading Abide in Christ by Andrew Murray. While it’s written in an Old English style, I’m pulling some great truths from it.

As we continue through January, I hope we’ll keep our hearts open to areas in which God wants to change us. We can trust our loving heavenly Father to do what’s best in each of lives as we go through this year.

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Don’t Let the Kids Be the Only Ones Anticipating Christmas

December 19, 2018 by Tracey 5 Comments

Anticipation.

If you want a picture to go along with that word, I can’t think of one that’s more appropriate than that of kids waiting for Christmas to arrive.

As a child, I remember my two younger brothers getting up VERY early on Christmas morning. At some point they’d come into my room, so excited to go downstairs and wake up my parents so we could open gifts (and eat candy from our stockings for a little pre-breakfast sugar high!)

Take time to anticipate the wonder of Christ's birth this Christmas season.

As adults, I think we generally anticipate Christmas a little (or a lot?) less. We face more responsibilities. There are presents to buy, food to make, holiday events to attend, and Christmas parties to fit into an already busy schedule.

And while we’re never too old to get excited about gifts, Christmas becomes about a whole lot more. We treasure the joy others get when they open presents we’ve chosen just for them. Getting together and spending time with family becomes much more of a focus…though there’s still a lot of excitement about the candy and other good food!

All that to say that our anticipation level for Christmas can be fairly low at times. But in these last few days before Christmas, I hope we can slow down and really anticipate what’s to come. Let our whole focus not be the gifts or the food or the family celebrations as much as marking the significance of Christ’s birth.

I love the definition of anticipate from the Cambridge Dictionary. It defines it as “to imagine or expect that something will happen, sometimes taking action in preparation for it.”

Thinking all the way back to the first Christmas, Joseph and Mary must have experienced incredible anticipation. Many of us can identify with anticipating a child’s birth. But what about a child that has been said to be the Messiah? One whose birth was foretold to both Joseph and Mary by angels! How exciting!!

Since long before then, though, God’s people had been waiting for a Savior. God told Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15 that the seed of the woman would bruise Satan’s heal. From then on, the anticipation of God fulfilling His promise was a hope for all mankind.

And just as our God is always faithful, so He provided His Son as that seed. The anticipation from the centuries before was brought to pass on a quiet night in Bethlehem.

In this last week before Christmas, let’s try to find a bit of the wonder and anticipation of the season. This message is for me. Me, with a few presents still to buy and wrap, a couple more parties to bake for, and a Christmas dinner to cook. Let me not get so caught up in the last minute details and preparations that I forget to marvel in the glory of the greatest gift ever given.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord….And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” ~Luke 2:10, 11, 13, 14

Thank you, Jesus, for coming to earth. This was the initiation of God’s plan for my redemption, the redemption of the whole world. Thank you, God, for the gift that was perfect and that only You could give.

It’s the Gift We All Need

December 6, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

Are you doing any dedicated Advent reading leading up to the Christmas season? I mentioned in a previous post that I’m reading Ann Voskamp’s The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas this month.

Here’s what I read the other day that grabbed my attention.

“Worry is belief gone wrong. Because you don’t believe that God will get it right.”

Sit with that for a while. Doesn’t that drill right down into the root of all our worry?

When we worry, we’re basically saying, “God, I don’t trust you with the outcome of this situation.” We think that we know what’s best – and we’re not sure it’s going to work out that way. And if God doesn’t do it the way we think it should be done, then we’re convinced it will end badly.

Yes, we know in our heads Romans 8:28, that all things work together for good. And we know we should be able to trust God with whatever we’re facing. Yet our human hearts and minds seem hardwired to worry.

But, my sweet friends, we can rest in the knowledge that God will get it right.

It's the original Christmas gift, and it's needed now just as much as it ever was.

We’ve lived long enough to know that hard times will come. And when they do, we can know that God stands ready to provide for our need. Here’s what Voskamp goes on to say.

“In the thin air of Advent, you may not even know how to say it out loud: ‘I thought it would be easier.’ And your God comes near: I will provide the way.

