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I Am Thankful Today
Andrea Lende • July 15, 2021
John 5:24
I Am Thankful Today
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/I-Am-Thankful-Today-e14gkf8
John 5:24
“I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words [who listens to My message] and believes and trusts in and clings to and relies on Him Who sent Me has (possesses now) eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [does not incur sentence of judgment, will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life.”
About ten years ago I began a quest.
A quest to learn more about Jesus.
A quest to know Jesus more intimately.
Of course, I know Jesus came to save us and dearly appreciate His sacrifice.
As a child growing up in the church, I was taught as much about Jesus as is taught in Sunday School.
But I didn’t feel like I really knew Him.
So, I started reading about Him every day.
I seek His wisdom.
He teaches lesson after lesson about how to live, how to think, how to believe, how to serve, and how to love.
He teaches about His Father, our God.
He teaches about God’s ways which are so different than ours.
Sometimes His words are easy to understand.
Other times, I need a prompting or nudging from the Lord to understand.
I love when a new nugget of truth or wisdom is uncovered.
As I read our passage today, I became thankful.
Thankful Jesus came to grant eternal life with our God in heaven.
Thankful Jesus chose me to know Him when so many don’t.
Thankful to have the Word to read.
Thankful that all I need to do is believe.
I do not need any to undergo any further scrutiny to be accepted into God’s kingdom.
I do not need to perform some amazing feat or pass some unpassable test to be saved.
I do not need any special skill or be somebody special to be saved.
The One Who gave His life did it all.
I can rest on Him, His grace, and His promise.
Today I am thankful to be loved enough by God Almighty that He sent His Son to die for me to save me for Him.
May you find peace and joy in knowing the Lord has a place secured for you in heaven for all eternity.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for sending Your Son to save me for You. Thank You for giving Him up for a time to save me for all time. Thank You for calling me back to You, Lord. I pray You help me cling to You through this journey here on earth. Help me cling to You when this world calls me to cling to it. There are so many things vying for my attention but help me seek You first. Father, I pray You help me carve out time to spend with You above all else. As the challenges tend to overwhelm my mind and spirit, may Your peace reign over my heart. May Your grace be upon me, Lord. May Your joy fill my soul today. Keep me Yours, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: You will always be Mine, My child.
Response: Undeservedly Yours, Lord, thank You.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.