Daily Walk

                         Be Thankful

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

It seems the more people have the less thankful they become. Today complaints are abundant, but thank you's are few.

COLOSSIANS 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Being thankful is not a choice for a Christian. If it was
impossible, God would not have told us to do it.

So, why are people not thankful?

Gratitude is a mark of maturity. Ingratitude is a mark of
immaturity. Babies are never thankful.

Neither are proud people thankful. Why? Because their mindset is that they deserve not just everything they have, but even better. "Why be thankful for something less than what you deserve?" describes their thinking.

A funny thing you will notice if you consider it: unthankful people are never happy. In fact, the more thankful a person is, the happier they are.

(This is an example of how acting on God's Word is for our benefit. God didn't invent commands just to be bossy.)

You will not be bothered with depression if you act on the Word of God and "be thankful." The cure for unhappiness is being thankful. Try it.

But how can you overcome the bad habit of ingratitude? Only by changing your core beliefs. As long as you believe you are getting a raw deal, or less than you deserve, you will never become a thankful person.

But if you realize that you deserved punishment and eternal separation from God -- yet in His mercy God instead gave you what He deserved, and EVERYTHING you have -- including every breath you breathe -- is a gift -- then you will become a thankful person.

Dear Lord, I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you..

I ask now for Your forgiveness. Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You. Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over.  And It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits.  I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will. Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak... Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those that don't believe.

But I thank you that I believe. I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met. I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight.  I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees it.

STILL HE WALKED

He could hear the crowds screaming "crucify" "crucify"...

He could hear the hatred in their voices,

These were his chosen people.

He loved them,

And they were going to crucify him.

He was beaten, bleeding and weakened... his heart was broken,

But still He walked.

He could see the crowd as he came from the palace.

He knew each of the faces so well.

He had created them.

He knew every smile, laugh, and shed tear,

But now they were contorted with rage and anger...his heart broke,

But still He walked.

Was he scared?

You and I would have been

So his humanness would have mandated that he was. He felt alone.

His disciples had left, denied, and even betrayed him.

He searched the crowd for a loving face and he saw very few.

Then he turned his eyes to the only one that mattered

And he knew that he would never be alone.

He looked back at the crowd, at the people who were spitting

At him, throwing rocks at him and mocking him and he knew

That because of him, they would never be alone.

So for them, He walked.

The sounds of the hammer striking the spikes echoed through

The crowd. The sounds of his cries echoed even louder,

The cheers of the crowd, as his hands and feet

Were nailed to the cross, intensified with each blow.

Loudest of all was the still small voice inside his

Heart that whispered "I am with you, my son",

And God's heart broke.

He had let his son walk.

Jesus could have asked God to end his suffering,

But instead he asked God to forgive.

Not to forgive him, but to forgive the ones who were persecuting him.

As he hung on that cross, dying an unimaginable death,

He looked out and saw, not only the faces in the crowd,

But also, the face of every person yet to be,

And his heart filled with love.

As his body was dying, his heart was alive.

Alive with the limitless, unconditional love he feels for each of us.

That is why He walked.

When I forget how much My God loves me,

I remember his walk.

When I wonder if I can be forgiven,

I remember his walk.

When I need reminded of how to live like Christ,

I think of his walk.

And to show him how much I love him,

I wake up each morning, turn my eyes to him,

And I walk.

-- Author Unknown

FOOTPRINTS...A New Version

       Imagine you and the Lord Jesus are walking down the road  together.  For much of the way, the Lord's footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace.
         But your footprints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns.

        For much of the way, it seems to go like this, but gradually your footprints come more in line with the Lord's, soon paralleling His consistently.

  You and Jesus are walking as true friends!

        This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens: Your footprints that once etched the sand next to Jesus' are now walking precisely in His steps.

        Inside His larger footprints are your smaller ones, you and Jesus are becoming one.
        This goes on for many miles, but gradually you notice another change.  The footprints inside the large footprints seem to grow larger.

        Eventually they disappear altogether. There is only one set of footprints. They have become one.

        This goes on for a long time, but suddenly the second set of footprints is back. This time it seems even worse! Zigzags all over the place.   Stops.  Starts. Gashes in the sand.   A variable mess of prints.

        You are amazed and shocked.
       Your dream ends. Now you pray:

       "Lord, I understand the first scene, with zigzags and fits.  I was a new Christian; I was just learning.  But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with You."

        "That is correct."

       "And when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps, following You very closely."

        "Very good.. You have understood everything so far."

       When the smaller footprints grew and filled in Yours, I suppose that I was becoming like You in every way."

        "Precisely."

       "So, Lord, was there a regression or something? The footprints separated, and this time it was worse than at first."

        There is a pause as the Lord answers, with a smile in His voice.

       "You didn't know?  It was then that we danced!"



        To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: A time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

       Ecclesiastes 3:1,4.

What is Grace?

What is so amazing about Grace

Grace:

    unearned

    undeserved

    can’t earn it

    can’t buy it

    can’t be good enough for it

 So, how do we get it?

    It is a gift from God.

    accept it

    no strings attached

 Amazing!

    Christ died for us while we still sinners!

    Still His enemies and He died for us!

Why?

    Because He loves us!

No way! You’ve gotta be kidding. Nobody loves anybody that much.

    God does. He loves you that much.

Me?

    Yeah, you!

Wow! If God loved me enough to let His Son Jesus die for me while I was His enemy, that means God will always love me. . . . . . . Then I can relax and enjoy it.

I can’t earn it.

I don’t deserve it.

God gave it....His love, His grace, His forgiveness, His life.

For me! It’s mine to enjoy!!!!!

No more putting on airs trying to be self righteous. I accept His righteousness.

No more trying to be holy. He makes me holy with His blood.

No more trying to be worthy of Him, I never could anyhow.

Just accept what He has already finished.   Remember His last words on the cross?

 "It is finished."

Fellowship and communion with Him.

That’s why He created us in the first place, to walk and talk with Him, to enjoy Him.

Hey, if God loves me, then He loves you too. Just the way you are. 

    No strings.

    No hassles.

Just as I am, Just as you are, warts and all.

And if God loves me like that, then I can love you like that.

    No strings

    No hassles

    No judgments

    No hoops to jump through

Grace

    free

    undeserved

    unrestrained

Freedom.

Do you feel the shackles falling away?

Do you hear and see the prison bars swinging open?

Do you smell the fresh air?

Do you feel the warmth of His love shining on you?

Freedom!

Grace!!!!!!

The Son is shining!

The joy is flooding into the darkest places of your heart and soul.

You want to shout it from the mountain tops.

Grace!!!!!!

You don’t have to earn. You can’t.

You don’t have to deserve it. You don’t.

God chooses to give it. Free and clear.

All you can do is accept it.

Do you?

The prison (trying to live up to the law, trying to be good enough, trying to earn your way to heaven) doors are wide open.

All you have to do is walk out.

It’s your choice.

Do you stay in prison?

Or do you walk out into the Son-shine?

Into His love and fellowship.

That’s why He created us!

That’s what He wants for us.

Freedom.

    Joy.

        Grace.

God’s grace.

Amazing!!!!!

So Amazing!!!!!!!!!

                            RB  September 1999

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"You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11

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Last modified: 04/23/08