Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Mark 13:31
The Bible: Preparing The Christian By Strengthening The Christian
Have you ever wondered how to live a life that pleases God? Psalm 119:9 poses this question: “How can a young man cleanse his way?” The answer follows immediately: “By taking heed according to Your word.” The Bible serves as our preparation manual for godly living. It equips us with the knowledge and wisdom we need to navigate life’s challenges and to serve God effectively.
Think of the Bible as a spiritual gym where we exercise our faith muscles. The more we engage with it, the stronger and more prepared we become to face life’s trials and temptations. It shapes us like a potter molds clay, preparing us to be vessels fit for God’s use.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Psalm 100:4
We are commanded to be thankful as Believers in Christ. Thankfulness is not a suggestion, it is a command. How can we grow in thanksgiving? How can we increase in giving thanks to God? Try these three steps.
**Realize your blessings. Take a moment each day and realize just how much God has blessed you. Take a look at your material blessings, your physical blessings, and your spiritual blessings. Write them down and take inventory of God’s goodness. This first step will put you on a path of thankfulness as we become cognizant of the bounty God has heaped upon us.
**Focus on what you have been given. Too often we focus our hearts upon the things we don’t have. God’s has blessed us mightily, but, we tend to focus our minds on what we have missed. If you desire to grow in thankfulness, focusing on God’s blessings will help you to comprehend the goodness and grace of God.
**Make thanksgiving a daily part of your prayer life. As you pray each day, give thanks. Paul tells us we are to make our requests known to God “with thanksgiving.” (Philippians 4:6) Praying with thanksgiving to God for His goodness multiplies our “thanksgiving quotient” as we grow in Christ.
Try these steps this week and it will make a difference. Let us strive, as Christians, to make Thanksgiving more than a season or a day. May we seek to make thanksgiving a way of life every day!
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. 5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. 6 Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness.
Psalm 145:3-6
Character Traits of God. Let us meditate on His………….
But You, LORD, remain forever, And Your name remains to all generations.
Psalm 102:12
**Responsive
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
Isaiah 58:8-9
**Communicative
1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions andin many ways,2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world.
Hebrews 1:1-2
**Active
God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.
Hebrews 2:4
**Loving
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1
People today are fond of saying “our times are troubled.” On certain days, such a pronouncement would be an understatement. Violence, carnage, and mayhem reign in our streets and our hearts. Each new tragic episode is said to be the worst episode that has ever taken place. Well, it’s the worst at least until the next tragedy comes around.
As each tragedy comes and goes, humans become more despondent and distressed. We ask “what causes these things to take place?” and “how do we stop this?” Unfortunately, from a human perspective, there are no easy answers. Each side on the political spectrum simply doubles down on their arguments. But nothing seems to change. Tragic, terrible, events teach us that there will never be true peace on earth until King Jesus rules and reigns.
In the meantime, what are we to do? Remember, the truth of God’s Word. When tragedy and hurt come our way, be cognizant of God’s unchanging truth and unchanging love. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Why?
He is our refuge. Christ is the one we can turn to in every situation. He experienced pain, sorrow, injustice, betrayal, and even death for us. Turn to Him as your refuge from the tragedy, the violence, the pain. Pray, trust, and keep believing in the goodness of God despite what you see going on around you.
He is our strength. He is the reason you and I are able to keep going. Jesus is the cause of our worship, our service, and our obedience. And He is the reason you’re able to get out of bed in the morning. Trust in Him—He is your strength.
He is our help. Christ has been your help, He is your help today, and He will always be your help. He is our might and He will carry us through.
God never promised perfection in this life. Evil will always be a part of this world until Jesus returns. Keep recalling what God has declared. He is your refuge, your help, and your strength.
There is none like You, O Lord ; You are great, and great is Your name in might.
Jeremiah 10:6
God is great. He is above all and supreme over everything. Consider these verses from Scripture, child of God.
**For the Lord your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.
Deuteronomy 10:17
**For this reason You are great, O Lord God ; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
2 Samuel 7:22
**Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Nehemiah 8:6
**Great is the Lord , and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain.
mrtonyfrench 