Giving Thanks

We know Thanksgiving is a time to thank God for the blessings in our lives. Our thoughts go immediately to whatever we term "good."

We even learn, as Christians, that we are to thank God IN every circumstance. But do we thank God FOR the circumstance?

It's easy to thank God for the beautiful sunset, our child's recovery, our new car. But what about rain on your wedding day? Your child dies. Your only car is wrecked. Are we honestly supposed to thank God for it?

What we call "good" may not be the same thing God calls good. If He is truly in charge of this world, if He in fact cares for us, if He notices when a sparrow falls from a tree, then our "bad" circumstances are there by His design. He sent them to you! He wasn't a helpless, hand-wringing God who stood by and bit his nails when Satan lambasted your family. He designed it--just for your good!

That is a hard pill to swallow; yet in Ephesians, Paul instructs his followers to thank God FOR everything that happened to them.

Why?
Because there is a freedom in that. By the act of thanksgiving, we are admitting to ourselves that God is ultimately in charge of it all and whatever we are going through was lovingly sent as a gift to us, to enable us to become more like Christ.

Nothing more humbling than to fall flat on our faces and cry out to God for mercy. And that is right where God wants us. It is only then, He can teach us.

Happy Veteran's Day

Thank you to all who have served our country, and to the families who've lost loved ones in the military. We are forever grateful for your sacrifice.

The Heart of the King

This year's election has some of us distraught and others jubilant, but listen to what Proverbs 21 says: The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord and like a river, He turns it whichever way he wants."

God uses people to accomplish his plans, whether they know it or not. No matter who sits in the White House, God will use him to bring about Righteousness in us.

OUR plans are for our leaders to bring us financial gain, easy living, prosperity of every kind. Those are most likely NOT God's plans. He couldn't care less how rich you are, whether you want a new dishwasher... His goal is to bring holiness to our lives. To make us more like His Son.

If hardship and ungodly rule will bring us to our knees in humble contrition, that very well may be God's plan for America.

As Christians, we now need to pray as never before that God will use these circumstances to bring righteousness back to our nation, no matter who occupies the White House.