Tag: Thanksgiving

Posted in Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time

From Sickness & Death To Thanksgiving

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17 They acted like fools in their rebellious ways,
and suffered because of their sins.
18 They lost their appetite for all food,
and they drew near the gates of death.
19 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
20 He sent them an assuring word and healed them;
he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people.
22 Let them present thank offerings,
and loudly proclaim what he has done.

Psalm 107:17-22

As he did in verses 6 and 13, the Psalmist once again calls the people to “give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” He not only calls them to give thanks but to sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and to declare the LORD’s works with rejoicing. What wonderful encouragement these passages are. They are good and necessary reminders that if we are going to cry out to the LORD in our trouble, we should first look for the deliverance He will surely bring, and seeing it, we should give Him offerings of thanksgiving1 and declare His works with rejoicing. This not only glorifies God but also opens the door for others who may be in a time of trouble and need to know that there is a loving and faithful deliverer!

When the people cried out for help in verse 13, we read in verse 14 that “He brought them out of the utter darkness, and tore off their shackles.” However, in today’s passage, when the people cry out to God for help, the Scripture says that not only did He bring them out of darkness, but He also sent His word and healed them, and He delivered them from their destruction.“Oh, how glad I am that we serve a God who will lead us out of darkness, even darkness that we have brought upon ourselves through rebellion, whether the darkness of sin or death, or other distresses. His Word and the testimonies of His people bear witness to His faithfulness to rescue and deliver us when we cry out to Him.

  • “All that God has to do, in order to save us, is to send us his word. He has done that by sending his dear Son, who is the incarnate Word. He sends us the word in the shape of the Holy Scriptures; he sends us the word in the preaching of his servants; but what we want most of all is to have that word sent home by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Spurgeon)

Friends, how have you seen God “heal you” with His Word? Perhaps you are in a season of darkness or destruction now. If so, take heart and call out to Him, for He is able to deliver you out of your troubles.

The More We Know
Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Thanksgiving

Out of the darkness to Thanksgiving

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Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Bound in affliction and irons—
Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And despised the counsel of the Most High,
Therefore, He brought down their heart with labor;
They fell down, and there was none to help.
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And broke their chains in pieces.
Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He has broken the gates of bronze,
And cut the bars of iron in two.

Psalm 107:10-16

Oh what a gloomy psalm …While the previous section of this Psalm (4-9) describes God leading His people out from the wilderness, where they were lost and homeless and so hungry and thirsty that they nearly died…this section describes God’s people as prisoners, sitting in darkness and the shadow of death – bound in affliction and irons. Why? The Scripture declares that it was because the people had rebelled against the words of their God, they had turned away from His instructions, and despised His counsel. So bad was their situation that they fell down, and the Psalmist says there was no one there to help them. It was then, at their lowest point, they cried out to God for help, or as one commentator put it, “God’s imprisoned people begged Him for help,” ~ “and He delivered/saved them from their distress, bringing them out of the darkness and shadow of death, and breaking their chains in pieces.” – I love the way David Guzik defines this answer from God as “pure grace and mercy.” Guzik goes on to quote commentator John Trapp, who said of this verse: “This is comfort to the greatest sinners; if they can but find a praying heart, God will find a pitying heart…”

They cried out to the LORD in their trouble: In their chains and hardship, God’s imprisoned people begged Him for help, and He answered. He saved them out of their distresses and broke their chains in pieces. This was pure grace and mercy from God; these prisoners were under God’s own discipline. Yet when they cried out to Him, He mercifully answered. (Guzik)

  • i. “This is comfort to the greatest sinners; if they can but find a praying heart, God will find a pitying heart, and rebels shall be received with all sweetness, if at length they return, though brought in by the cross.” (Trapp)
Enduring Word

Now, the psalmist again, and rightfully so, calls those who have seen and experienced such grace from the Lord to “give thanks to God for His goodness and wonderful works.”

Friends, where have you seen His grace and mercy … His goodness .. and His wonderful works? ` Let’s make it a habit, when we see these things, to stop and praise Him.

