Promptings: Windfalls

Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

David was a praying man. He also was a man of constant action: hiding, surviving, fighting, negotiating, conquering, building, marrying, and ruling as king.

Then something happened that arrested him completely. It compelled him to stop and sit down, in awed stillness. The promise David had heard through Nathan the prophet was staggering; it was as if a windfall of blessing had just been poure

Thanks

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

The Heidelberg Catechism says that belief in the providence of God makes it possible for us to be "thankful when things go well" and "patient when things go against us" (Q&A 28). So sometimes we are thankful, and sometimes we are patient. Paul sums things up this way. He says it is God's will for us to be thankful "in all circumstances." Really? Well, it may help to note t

Prayerful Joy

In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.Philippians 4:6

The great hymn “Amazing Grace” summarizes biblical faith well: “Grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” If grace reveals that joy is a gift, then prayer is the Lord’s gracious means through which he daily sustains that joy.

We sometimes believe we are independent, self-sufficient people. Our tired minds, aching backs, and callous hands that produc

Giving Thanks: Thanking God Forever

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.Psalm 136:1

I remember hearing this psalm as a child, and it seemed to go on forever. As I grew older, though, I realized the writer of Psalm 136 wished to show readers repeatedly that God?s ?love endures forever.?

Read and re-read this psalm as a truly attentive child of God who is daily growing to know God better. Practice lectio divina (see Feb. 10) by carefully reading aloud the first part of every verse, reflecting on every phrase

Call and Response

The leaders of the Levites … and their associates … stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other.—Nehemiah 12:24

I grew up in the African American church, and we often sang songs that used a call-and-response style. Different musicians used two different choruses, creating a musical conversation between them.

Nehemiah shows us a picture of call-and-response singing among the Israelites. Today’s chapter contains a long list of pries

To Be Content

Be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”Hebrews 13:5

As a teenager, I enjoyed going to a neighborhood grocery store. There my friends and I would get a roll of bread and a few slices of cheese for a snack. An elderly lady who worked at the store would always say some kind and encouraging words to us, as she carefully sliced our cheese.

A few short years later the USSR was collapsing. Because of major economic di

The Witness of Being Thankful

Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.—1 Chronicles 16:8

Being thankful is a witness. In his psalms King David wanted to tell everyone how great God is! The occasion of bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem was no exception. David wanted everyone to join in the celebration of praise.

David’s psalm is long and rich. It sparks our praise for a wide variety of things:

Be Thankful in All Circumstances.

Be Thankful in All Circumstances.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV):

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

The holiday season has arrived.  Some of us are planning for holiday celebrations, shopping for the perfect gifts for loved ones, and are excited with anticipation of seeing family and friends that we have not seen since the holiday season the previous year.  We can’t wait to hear about each oth

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

PSALM 23

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

“The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not have want.”     Ps 23:1

I cannot help but trace the hand of God in my life when I read the verses of Psalm 23.  He is my history, my present and my future!  

When I look back (even further than you think) I have to go all the way back where it began for me, before time began.   The Sweet Shepherd, Jesus, made a way for me before I was.  Jeremiah 1:5  “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you

Fourteen Commands To Christians In View Of Christ’s Coming

Fourteen Commands To Christians In View Of Christ’s Coming

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see how the culture around us has changed since “2020”. As each day passes, I become more thankful for God’s Word that instructs us on what to look for as the time draws nearer as well as gives His children commands in view of Christ’s coming. I don’t know about you, but I definitely want to be about His business, in a committed relationship to Him, and walking in complete surre

Thanksgiving

[4] The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. [5] For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. [6] Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the L

Count Your Blessings

Count Your Blessings 

Psalm 103:2-5 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me. 

He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tenderness. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 

There is a hymn that goes – Count your blessings, name them one by one.

 Count your many blessings, see what God has done.

Recently I experienced several instances tha

Thanksgiving = Christ at the center

By: Victoria Blaylock

Thanksgiving. What does it make you think of? Coloring and decorating turkey coloring pages with children. Pilgrims on a long journey sailing the seven seas on the Mayflower. Maybe all your family members under one roof in the warmth of your home. Smiling. Laughing. Kids playing in the background running around in the yard. Or what about a SUPER long table with every corner packed with your favorite casseroles.

      I think of the word Thanksgiving as

Thanks and Giving

THANKS AND GIVING

by Terri Baker

Each year the culture around us tempts us to speed through the months of November and December.

Hope rises or despair descends as we sail or scramble to not miss out on the best deals vying for our time, and money. Seasons come and go, and we cannot stop their progression. Time moves relentlessly on, and opportunities pass or fade away. But in our efforts to make the most of it, are we losing the best

of it?

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR “THANKS” AN

Fasting: The Believer's Celebration

Thanksgiving, what a wonderful time!  We celebrate the Lord’s faithfulness, favor and blessing. 

As believers we understand Thanksgiving is not just the fourth Thursday of every November, but it is a natural (or maybe supernatural)  joyous state for all who believe. 

Feasting is certainly a part of the American celebration but fasting is a part of the Believer’s celebration. 

In Isaiah 58: 6 the Lord himself says “ rather is not this the fast that I have chosen…” Beginning in