Dear Ones,                                                                                                                                                                            Hope you have a wonderful blessed Thanksgiving. So much to be thankful for! It is like a wonderland of beauty outside with the 8″ of fresh snow. We are going to travel north to our daughter’s and stop on the way to visit a friend in Assisted Living.        Devotions from Judy’s heart                                                                                                                                              Thanksgiving is thought of as a feast day of celebration with family and friends, but we would all be far happier if we set aside time every day to express our thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. We might examine ourselves by asking: how grateful are we? Do we remember to thank the Lord for whatever blessings come to us each day and to show our gratitude, or do we only focus on things that we feel are missing in our quest for a comfy life?

I have spent a lot of time in the book of Philippians, as we were encouraged to read the whole book each day. I continue to be amazed at how thankful Paul was while in prison, before he was released, not after! He was thankful for those he is writing to in Philippi and for those he was able to share the gospel with in the imperial guard, for experiencing the fellowship of His sufferings, for provision of his needs and contentment in all circumstances, etc. We also are to also express gratitude for God’s blessings to us, but the bottom line is we are to love God even more than His blessings.

Every day when we awaken, it is good to express our love to the Lord and also to give Him thanks. Like it says in Psalm 100, “Enter with the password: ‘Thank you!’ Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank Him. Worship Him. For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.” We are to thank Him in every circumstance of our life as Paul did. I can’t tell you how many times I have thanked the Lord for our apartment that is not lavish by any means, but it is perfect for Al and I to each have our own space to be with the Lord, study and write. It is like our little monastery!

We are to also thank Him in even the challenging circumstances in our lives, for He may be using them to help us grow strong in faith and dependence on Him. May thankfulness become a part of each day we live, and joy will overflow from our hearts to others.

Challenge for today: Spend a few minutes writing a list of things you are grateful for and give Him thanks.                                Blessings on this Thanksgiving Day and prayers and love, Judy