Sing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

Colossians 3:16

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Thanksgiving

Praise the Lord for His Goodness

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Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Psalm 107:8-9 KJV

To be clear, while God certainly provided for the people’s physical hunger and thirst, the Psalmist is also referring to a spiritual hunger and thirst rather than simply the physical need. For as Spurgeon explains: “They were lost in the worst possible place, even as the sinner is who is lost in sin; they wandered up and down in vain searches and researches as a sinner does when he is awakened and sees his lost estate; but it ended in nothing.”

First, the Psalmist calls the people to give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and loyal love, for He has delivered them from the power of their enemies. He has gathered them from foreign lands around the world. Yet, even in their freedom from the enemy, the Psalmist writes that they wandered through the wilderness with no place to live. They were starving and thirsty, but “they cried out to the Lord in their distress,” and He lovingly and compassionately led them to a place of provision.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures.
2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out,
those whom he delivered from the power of the enemy,
3 and gathered from foreign lands,
from east and west,
from north and south.
4 They wandered through the wilderness, in a wasteland;
they found no road to a city in which to live.
5 They were hungry and thirsty;
they fainted from exhaustion.
6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
7 He led them on a level road,
that they might find a city in which to live.

Psalm 107:1-7 NET

Thankfully, true physical starvation and unquenched thirst have never been a reality in my life. However, I have found myself wandering in spiritual deserts before, trying to find my way back to God, thirsting for His spring of living water, and hungry – not just to feast on His Word but to understand its truth. Today’s ‘thankful’ passage is a picture of Israel finding themselves in such a place. God had delivered them from their enemy, and they were now being “gathered” from every direction where they had been held captive. By the Psalmist’s description, some were led through a wasteland in the wilderness, where they found no place to live. They were hungry and thirsty, to the point of exhaustion — and they cried out to the Lord. And our God, the True and Living God, intervened on behalf of His people, Israel, and “led His redeemed to just the right place, to a city for a dwelling place.1 “

Friends, are you hungry and thirsty for God, and find yourselves fainting from the exhaustion of the physical and spiritual needs and wars of this world? Then cry out to the Lord in your distress and watch, for He will deliver you from your troubles and lovingly and compassionately lead you to the place of His provision.

Now, because of His deliverance, the Psalmist calls the people again to give thanks, not just for His loyal love but also “for the amazing things He has done,” such as satisfying their thirst and hunger, both of body and soul.

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 9 For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Oh, friends, have you noticed how God has satisfied your longing soul, and/or filled your hungry soul with goodness? Let’s ask Him to help us daily keep our eyes up and become more aware of His spiritual and physical provision, and less and less aware of our needs, that we may faithfully give Him thanksgiving for His goodness and for His wonderful works of grace and mercy toward us.

Posted in Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Thanksgiving

God is Good …

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It is good to give thanks to the Lord! Scripture says it, and I have personally found it to be true in my life. The writer of this Psalm obviously knew it to be true, for throughout the chapter, he calls his listeners/readers to proclaim God’s goodness. He also continues to reveal the goodness of God throughout the entire Psalm.

 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Ps.107:1

I love that the Psalmist not only calls us to give thanks but also tells us why to give thanks. He calls us to give thanks for two specific reasons that we are wise to remember and daily declare.

  • He is good.
  • His mercies (or loyal love) endure forever.

To know His goodness and mercies is a wonderful thing/feeling, but more than that, it is a catalyst for knowing Him intimately. His goodness and mercy allow us to know Him. They draw our eyes upward. They open our eyes to His love and kindness. They convince us of His faithfulness to never leave or forsake us. They are seen in His grace to save/deliver us from our sins, and in His power to transform us from the inside out. His goodness knows no boundaries – for God is only, always, good.

The gotquestions.org commentary explains it like this: “To say that God is good means that God always acts in accordance to what is right, true, and good. Goodness is part of God’s nature, and He cannot contradict His nature. Holiness and righteousness are part of God’s nature; He cannot do anything that is unholy or unrighteous. God is the standard of all that is good.”

Friends, let’s ask Him to open our eyes to see His goodness and mercy throughout the day, and may we be quick and faithful to give Him thanks, declaring aloud: ‘Thank You, God!’ For You are good and Your mercies endure forever!

