A Different Kind of Thanksgiving List
~ by Jane Coley
 

I’m thankful to know affliction... for without it, my spirit would not strive for more.

~ "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes."
Psalm 119:71

 

I’m thankful to know sorrow... for without it, my heart would not know the depth of joy.

~ "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."
Psalm 126:5

 

I’m thankful to know the disappointments of friendships... for without it, I would miss the value of a true friend.

~ "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."
Proverbs 27:17

 

I’m thankful to know financial struggles... for without it, I would waste so much.

~ "Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain."
Proverbs 30:8, 9

    

I’m thankful to know physical pain... for without it, my attention would not be drawn to the suffering of others.

~ "Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."
II Corinthians 1:4

 

I’m thankful to know conviction... for without it, I would not know redemption.

~ "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" 
 Ephesians 1:7

 

I’m thankful to know these things...

I’m thankful these things "visit" me...

I’m thankful they don’t stay long.

 

 

in EVERTHING

give thanks.

Giving thanks. This is a conscious effort that I am praying to make a way of life. He cannot take my thanks from me. I must give it to Him. 

If I am trusting God, why would I not give thanks to Him? He has given me so many promises. And I am beyond unworthy. 

this Life. 

my own. my husband's. children. friends. family.

give thanks.

eternal Life.

salvation. through Jesus only. There is nothing I could ever hope to try to do to gain Heaven. or His favor. ever.

a price above rubies. 1

this is the first post of a series from 

[God's Gift: becoming the woman my man needs]

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her...  Proverbs 31:11a. 

Safely trust means to be secure or have confidence in.

While I have heard and read and agree that this entire passage [verses 10-31] is a collection of the Virtuous Woman's entire life's work, this one thought is the crux of her virtue and can only be achieved through daily dilegence. 

All the days of her married life, 

her husband's heart is safe in her hands. 

~~

There is so much that could be said here. Indeed, I have read several books on this subject. 

But I will suffice it to say that if I, as a wife, 

The Dump Truck at My Door

I awoke to the loud beeping of a reverse alarm and an engine noise near my house. This truck sounded strangely close. It wasn't trash day. There was no construction going on in my area. What could this be? I reached for my bathrobe on the bedpost, and without even stopping by a mirror to comb my hair, I went to the front window. Before my eyes, and my front door, was a large dump truck. My heart started pounding. What in the world was this?! I heard the hydraulic lift raising the bed of the dump truck. Just then, a knock on my door. I ran to open the door, despite my "sleepy head" appearance. A man stood before me in cover-alls to guard against the nippy start to the day. "Hi ya, lady. Where do want the load today?" The man had a kind of northern accent, and was chewing gum. (I thought this to be quite odd at 6 AM. I hadn't even had a cup of coffee yet!) Pushing these thoughts aside, I stared at him rather blankly. "Load?" I asked. 

"Yeah." he replied. "Ya know, your load of benefits for the day? Just tell me where ya want 'em and sign here." He said, shoving a clipboard with an attached pen in my face.

"Oh. Of course!" I said, looking down at the paper before me. It read:

Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

This was my daily load of benefits from my Father! I hastily signed my name and smiled. "I'll take them right here." I said pointing at my office, where I read my Bible every day, and talked to my Father. "Okey dokey!" the man said to me while smacking his gum. He released the back of the truck and I watched in amazement as the benefits poured into my home! There was good health for the day. I saw "love, joy, peace, gentleness, long-suffering, meekness, goodness, faith and temperance". There was the Holy Spirit! I saw "good husband, Mother, children, sister, brother, and in-laws" pass by me. I smiled at "godly and praying friends" as it rolled past me. I had a tear to my eye when I watched "a goodly heritage" come inside my home. It was a blessing to my heart to open a small package that contained "God's compassion for the day. Lamentations 3:22-23" There were so many more, that I haven't time to tell you all of them! I did not earn any of these benefits! They are all just perks to the Christian life.

How could I forget that these benefits would be arriving? This was something that the Lord gave me everyday! Probably because, like all of us, I tend to take things for granted. Nevertheless, the Lord is there everyday, with His "dump truck" load of benefits and blessings. Today, however, I was reminded to thank Him for them.

Of course, this story is fictional, springing forth from my overly-active imagination! I thought that if I could literally receive a "load of benefits" at my front door everyday, then maybe I would be more grateful for that which I already do receive everyday! Because they aren't always visible, I often forget about the benefits and blessings that the Lord bestows upon me every single day of my life, and for eternity! Why, even during times of trial and testing, His "load of benefits" still arrives at my "door" every morning.I thank the Lord for this unspeakable gift!

~Valerie

God Was Not Well Pleased

1 Corinthians 10:1-5 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; (2) And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; (3) And did all eat the same spiritual meat; (4) And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. (5) But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

Here's a quick thought for you today: You can have God's blessing and yet He still not be pleased with you. Think about all that Israel had experienced under the leadership of Moses, and yet they still rebelled and God was not pleased with them.

We live in a results oriented society, and many born-again believers have taken this concept and married it with their Christian faith. They think that as long as nothing bad has happened, then God is pleased with them. Lets not judge our life based on circumstantial blessings, but based on obedience to God's Word.