June 22

“I have been guilty of excusing my lack of faith on the grounds that I was ‘confused’ as to what God really meant....Was it wrong or merely ‘acquired conscience’?”  Eugenia Price, S.P.S., 6/22

Eugenia points out that God has “made a neat little outline for us to follow in order to find out ‘what’s right and what’s wrong’:  1. Do everything you do and say everything you say “in the name of the Lord”;  2. Do everything you do and say everything you say in an attitude of thanksgiving to God.” (Colossians 3:17) A while back there was a lot of merchandising using WWJD (What Would Jesus Do).  By having bracelets and Tee Shirts with those initials we were supposed to be reminded to behave ourselves.  I wonder if it made very much difference?  The world doesn’t seem any better for it.  As I ponder the difference it would make in my life if I did and said everything in the name of the Lord I realize it’s the second point--the attitude of thanksgiving--that really must come first.  If I, under no circumstances, failed to be grateful I’d be halfway there.  I would no longer complain about anything.  I would always have a smile on my face, even when I was tired because I’d be grateful that I had a couch on which to rest.  I’d never feel I lacked anything because I already have so much!  I think, then, I’d be in a position to do and say everything in the name of the Lord because my heart will have been prepared to receive Him.  His nature would become my nature.  I would do what Jesus would do.

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  Colossians 3:17

May 19

“Love can never be glad of anything that hurts its loved ones unless there is to come out of the hurt some infinitely greater blessing.  Therefore we may be sure, no matter how unlikely it may seem, that hidden in every one of our sorrows is a blessing that would be a most grievous loss for us to miss.”  Hannah Whitall Smith, Daily Secrets, 5/19

I need to hear this today.  I’ve suffered a hurt and I might be tempted to commit the same grievous error that Martha did when her brother, Lazarus, died when she declared that her brother wouldn’t have died if Jesus had been there.  While it would seem she was acknowledging that Jesus had the power to save her brother what she was really saying, whether she understood it or not, was that her brother’s dying wasn’t in God’s plan.  This was a crack in her reservoir of trust.  How quickly we can look to surface matters--the place of our feelings--as an indication of whether or not things are going the way we’ve deemed they should.  So now I’m stuck on the surface in all the goo of feelings concerning my hurt, even though I’ve acknowledged that God is in control and He will bring good out of all this.  Lord, all I can do right now is to rest in Your Love and to trust that eventually the goo will let go and my bad feelings will evaporate, if I will continually praise You and all that You are doing in my life.

“The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.....but Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.....Noah walked with God.”  Genesis 6:5, 6, 8, 9b

April 26

“Our world promotes dissatisfaction with our lives.  We are constantly bombarded with newer and better things that will make our lives more complete if only we would obtain them!...Discontent stems from the sin of ingratitude and a lack of faith that God loves you enough to provide for all that you need.”  H. Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-By-Day, 4/26

When I read Blackaby’s words this morning I knew I would write about it today.  In the meantime I went to one of the better furniture stores in town--one I usually avoid because of the prices but wanted to check it out just in case they had what I was looking for in their marked-down area.  As I wound my way through the displays of beautifully-crafted pieces I found myself coveting.  I had to make a conscious effort to picture the furniture I had at home and acknowledge that it was nice, too, and met my needs.  In fact, it was far nicer than I’d ever hoped to have.  Once I left the store I felt the dissatisfaction subside and was glad to be out of there.  But as I reread Blackaby’s devotional I realized that there’s more to discontent than just physical possessions.  I could live totally isolated from the world and still be discontented with my life.  It could be the weather, my natural abilities, or the people around me.  This sin of ingratitude lies waiting to pounce on us in our least suspecting moments.  It is constant.  This is why our only hope is to give our wills to God because it is only then we can be freed from this self-centered, green-eyed monster called discontent.

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High; and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”  Psalm 50:14, 15

Learning to Dance in the Rain Movie

Learning to Dance in the Rain Movie: "It almost sounds too simple to feel important, but one word... gratitude, can change your attitude, and thus your life, forever. Sarah Breathnach said it best... When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present... We experience heaven on earth."

February 18

“We are made to find our joy in the Lord, and we cannot find rest short of it.  All God’s dealings with us, therefore, are shaped to this end; and he is often obliged to deprive us of all joy in everything else in order to force us to find our joy only in him.”  Hannah Whitall Smith, Daily Secrets of the Christian Life, 2/18

This is one of those quotes I need to put on my bathroom mirror so that I will be sure to see it every day.  Hannah points out that it is the Promiser, not the promises, that we are to rejoice in.  How quickly we have gratitude for the gift and then lose sight of the giver.  I think of all the times I had to threaten my children to get them to write a thank-you note. They were always excited to receive the gift, but their enthusiasm did not extend to expressing it to the giver.  I’m sitting here with a better understanding of thank-you notes.  I write thank-you notes because they let the giver know the gift was received and was appreciated.  When I receive thank-you notes I feel appreciated.  While God doesn’t need any of these assurances we need to express them.  Moreover, we need to express our gratitude to God in all things because it is in this that we will be kept from looking at His gifts as the blessing.  God promises to be in all things.  Therefore, if we’ve set our minds and hearts to be thankful for the Giver we will be able to rejoice always.

“Though the fig tree do not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”  Habakkuk 3:17,18