1 Thessalonians 5:18
“In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Now that we have survived another election season, with a variety of emotions filling the hearts of Americans from coast to coast, may we now be encouraged to redirect our focus. As we learned during the past season, no matter our emotions, God is still on His throne and is worthy of praise and thanks. With that in mind, as we look forward to observing a day of Thanksgiving on November 28, may I encourage you, dear readers, to focus your hearts on praising and thanking the Lord.
Many consider it their favorite holiday, joining with family and perhaps friends,to share and enjoy an abundant array of God’s bounty. Though most of us don’t have land from which we gather a harvest, we do fill our shopping carts with family favorites, and dust off the recipes, all in preparation for the big day—a day to offer Thanksgiving to God above for His faithful provision. But is the fourth Thursday in November the only day you offer gratitude?
The Lord impressed upon me last year that, rather than celebrating just one day in the month, He wanted to prepare me for an entire month of devotions dedicated to the subject of Thanksgiving. As often happens, He continued to bring this particular subject to mind, and so I began the preparation process or, rather, HE began the preparation process. He pointed me to materials to use for personal study that enhanced my knowledge, offered new insights, and convicted my heart. But God was up to so much more in this preparation process, and He knew all along that I would need a heart attitude of thanksgiving and gratitude.
In a previous devotion from last Fall entitled, “Welcome Home,” I related the experience I had towards the end of a wonderful vacation to England, which included a transatlantic cruise back to the States. I became ill with a serious ear infection, vertigo, and total hearing loss in one ear, two days before the ship docked in New York City. God demonstrated His faithfulness to me through His Holy Spirit, my husband, dear friends, NYC Port assistants, our daughter, my doctors, and the prayers of so many who carried me through the next four months until I was healed. At every turn, I was prompted to offer thanksgiving to Him for His care for me, His provision for my every need, and for the preparation of my heart that He had begun in the previous months.
I do hope you will join me this month as we spend time preparing our hearts by focusing on our thanksgiving and gratitude to God for:
• Who He is
• His Attributes
• His Blessings
• His Provision
There will be one occasion, Veteran’s Day, when I will deviate from the series, and on Sundays the focus will focus on prayer and praise. Join me, won’t you, as we offer our praise and thanksgiving to the God Who is worthy of all praise and thanksgiving, and still sits on His throne.
Dear heavenly Father, we offer our thanksgiving to You for how You orchestrate circumstances in our lives that work for our good. Life isn’t perfect, but You are. As we look forward to Thanksgiving Day, prepare our hearts to have an attitude of gratitude for all the ways you care for us each day, and provide for our needs. We offer our thanksgiving today, and pray that all we say and do would bring honor and glory to You. Amen.
~ painting by olddesignshop.com
I am honored that you have read my devotion today and pray it is an encouragement to you and glorifies God. To receive Devotions For All Reasons in your email every day, go to the homepage and simply click on “Subscribe.”
