thankfulness Archives – Sonshine's Journal

November 28, 2024November 28, 2024

11.28.24.How Thankful are you?

John 21 Thankfulness

Across America today is Thanksgiving and what an appropriate way to celebrate by reading the closing of this glorious gospel message. We know that from all 20 chapters previously we have walked with John as he shares his life with Jesus and the other disciples. It is fitting as well to see the love Jesus has for Peter and John.

Jesus invited the disciples to breakfast and then after eating he took Peter and questioned his love. Three times, Jesus asked: do you love Me and each time, He gave Peter directions for his future. If Jesus were to ask you those same three questions how would you respond?

Do you love Him more than “these?” Jesus then said: Feed My lambs. Then He asked Peter: Do you love ME? Then Jesus said: Shepherd my sheep. Again Jesus asked Peter: Do you love Me? Then Jesus said: Feed my sheep.

How do you respond to those same three questions? Are you willing to feed the lambs, shepherd the sheep and feed His sheep? What are you busy doing today and every day?

March 29, 2022April 4, 2022

The Last Words of David…

2Sam 22-24 Closing the book of 2Samuel

I always become a bit teary when I come to the end of one book. In 2Samuel I have walked with David through each chapter and have come away knowing that although these are his last words, they are not the “last” words. When my life draws to a close will I stop and write about my life and title it as he did, “my last words?” I wonder what I might include? I haven’t been royalty, but have been chosen by the King of Kings. I haven’t had exploits like King David conquering lands and people groups, but have “conquered” my understanding of who God is to a greater degree. Like David, I have had battles with my adversary, Satan, and have savored the sweet taste of victory and the sourness of defeat. I have walked the road of adversity but am more blessed by each rock I have stumbled over and learned the lessons to guide me another day. It is good to stop and reflect just as David did lest I forget that I am not just writing “my-story” but “His-story” in my life.

Chapter 22 is refreshing. David loves God and writes his song to reflect that. When was the last time you wrote a song of praise to honor the Lord?

Chapter 23 reflects David as he ponders the many men who have served him faithfully. One group stole into a Philistine camp to get a jug of water for David–just because they heard him say he wished he could drink from the well of Bethlehem. One author noted that it isn’t a sacrifice if something doesn’t cost “us” something. When was the last time you sacrificed something for another?

Chapter 24 is confusing and without the Chronicler’s addition of information, [1Chron 21:1 “An adversary opposed Israel, inciting David to count how many warriors Israel.”] we could come to some wrong conclusions! The adversary, of course, is our ever-present enemy himself: Satan. We must be on guard to not fall victim to his ways. God let David count the men so that he might learn that pride is behind many decisions. Where are we listening to the words of the enemy and not God?

And so we close 2Samuel thanking God for revealing to us through the life of David where we fail, and where we triumph.

March 21, 2022March 21, 2022

God protects David and Us as well

1Sam 25 David’s men had protected Nabal’s sheep and his men, but Nabal, whose name means fool, does not consider this worthy of reward and in anger sends David’s men back to him. David reacts with a vengeance in his heart, but God protects him from taking innocent blood, and it came through Nabal’s wise servants and his wife, Abigail. She quickly organized and sent provisions to those who had protected her husband and his sheepherders while Nabal was foolishly partying. As Abigail comes to David, he is instantly humbled and recognizes God had saved him and his men from his rash decision. In the end, God protected David, Abigail, and the household but struck Nabal because he was wicked, and he died.

Sometimes, like David, we are our own worst enemy when we react in a moment of anger, but God sees, and He lovingly, we might say, protects us from ourselves. For example, how often have I stepped back from a decision I might have made and later seen that was God? In that time, did I thank God for protecting me from doing something that would have been disastrous or foolish in hindsight?

Learn from David how NOT to react. Learn from Abigail how wisdom reacts. Abigail’s response humbled David, and he thanked God for protecting him from taking innocent lives. Do I stop and thank God for how He has lovingly protected me from myself?

November 16, 2013

Today: To Ponder: Who is God to you?

Who is God to you? In reading Psalm 132 three lines in particular stand out among the rest: God remembers, God keeps his promises, God is one who determines and carries it to fruition.

God remembers: We can begin as far back as Exodus where God remembered his covenant: Exo 2:24 God heard their groaning, God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and as far forward as His mercy: Heb 8:12 “For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.”

Take time today to recall and praise God for His remembrance of you.

God keeps his promises: Heb 10:23 And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. Dan 9:4 “O Lord, great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant…” 2Co 1:20 For every one of God’s promises are “Yes” in him; therefore also through him the “Amen” is spoken, to the glory we give to God. Take time today to praise God for His promises to you that have been kept and fulfilled.

What God determines that He will do: Is 14:24 “The Lord who commands armies makes this solemn vow:“Be sure of this: Just as I have intended, so it will be; just as I have planned, it will happen. Ps 132:17 “There I will make David strong; I have determined that my chosen king’s dynasty will continue.”

This then prepares us for the travail and trial that our Savior will face in the chapters ahead of us in the book of John. What God had determined in eternity past will be fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus: Act 2:23 this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. For this reason: 2Co 4:15 For all these things are for your sake, so that the grace that is including more and more people may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. Rom 15:6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus when God reveals His attributes we can be sure of His trustworthiness. Thus He says 6 times in vs 14 to 17 “I will…”

Thank God today that He is (a) unchangeable (1Sam 15:29, Num 23:19) for He is “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change” (b) a promise keeper and (c) has in eternity past planned for you.