With Everything Going on, Why Be Thankful?
By
November 27, 2008The produce of your life is determined in large part by the condition of the soil of your heart. Out of your heart flow the issues of life and out of the abundance of your heart, your mouth speaks. James tells us that the mouth or more specifically the tongue can be compared to a rudder, able to steer even a big ship in any direction. Words do affect destiny! What we speak does more to condition the soil of our heart than anything I know. Speak with foul language and your heart grows dry and hard. Speak words of life, encouragement and thankfulness and your heart becomes soft, supple and ready to germinate the good words God has placed in your heart. When I feel stuck emotionally and not at all in the mood to praise God, I will often go for a walk and make myself say out loud at least ten things I am thankful for. If I don’t feel better, I will keep doing it until true thankfulness begins to well up in me. I carry on until the mist from those words of thanks begins to water the soil of my heart, softening and preparing it to bring to fullness every word God has sown in my heart. Listen, I know many of you are struggling this Thanksgiving. It’s been a hard year. Some of you are fighting for your marriage. Some of you have lost your business. Others are just hanging on by a thread. I want to encourage you tomorrow on Thanksgiving, to be deliberate about expressing thanks to someone, anyone who has made a deposit in your life. Look for folks you can bless with kind words of appreciation and bless them. It costs you nothing and but will reward you abundantly. On that note, let me say thank you for the many words of encouragement you have sent me over the last year. Your stories and insights have lifted me and I am truly grateful for all of you. Your love motivates me. This Thanksgiving, make it a truly thankful day. Tell someone not only that you appreciate them, but WHY you do. In fact, consider reaching out to several people and just let them know why you are thankful they are in your life. And when you’ve done it to the least of these, know also that you will have done it to Jesus. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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Comments (8) - Post a Comment
HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and your family. I am thankful for you and what you do!!
bill herring at 9:13am EST - November 27, 2008
Sorry, I think I accidentally sent before finishing....
Bill Johnson, of Bethel Church in Redding CA (www.iBethel.org) in a sermon from November 2005, available as a free podcast download, made the following logical progression as a basis for being thankful, based on the pattern he sees in scripture:
1) We thank the Lord and rejoice in our circumstances (no matter how desperate or discouraging)
2) The Lord of Heaven's Armies gets stirred up.
3) He goes into furious battle, trouncing the enemy.
4) He comes back and gives us the credit, proclaiming, \"Hail, Mighty Warrior!\" (even though we may have had not direct input into the battle).
AWESOME THOUGHT!
Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!
P.S. I've really been blessed listening to Gates of Commerce, particularly by the thought of making business trans-generational. This concept is also a concept Bill Johnson has as one of his life's motifs--to make revival (i.e., the total cultural blessings of God into a society) trans-generational. He has a number of teachings on this too.
Ken Stewart at 9:58am EST - November 27, 2008
A blessed Thanksgiving season to you and yours, Michael!
Just wanted to thank you for the blessings of truth and encouragement which you faithfully send out to us.
Yes, materially times are challenging, and the emotional trials of life continue on, but His promises are always our rock, because His Blood made them ours!
His peace, love and joy be with you and all your associates and corespondents, in Jesus' Name, amen!
Raylyn Terrell
Raylyn Terrell at 10:42am EST - November 28, 2008
A biiiiiiiiiig hug to you Michael.
Thank you for your genuine service to glorify the Lord JESUS trough the word of God!
In Jesus love,
Emilio
Emilio at 3:09pm EST - November 28, 2008
I did not receive this e-mail until Friday -- too late! I needed its encouragement when I visited Jewish friends to celebrate Thanksgiving with them yesterday.
Please send such letters out, not on the day they apply, but EARLY the previous day -- to make sure that people see them in time!
God bless you. John Blasdale
John Blasdale at 4:54pm EST - November 28, 2008
Amen and So be it, Michael! The God of Heaven works through willing vessels like yourself to bring balance and perspective to a world that is out of whack. Press on my brother and keep your ears clean, for the Lord has fresh words for them. Keep your lips clean so you can articulate the words He gives. Keep your heart clean so that the message is not muddied up with opinion or any form of compromise. You know God is trusting you with many souls in the workplace and in general to speak Truth, in a time when mammon wants to rule with the idols of a fallen world that lie and deceive. Jesus IS Lord!
I am thank full
Keith Webb
Ohio
keith webb at 1:21am EST - November 30, 2008
I really thank you for these excellent, and sweet words. this blog helped me so much and made me feel peace in my heart. I need to see all the blessings of our Lord. Thanks and God bless you and keeps you teaching me.
Adios.
luz sierra at 10:40am EST - December 2, 2008
This message has brought me to a point where i now know that in my hard times, where I have lost hope in every thing, there is still hope ahead. I thank you for encouraging words and I am sure they are going to be of great help in my life.
I hope you had a nice thanksgiving celebration. May god bless you.
Ofori-Manteaw Seth at 3:38pm EST - December 7, 2008