"Give Thanks"

 

“Give Thanks”

“Give thanks with a grateful heart,
Give thanks to the Holy One,
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.

“And now let the weak say, ‘I am strong,’
Let the poor say, ‘I am rich,’
Because of what the Lord has done for us."

This short and well-known song is a familiar one. We sing the main chorus of giving thanks easily and heartily. The words in the first line are how we should always thank God: “Give thanks with a grateful heart.”

Words such as gratitude, thankful, appreciative come to mind. Our heart should relay our deepest words of thanksgiving for all God has done for us.

Songfacts.com: “This worship song was written in 1978 by Henry Smith. The young seminary graduate penned it during a difficult time in his life when he was struggling to find work and coming to terms with a degenerative eye condition that would eventually leave him legally blind. Smith's inspiration was the scripture, ‘For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.’ Finding hope in 2 Corinthians 8 v 9's description of God becoming human to save man, he penned this simple song of trust and giving thanks.”

Worship leader, Don Moen. Made this worship song popular. He sang it during a worship service at the Williamsburg New Testament Church in Virginia in 1978. A military couple reintroduced it to a congregation in Germany. The song eventually caught the attention of executives at Integrity Music.

The Lord has done great things for us. Things we can never repay. What we can do is serve Him with our life and live so others can see Jesus in us.

Always give thanks with a grateful heart. If this song is unfamiliar to you, find it on YouTube and memorize the words and music. This is a song you can sing out at all times of your day and know you have given God all the praise He deserves.

By His Grace . . . 

"All the Way My Savior Leads Me"

 

“All the Way My Savior Leads Me”

“All of the way my Savior leads me,
And He cheers each winding path I tread.
Gives me strength for every trial, And He feeds me with the living bread.

And though my weary steps may falter, And my soul a-thirst may be,

Gushing from a rock before me Lo a spring of joy I see.”

Jesus cheers me. I know God sings over me (Zephaniah 3:17). But I never thought about Jesus cheering me. I couldn’t find a Scripture reference to confirm this, but the more I think about it the more I believe Christ cheers us on as we go about living for Him.

Zephaniah 3:17

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Godsbless.ing: “Just imagine that the Creator of the universe not only looks upon you with joy but also breaks out in song because of His love for you! It’s a beautiful reminder that you are cherished and valued beyond measure by a God who delights in you.”

Jesus prays for us (John 17:20). When we succeed during difficult times or we complete work for Him, believing in Him, that is credited to us for righteousness. That is a favorable thing. That brings joy to God’s heart. So, yes, I can accept the word cheer!

John 17:20

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.”

Enduringword.com: “Jesus prayed for His eleven disciples, but He also had the heart and the vision to pray beyond them. He prayed for those who would come to faith by the testimony of these disciples. He prayed for us.” 

Enduringword.com, Morgan: “He prayed for them. He prays for us. He knew His intercession for them would prevail. He knows His intercession for us will prevail. Then let us rest in Him, with the rest of loving obedience and of surest confidence.” 

God wants us to succeed, and I believe He is proud of us when we come through something that is difficult. Everything we do is for Him. He continually works in us so we will succeed.

The Lord delights in His children, those who fear Him. He finds joy in His people. Those statements mean that God cares for and enjoys His children. Knowing how much He cares for us is reason enough to live for Him and do His work.

“And He cheers each winding path I tread.” As you go about your days, always remember that God is with you and helps you down each path you take.

By His Grace . . . 

"Down at the Cross"

 

“Down at the Cross”

Refrain:

“Glory to His Name, Glory to His Name;

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to His Name!”

The blood. The moment you gave your life to Christ, His blood swept through your heart and washed you white as snow. Hallelujah!

His shed blood, when He died His terrible death, cleanses those living for Him, time after time after time. It never fails. It’s always available. Nothing else is needed but His blood.

Christ was the Lamb that God sent to make a way for us human’s to be pure enough so God would accept us. As a new Christian, it may be hard to sing joyous hymns about blood. But as you mature in Christ, you learn why His blood is needed and is the only acceptance by God to take away our sins.

