Read: John 3:16, Romans 6:23; SOAP: Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;
Ephesians 2:8
No gift we could ever receive on this earth will last forever. It will become worn, run out of batteries, break, or be replaced by something new and exciting.
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For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
Psalm 84:11 NLT
Although the gifts God gives us aren’t wrapped up with bows and beautiful paper, they are worth so much more than anything we will ever find under the Christmas tree.
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(all quotes by Ann Voskamp)
Happy Thanksgiving ‘Season’ everyone! As we celebrate Thanksgiving, no matter what is filling your mind, turkey or shopping, football or Christmas movies, abundance or great needs, family gatherings or the loss of a loved one, remember: our thoughts can shape our outlook on the real meaning and even our experiences of the day. However, there is a word that might make the season – and perhaps even all of life – a bit more full of joy. The word is Eucharesteo, pronounced yoo-khar-is-teh’-o, which means – to be thankful. Engraved on a bracelet I wear daily – the word is never far from my mind, and always a reminder to “pursue a lifestyle of gratitude, grace, and joy that flow from giving thanks in all things“, as instructed by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18.
I had never heard the word before reading the book 1000 Gifts, by Ann Voskamp. In her book, Ann describes the word as – “the word that can change everything: Eucharisteo—it comes right out of the Gospel of Luke: ‘And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them…’ (Luke 22:19 NIV). In the original language, ‘he gave thanks‘ reads ‘eucharisteo.’ The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning ‘grace.’ Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be a gift and gave thanks. It also holds the derivative, the Greek word, chara, meaning ‘joy’ …”
In the book, Ann raises this thought-provoking question – “How do we find joy in the midst of deadlines, debt, drama, and daily duties? What does a life of gratitude look like when your days are gritty, long, and sometimes dark? What is God providing here and now?” She found the answer through the daily habit of writing down God’s gifts. She writes, “when we give thanks, we find ourselves wildly loved by God.”
“The greatest thing is to give thanks for everything. He who has learned this knows what it means to live…. He has penetrated the whole mystery of life: giving thanks for everything….”
Ann Voskamp, 1000 Gifts
Read: Romans 12:2 and SOAP: Philippians 48
Truth: And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 NLT
To combat lies, we must think about what is true.
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If we want to be filled with the truth, then we have to make room for it in our minds. Ladies, let’s take out the garbage and take in the truth.
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Read: Psalm 119:6 and SOAP: Psalm 25:5
Truth: Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. Psalm 25:5
When we seek the Lord, we will find Him. He will not allow us to walk in darkness. We simply must be patient and wait for His guidance.
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Read: John 17:17 and SOAP: John 8:31-32
Truth: Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32
If we want to stand firm against deceit, we must learn to walk in truth.
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John tells us how to discern between the Truth and a lie: We must abide closely to the One who is the way, the Truth, and the life. (John 14:6)
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Overcome by: Learning Wisdom
Read: Proverbs 13:20 and SOAP: James 1:5
Truth: If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5 NLT
Some of us may not think of ourselves as wise. Fortunately, wisdom is a trait we can develop. Scripture mentions a couple of ways we can grow in wisdom.
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Read: Ephesians 6:11-17; SOAP: Ephesians 6:11
TRUTH: Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. Ephesians 6:11 NLT
Ephesians 6:11 NLT
Since we must fight for truth, how are we to overcome the lies of this world? One powerful way is to arm ourselves with the armor of God.
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Sometimes, I wonder how much we, as Christians, recognize the spiritual battle raging daily in our midst.
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The link shared below is something I found both encouraging and helpful. I wanted to share it with the hope that it will also encourage you to spend some quality time with God. I will preface it with this … prayer can also be spontaneous which Scripture supports in Colossians 4:2, where it tells us to pray continually or devote yourselves to prayer as some translations say, painting a picture, not of praying once a day, but praying throughout the day.
However, as Pastor John teaches in this devotional, Plan for Prayer, prayer is also meant to be a time planned or set aside to spend purposefully with God – for the specific purpose of praying. I will also add – we should set aside time to spend in His Word – the two can be combined but neither should be neglected or we cheat ourselves out of one of the greatest privileges of our salvation – a personal relationship 💗 with the True and Living God💜 . This includes entering into His presence boldly and with confidence both to talk to and to hear from God (Ephesians 3:12 and Hebrews 4:16 [14-16]), knowing that we have been brought near through the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:13 [11-18]), and believing He wants us to understand His Word and know His will for us (Luke 24:45, Romans 12:2, and 2 Timothy 2:15) – May this add strength and encouragement to your day and blessings to your weekend 😊
This is a segment of “Solid Joys” from Desiring God, a site I follow by John Piper
Plan for Prayer
Read: Psalm 68:3, 144:15, 146:5; Hebrews 1:9 and SOAP: Psalm 4:6-7
Truth: Many people say, “Who will show us better times?” Let your face smile on us, LORD. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.
Psalm 4:6-7 NLT
Psalm 68:3 declares that the righteous will be glad and celebrate because of God. He is the reason for our joy and our salvation. He gives us purpose and life. Those who do not believe often try to fill their lives with other things, but they ultimately are unsatisfied. –
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Think about your life, or more specifically your day, and make a list of things that make you happy. Now, what if all those things were stripped away from you, could you still be happy? Would the day be a good day, or a bad day? Would life still be worth living? I fear that many of us would answer those questions with an unapologetic, “no.” –
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