You may not even know who to tell: ‘I thought it would be different.’ And your God draws close: I will provide grace for the gaps.

You may not even know how to find words for it: ‘I thought I would be…more.’ And your God reaches out: I will provide me.

God gives God. That is the gift God always ultimately gives. Because nothing is greater and we have no greater need.”

In this season of giving and receiving, there’s no greater gift than God. The original Christmas gift, a babe born in a manger, for the purpose of redeeming the world to God, is ours for the taking.

There’s nothing greater we can do than point people to that gift, to Jesus, the One who can meet their every need. No wrapped box under the tree is worth more than what Jesus gives, salvation to all who believe.

And I love that phrase “grace for the gaps.” Because sometimes it’s not an overwhelming calamity that I’m facing. It can be a relatively small struggle. But even there, His grace can fill in the cracks, meeting me right where I am.

Remember this other Romans 8 verse, number 32? It says, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

We serve a great God who desires to give us every gift that will be good for us and bring glory to Him. And more of Him is always just what we need.

There’s No Time Like the Present to Be Thankful

November 21, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

Thanksgiving.

For those of us who try to make gratefulness a priority all year long, this is a welcome season! It helps us focus on gratitude on a daily basis. It’s a time when even our culture encourages us to be thankful.

Psalm 103 gives us many reasons to be thankful to God, so start expressing your gratitude to Him today.

I recently read Psalm 103, and it’s a wonderful thanksgiving passage. Let’s look at the first six verses.

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Wow, what a list of benefits from our Lord! Forgiveness, healing, redemption, lovingkindness (so often undeserved, might I add), and good things to satisfy our mouth. (And won’t we have an abundance of those on Thanksgiving day!!) Verse two tells us not to forget all these benefits; remembering what God has done for us is important!

My mind has been drawn to God’s healing this week. My sister’s husband just lost his mother to cancer at a relatively young age. Our family and many others prayed for her for a long time, asking God to take away the cancer and heal her body.

God answered our prayer for healing, but not in the way we would have prescribed. A few days ago, He gave her a permanent healing, an everlasting relief from her pain. It’s another life circumstance that can make us want to doubt His goodness and providence. Yet we know that giving thanks in all things is part of His will for us. [I Thessalonians 5:18] And we trust in His plan to always do what is for our good and His glory.

In verses 10-12, we find a benefit that only God can give us, forgiveness of sins.

He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Mercy. That’s God’s compassion and forbearance raining down on us. It can’t even be measured. We could never in a million lifetimes have paid for our sin. Yet Jesus Christ took it all on Himself, and paid our penalty.

Verses 15-16 remind us of just how fast our lives go by.

As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

Let’s be thankful for the time we have. We each get a certain number of years to flourish and prosper. But they’re short. And then, just like when a flower dies, we won’t be remembered long here. But each day we’re given, we can be doing what will matter when we’re gone as we love others, share our faith, and seek to bring glory to God.

Then verse 19 brings hope for our souls.

The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

I might be a little depressed these days if I thought all I had was this life here on earth. There’s lots of injustice, dishonesty, corruption, and plain ol’ evil. But we just read that God’s got a throne in heaven and that one day, He will reign over all. So whether or not politics goes our way or justice seems to be served, we can be thankful that all will one day be made right by the King of Kings.

The last verse of Psalm 103 brings us full circle.

Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.

Bless the Lord with me in this Thanksgiving season!!

On a personal note, I hope you and those you’re celebrating with have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We’re spending the week, just the four of us, in a cabin in the mountains near Pigeon Forge, TN. Our Thanksgiving meal will be courtesy of Cracker Barrel. (Not a first for us, for sure, even though some kids in one of my daughter’s classes told her that eating at Cracker Barrel doesn’t count as a real Thanksgiving meal, ha!! Don’t worry – one day soon, I’ll make all our Thanksgiving favorites at home!)

I’m very thankful for each one of you who takes the time to read this blog. May you recognize God’s goodness in your life, not only at Thanksgiving, but every day of the year!