THANKFUL for the THORN

Give GOD THANKS

Regardless of your Feelings

And HE WILL GIVE YOU JOY

 Regardless of your Circumstances 

Jesus Calling, Nov 24th

What are you grateful for? There is so much revelation in this question but you will not get "it" unless you STOP and THINK about it.... and what a great day to start? Sure, Thanksgiving is about food, football and family... but there is so much more. For the month of November, my family has each come up with one thing a day to be thankful for (there are no repeats). It  challenges us to get past the obvious and tangible blessings and dig deeper into the unseen hidden blessings.

STOP - With the busyness of the holidays, many miss out on this special day the Lord has made (Psalm 118:24). Are you a statistic? Do you share a meal with family only to leave feeling physically full, but spiritually empty? This holiday was given to us, to remind us of our many blessings and Who The Giver of of them is.

THINK and THANK - Make a list of everything you can think of to be thankful for.... then come up with at least 10 more! The longer the list, the more your perspective on life will change. 

 Thankful for the Tangible 

 This is the easy one - people who love us, the things we have.... but this is just the surface

Thankful for the Tiny Details 

 The sunset, a rainbow on a rainy day, giggle of a baby, coffee time, a friend's sense of humor

Thankful for the Spiritual 

Unlimited time with the lord, His omnipresence, Unconditional love for ME, Jesus' Sacrifice, the Father's Forgiveness, the power of the Holy Spirit living IN and THROUGH me...

Keep Going - Dig Deeper

On my first mission trip, there was a woman who taught me so much and never knew it. No matter what circumstance came her way, she always spoke a "Thank you" to God. At first, I thought it was the funniest thing... but I eventually "got" it. She got  1 Thess 5:18 (Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].)

THANKSGIVING CHALLENGE

Can you be Thankful in ALL things... 

EVEN for Your "THORN"?

Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, 

• Paul learned how to be thankful for the thorn in his flesh ... It's that chronic infirmity, annoyance, or trouble in one's life... that struggle that doesn't seem to go away.

...I was given the gift of a handicap (thorn) to keep me in constant touch with my limitations...

•  It was something so big he truly battled... maybe even daily.

...Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees....

• Paul even prayed for his thorn to be removed from his life, but God did not. (though we may not understand, God knows best... Can you trust and thank him for that?)

...The Lord answered "...My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness"...

• Once Paul "Got it", he was thankful for all things EVEN for His thorn.

... I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become. [MSG]

Wow what a testimony!!! That very thing you want to get rid of may be that thing that keeps you coming back to Christ in surrender.  

What is your THORN

(a chronic habit, hangup, flaw, weakness, person) 

that's a CONSTANT BATTLE?  

Here's mine. 

Can you Thank Him for it? 

Make it your sacrifice today!

Give GOD THANKS Regardless of your Feelings

And HE WILL GIVE YOU JOY Regardless of your Circumstances 

JESUS CALLING - Nov 24th


THANKFULNESS takes the sting out of adversity. That is why I have instructed y ou to give thanks for everything. there is an element of mystery in this transaction; You give Me thanks (regardless of your feelings), and I give you Joy (regardless of your circumstances). This is a spiritual act of obedience. To people who don't know Me intimately, it can seem irractional and even impossible to thank Me for heartrending hardships. Nonetheless, those who obey Me in this way are invariable blessed, even though difficulties may remain. 

thankfulness opens your heart to My Presence and your mind to My thoughts. You may still be in the same place, with the same set of circumstances, but it is as if a light has been switched on, enabling you to see from My perspective. It is the Ligbht of My Presence that removes the sting from adversity. 

Ephesians 5:20, Psalm 118:1; Psalm 89:15