The More We Know

What does it mean that God is good?

If you do not know God or would like to know more about Him, I would love to introduce you to Him … simply click on the Know These Truths link below.

https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Quiet Time, Thanksgiving

The Promised Rescue

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Based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d5

Read: John 20:1-9 and Matthew 28:16-20/SOAP: Matthew 28:19-20

So the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:16-20 NET or NKJV

Hey friends, today is the first day of November, which means Thanksgiving is just around the corner, with Christmas quickly following – BUT Easter is the highlight of today’s devotion and the main event of our FAITH – for great is the victory that overcame our sin! If you’re still journeying with me in this study, you won’t want to miss the beautiful and encouraging words from the Love God Greatly team that I’m sharing with you today.

“The Saturday of Easter weekend was one of the darkest days of human history. But then Sunday morning came. As the sun rose, the ground shook, and the stone that kept the tomb closed rolled back. Jesus had risen! The grave could not hold Him. Sin and death were defeated forever, winning our salvation. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest news ever. No longer do we have to stay in our sins or live without hope. Salvation and freedom are found through faith in Jesus. The rescue that was promised in Genesis 3:15 had been accomplished.” -From the Beginning to Forever, p163

Sisters, if you are not all kinds of excited and shouting hallelujah, please read that quote again – because it is the greatest message of hope there has ever been or ever will be! As believers, not only is it our hope in life and death, but we have been given the incredible task and privilege of sharing it with the world around us. Which, as today’s journal entry points out, “is not a commandment that we can opt in or out. It is one we are all meant to obey.”

Friends, please do not let this commandment unnerve you. It can be daunting for sure, but remember – when we share this message, we share the hope of eternal life with a lost and dying world.

What is our message of hope? JESUS LIVES!

Or, as the songwriter, Melody Green, wrote:

There is a redeemer
Jesus, God’s own son
Precious lamb of God, Messiah
Holy one

Jesus my redeemer
Name above all names
Precious lamb of God, Messiah
Hope, for sinners slain.

When I stand in glory
I will see his face
And there I’ll serve my king forever
In that holy place.

Thank you oh my father
For giving us your son
And leaving your spirit
‘Til the work on earth is done.

*There Is a Redeemer lyrics © Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publ., Birdwing Music, Ears To Hear Music, Ewi Incorporated

May this be our first of many things to give thanks for in the days and weeks to come.🦋

Join me on Monday for the final week of this journey.💕

Dearest Reader, if you do not know Jesus, the hope of the promised rescue, I would love to introduce Him to you. You can start with the link, Know These Truths, and/or contact me at mryelnb@aol.com or m.black@lmbc.org

https://mefromthensideout.wordpress.com/2023/03/14/know-these-truths/

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Thanksgiving

The Habit of Thanksgiving

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And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Eph. 5:20

The following is shared from a facebook post by Ann Voskamp on November 15, 2023. Ann is a joy to read and listen to. She is a catalyst of knowing, loving, and worshiping God. She plants seeds and nurtures them and today’s post is a beautiful example – Read each line, read them slow and let them soak in to the crevices of your heart, soul, and mind – and be prepared for joy to abound and thanksgiving to pour forth and become a habit that changes your life and touches the lives of those around you. I praise God for introducing her to me and for how He has used her to grow my faith and ignite a life of gratitude within me. I pray that she will be a blessing to you as well. – Me, from the insideout – 🦋

“As long as thanks to God is possible — then Joy in God is always possible.

But you better believe it: There’s a force in this world that does not want any of us to live in real joy.

Because Joy is dangerous — it’s igniting and contagious and otherworldly and it wins the war against the dark.

Joy isn’t Pollyanna– joy is revolutionary: Joy goes straight against the way the darkness spins.

Joy isn’t the optional feature of the Christian life. Joy is the operative feature of the Christian life –

Joy is a function of gratitude — and gratitude is a function of perspective.

So how do we see, how do we get and keep the perspective to see that there are gifts everywhere to be grateful for?

You trains your eyes to see gifts.

You make thanksgiving your life habit.