Verse One

“Down at the cross where my Savior died,

Down where for cleansing from sin I cried,

There to my heart was the blood applied;

Glory to his name!”

Barryshymns.blogspot.com: “It is said that the writer of this hymn, Elisha A. Hoffman, was reading about the crucifixion of Jesus in his Bible and he began to think about how God saved men from their sins by allowing Jesus to die on the cross.  His heart was filled with such gratitude that he wanted to give God all the glory and honor for this wonderful gift.”

Is this your testimony? Then sing out loud and joyfully, “Glory to His Name”! Hoffman was filled with gratitude for what God had done by sending His Son to die on the cross of Calvary in our place. Are you?

If you haven’t experienced this, read these words of the fourth verse: “Come to this fountain so rich and sweet, Cast thy poor soul at the Savior's feet; Plunge in today, and be made complete; Glory to His Name!”

“There to your heart is the blood applied”. “Glory to His Name.”

By His Grace . . . 

"Through It All"

 

"ServantHeartedSisterhood" Facebook page

"Through It All"

"Through it all, through it all,

I've learned to trust in Jesus,

I've learned to trust in god.

Through it all, through it all,

I've learned to depend upon His Word."

These words are learned through trials over the course of a Christian’s life. There’s no way we can know that God gets us through the difficult things that happen to us until we’ve experienced God carrying us through them.

There's no way we can relate to Verse 3 of this song if we haven't been through trials:

"I thank God for the mountains, and I thank Him for the valleys,

I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.

For if I'd never had a problem, I wouldn't know God could solve them,

I'd never know what faith in God could do."

God does solve our problems. God helps us solve our problems through faith, prayer, divine wisdom, and sometimes miraculous intervention, guiding us through life’s challenges. And each time we experience this, we become stronger and carry an assurance with us that God is able.

We will always have tears and sorrows in this life. There will always be questions for tomorrow. And through them God makes us strong.

Andrae Crouch, author of this song, states in his autobiography: “The hardest thing about always being on the go is leaving your home, your local community, the relatives and friends you see every day to suddenly open up your life to everybody all over the world. You become involved with more and more people and there is so much heartache it can break you. I had to learn to rely totally on the Lord. Totally.

“But God sends the mountains. . . to lift us up from the valleys. . ., and He gives us strength to travel through it all—through the up times and through the down times. I just thank Him for everything, all the tears—tears of sorrow, tears of joy—for the problems, and the trust, the faith, His Word, His Holy Spirit, and for Jesus. Through it all He brings a blessed harmony to life. Knowing Him, belonging to Him, is enough. Praise His name.”

We can depend upon God’s Word. We can trust Him. The words are true. Let’s continually praise and worship God for being faithful and helping us as we journey through this life.

By His Grace . . . 

"Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee"

"InTheGardenOfFaithHopeAndLove" Facebook Page. Kimberly Bradshaw
 

“Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee”

“But what to those who find? Ah, this
Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is,
None but His loved ones know.”

That last line in verse three is a true statement. We who are saved know to the depth of our hearts the love of Jesus. We know it; we feel it, and we hear it. Our entire being is filled with the knowledge of Jesus’ love.

How can we explain it to someone? I don’t think we can ever explain in words just what the love of Jesus does to us and for us. We are covered. We are enclosed in His love at all times. We are never away from His love.

It makes you feel special. Just think. Me. I am covered by the love of Jesus. Who am I. Just one out of millions who through faith gave her life to Him. That’s all I did. I was then enveloped in a love that is so powerful and so enormous that I can never get away from it.

His love is sacrificial, unconditional, and transformative, demonstrated most profoundly through His life, teachings, and ultimate sacrifice on the cross. And He shares it all with us that we may be like Him.

Galatians 2:20 says: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Yes, because He lives in me, I have been crucified with Him. Everything I do is layered between the love I have for Him and the love He has for me. I fail miserably. But that doesn’t negate that’s it’s real.

