Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was yesterday, and I still couldn't think of a blog topic to write about other than what I'm thankful for. Had no mojo, nothing to go off of, and just felt stuck.

I had been in limbo for a few days after finishing a devotional series, delaying the start of a new one, and not yet continuing on my readings in Matthew, so that's where I picked back up at this afternoon. Surely if I feel like I'm doing this for God then it probably doesn't help to skip out on my time with Him for a few days, huh? I always get frustrated at how easy it is to postpone my time spent in a devotional, in the bible, with God and how easy it is to see that it truly does affect my day to day life.

So, as God would coincidently have it my study today was over the verse Philippians 4:6-7.

'Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'

The teacher for this devo, a man named John Piper, broke it down as such: anxious, thanksgiving, peace/piece.

First anxious. When we worry all the time we are basically making God look like a fool. We might as well be choosing to say God can't help us, He isn't in control, wise or kind when we choose to consume ourselves in anxiety or worry.

Thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known to God with thanksgiving. Be thankful for He meets all our needs, whether they are met how you think they should be or not. Reflect on what God has done in thanksgiving--not only to include what he has done in your daily life but for your life in general through Jesus.

Peace/Piece of God; 'peace of God' being the spiritual peace that He gives and 'piece of God' being Jesus.

The teacher thus concluded that through Jesus, connecting us with God, we can gain a peace that no other human understanding can produce.

And that, that is something I can be thankful for. That is something that outlasts the bad days, that stands against my doubts and that rises above my fears. God's peace has placed in me more humility and hope than I could have ever found elsewhere.

I am thankful that His peace and reassurance directs me to enjoy and cherish the little things in life that He has allowed us to have and has blessed us with. The good that we don't deserve and the hard that has drawn us closer to Him.

Our children, our home, family and friends, His grace-the little things that He has blessed us with and sent as reminders of His love, it is that which helps me not focus on the big things that this world temps us to chase after. To be thankful in Him and in all that He provides.

In the long run, I guess a thanksgiving week post couldn't escape the inevitable...