So we have got to pick up a pen & wield it like a sword & write down what we’re thankful for, & count gifts & fight this fight for joy because this is the thing:

Our God asks us to give thanks in everything —

because He knows this is the only way to live through *anything.*”

Response of Prayer

Father, thank You for the power of giving thanks and for the joy it ignites in us – a joy that is a force against the enemy and a contagion that spreads among Your people and brings You glory, praise, and honor! Thank You for Your servant, Ann. Thank You for the way You use her to touch and empower others with Your Word. Thank You for what she has taught me about giving thanks and how I have seen it change the way I think and respond and live. Use this post as a catalyst to ignite thanksgiving in the lives of those that read it – that You might be praised and the world around us might be impacted with life-long habits of thanksgiving and joy that flows from the gratitude. Train our eyes to see the gifts of Your grace and to respond with resounding praise! In and through the name of Jesus ❣ I pray – Amen!

Going Further in the Journey

Check out Ann’s book: “One Thousand Gifts” @ https://annvoskamp.com/onethousandgifts/

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Thanksgiving

A Promise of Hope

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It’s Tuesday friends and one day closer to the Thanksgiving Holiday and some time off with family and friends. If you’re like my daughters and are already enjoying a nice week-long break – I pray it is off to a good start. 🙂 Our new advent study, The Promised Messiah, begins next Monday (Nov.27) but for now let’s continue through our journey of Scriptures that prompt praise and worship for all God is and does.

 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Romans 8:28
What is the promise?

The promise is, for those who are saved, all things will indeed work together for good. “All things” should be taken to mean each and every circumstance one might experience, even pain or suffering. “Work,” or “work together,” must be understood in light of God taking action in the world. He is the one who causes all things to work together or, perhaps, works in and through all circumstances toward a specific end. What is that end? “Good.”

Bibleref.com

From Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers to Jesus hanging on the cross for our sins this truth/promise brings us hope as it is played out in the lives of those who came before us and certainly in our own trouble or regrets. Is there anything in your past that you would do over if you could. Are there decisions you made then that have adversely affected your now? Take some time right now to remember or grasp hold of the truth from this verse of promise and hope – perhaps for the very first time. I used to think it said, “And we know all things work together for good…” and I remember the day and the place when I realized what it really said/meant: “…God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” Mistakes, regrets, things you had no control over, hurts, betrayal … these will surface in our minds from time to time – the enemy uses them as arrows but this powerful truth will combat them.

We must be careful to keep these words in the context Paul intended – and that was to bring hope to those believers who were struggling or suffering in life. He wanted them to remember that God is good and He is in perfect control on behalf of His children and according to His purpose, which by the way is perfect. Take hope in the encouragement that Paul’s words offer to those who belong to God – and trust that He truly has been and is continually working all things together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose.💜

You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Joseph, to his brothers – Genesis 50:20
Your Turn

What about today’s verse, Romans 8:28, makes you thankful?
Is there a way you have seen its truth played out in your life? – If so give thanks!

Will you take a minute and share your response(s) in the comment section –
It may be just the encouragement that someone else needs and for certain it will bring God glory.

Worship Through Music

I do not own the rights to this music nor do I use it for any profit or gain –

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time, Thanksgiving

Asking for Help

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Happy Monday Friends! Let’s look to the Lord for the help we need today💜 For we know that God will hear us when we pray and we can be confident that just as He saved us from our sins He will rescue us from our troubles or walk with us through them.

Today’s Verse comes from Micah 7:7 which says:

I

It seems like everyday (sometimes every hour or minute) has something that we need help with – something we are crying out to God for. Whether it is health … provision … wisdom … strength … peace … or a myriad of other needs that arise – God is able. Whether it is us or someone else we know that is in need, God tells us to cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us, (1 Peter 5:7). From the least to the greatest of the cares He has invited us to bring them all to Him. So what is it you need to look to God for today? He’s ready and always listening – so let Him know and then wait confidently for His help.

  • What about this verse can you thank God for today?
  • How can I pray for you? Share a request in the comments or private message me at my email or facebook account –
    • mryelnb@aol.com (please put prayer in the subject line
    • @facebook/ MaryEllen Black
  • How have you seen God answer recently? Give Him praise and let it be a reminder that you can trust Him and a catalyst to continue looking to Him for help.