Verse Two of this hymn says: “O hope of every contrite heart, O joy of all the meek, to those who fall, how kind thou art! How good to those who seek!”

Jesus knows that we will fall. He picks us up and says, “Try again. I still love you.” No matter how awful we feel because we failed, Jesus still loves us. He continually encourages our hearts through reading His Word and hearing His Word. And we try again.

Yes, none but His loved ones know the reach of His love. He’s waiting for you. All you have to do is believe and you’ll be covered with a love so fine it will never let you go.

By His Grace . . . 

Set My Soul Afire

 

Set My Soul Afire

Refrain:

“Set my soul afire, Lord, Set my soul afire,

Make my life a witness of Thy saving power.

Millions grope in darkness, waiting for Thy Word,

Set my soul afire, Lord, Set my soul afire.”

What does it mean to set your soul afire? It means to rekindle and refire our hearts for Jesus. It is an earnest plea to burn brightly for the Lord in holy living and powerful witnessing. Is your soul afire today for the Savior?

This happens for many of us when we take part in a revival. I can remember the thrill I feel listening to strong men of God preach with fire. My soul is full and excited.

You may feel afire when you do something to help someone. You make a difference and the effect it has on you stirs your soul.

It may be when a person you have been witnessing to comes to Christ. A warmth settles in you, and your heart is full of thanksgiving.

Get your heart right with God in every area. Make a difference in prayer. Look for ways each day to shine, share, and speak the truth in love. Let people see Jesus in you! Develop a lifestyle of godly discipline and tackle the simple projects before you.

The torch of faith and freedom is in our hands. Will we be faithful to burn brightly for Jesus Christ until He calls us home?

Do you remember when you first got saved? You were “on fire” for God. You could not wait until the church doors opened; you had to be there. You could not get enough of reading your Bible, you had to have it. You were telling everyone you knew that you were saved, and a child of God and Heaven was your home.

Find that fire again. Let it burn inside of you, filling you with joy and desire to live for God.

By His Grace . . . 

Goodness of God

Graphic from SonFlowers Facebook page

 “Goodness of God”

“I love You, Lord, “For Your mercy never fails me.
All my days, I've been held in Your hand.
From the moment that I wake up,
Until I lay my head, Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.”

“'Cause all my life, You have been faithful.
And all my life, You have been so, so good.
With every breath that I am able,
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.”

The first moments of the morning when you wake up and your eyes open, until you finally lay your head down, close your eyes and prepare to sleep, you can praise God! All that time, morning to night, you have the opportunity to sing of the goodness of God.

Sometimes it takes me awhile before God comes into my thinking. It comes much quicker now that I am older and retired. My days are quieter and non-rushed. Even so, when I worked, at some point God would come into my  mind, and I would immediately sense peace. That’s what thinking about God should do for you. Saying the name of Jesus, an umbrella flows over you and covers you with His peace.

Throughout your day, no matter how rushed and anxious, when your mind brings God’s Name to you, don’t waste the moment. “Thank you, Lord,” “I love you, God” will bring rest and peace to you during anything you are occupied with at the moment.  Even, “Oh, Lord” during anxious times reminds you He is always with you. Don’t let the moment pass.

His goodness is with us 24 hours a day. There is never a time when you are completely alone. The whisper of His name breaks through the hardest moments to bring relief and calm. Even through tears.

It won’t always be easy, especially if you’re going through difficult times or heartbreak. But if you call out His name, He can move mountains. The answer may not form at that moment. But you have the assurance that He heard and is working in the situation.

Never let that line of communication close. It is your lifeline. It is your direct contact with your God and Lord. He’ll always be there. He wants you to always be there too!

I relate to the second verse:

“I love Your voice, You have lead me through the fire.
In darkest night, You are close like no other.
I've known You as a Father, I've known You as a friend,
And I have lived in the goodness of God.”

"I will sing of the goodness of the Lord!"

By His Grace . . .