You are loved and prayed for 💕💜

-Me from the insideout 🦋

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, God is good, Journey Through The Word, Quiet Time

We Will Remember

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Praise the LORD! Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. – YET how quickly they forgot what he had done!

Psalm 106:1, 13a

Psalm 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; 1 Chronicles 16:34 and so many other passages call us to “give thanks to the LORD.” The passages site various reasons like His faithfulness, His goodness, His steadfast love and more. The problem is when we fail to be impressed with the Lord’s character and acts of kindness and when we fail to notice His miraculous works. There is great danger in forgetting to acknowledge Him with praise and thanksgiving. For look at the example of the Israelites in today’s passage who failed to be impressed with the works of God’s hand and then quickly forgot what He had done. May we never find ourselves in this place – but rather daily find time and reasons to sing His praises and give HIm thanks – even for the littlest of blessings or fingerprints –

Your turn

What is that impresses You about God? – Make sure to journal it or write it out somewhere or even tell someone – and don’t forget to give thanks to Him to whom the praise/thanks is due. We must be intentional about this discipline in our life – not being so captivate by the day or the moment or the person but fully captivated by God alone – and intent on remembering the works of His hands. 💜

We will remember, we will remember
We will remember the works of Your hands
We will stop and give you praise
For great is Thy faithfulness
We will remember, we will remember
We will remember the works of Your hands
We will stop and give you praise
For great is Thy faithfulness
You’re our creator, our life sustainer
Deliverer, our comfort, our joy
Throughout the ages You’ve been our shelter
Our peace in the midst of the storm
With signs and wonders You’ve shown Your power
With precious blood You showed us Your grace
You’ve been our helper, our liberator
The giver of life with no end
We will remember, we will remember
We will remember the works of Your hands
We will stop and give you praise
For great is Thy faithfulness
When we walk through life’s darkest valleys
We will look back at all You have done
And we will shout, our God is good
And He is the faithful One … Hear the entire song at
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=AcUA7x9CVgs&feature=shared

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

The Benefit of Praise

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Scripture: In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Give thanks.” God’s Word is full of this phrase from the Old Testament to the New. From Joseph’s attitude of gratitude in Genesis to the words of the twenty-four elders who fell down in worship in John’s Revelation, saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign.” These examples and all of the others we find between them are not just words on a page. They are there to teach us and to remind us that God is worthy of our praise – those that flow from a truly thankful heart. Such gratitude can’t help but flow forth from heart and tongue when we truly realize the good and perfect gifts that flow from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Thankfulness keeps our hearts in right relationship to the Giver of all good gifts.

Gotquestions.org

Giving thanks to God isn’t for God’s glory alone – but it is a benefit for us as well, as God uses our acknowledgment of gratitude and our words of thanksgiving to remind us that everything we have is from Him. Every good and perfect gift, every awareness of Him acting on our behalf, keeps us centered on Him rather than on self and any problems or fears we might know.

Giving thanks also reminds us of how much we do have. Human beings are prone to covetousness. We tend to focus on what we don’t have. By giving thanks continually we are reminded of how much we do have. When we focus on blessings rather than wants, we are happier. When we start thanking God for the things we usually take for granted, our perspective changes. We realize that we could not even exist without the merciful blessings of God.

gotquestions.org
Let’s Apply It

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and as an encouragement to others and glory to God please share one thing, here in the comment section, that you are thankful for today. Then at home grab a journal or make a note on your phone and write down as many gifts from above that you notice throughout the day. I promise you will feel better and others will be blessed – it’s a win-win!

Worship through song: Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart is one of my favorites. You can find it on youtube

Prayer of Response to God’s Word

Father, You are beyond worthy of our praise and honor. You are worthy of our thanksgiving, worthy of our acknowledging all that you do and have done for us. Forgive us where we get caught up in our days and thoughts and ways and fail to thank You for Your acts of mercy, love, and grace – or for Your gifts of peace, and strength, and protection or provisions. We are most blessed and should faithfully tell You so. Open our eyes to see all Your fingerprints through any given day of our life. – In Jesus’ Name amen.