Thankful for What Matters

 Psalm 100:4
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Even during our worst days, we can think of things we can be thankful for. The fact that we are alive and breathing is enough to stop and give thanks to the creator of life. Most of us are prone to complain about the things that we have very little control over. The weather, the traffic, the workings of politics, and the price of eggs (and thank God they have come down). It sometimes takes work to give thanks in “everything” But being thankful is more than counting our blessings. It is an attitude that is grounded in how we view God. We are creatures of comfort, and often view our blessings by how comfortable we are. But I purpose to you that being THANKFUL is to look through the looking glass of the Kingdom of God. The things in this life will fade away with the passing of time. The things we should be thankful for are eternal.
 On this Thanksgiving Day, be thankful for the many blessings, family, friends, material things, and good health, but let us not forget to be thankful to God for what really matters. Be thankful for the TRUTH of His word, thankful for a HEART that can be made clean, be thankful for being an ANCHOR in the Rock of Ages, that He will NEVER leave us alone. Thankful for His KINDNESS toward us, His FAITHFULNESS  to keep us day by day, and thankful for His UNCONDITIONAL LOVE regardless of our sinful condition, and knowledge that we can have eternal LIFE, and live in His presence for eternity. BE YE THANKFUL FOR ALL THAT HE HAS DONE.

Anchor in Jesus- Thankful

 Heb. 6:19 
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil

I’m THANKFUL for the ANCHOR we have when the storms of life come our way. The Hebrew writer pinned the words, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” We all face “storms” that will cause our lifeboat to face perils beyond measure. Like the disciples, we may cry out, “Master, care not that we perish.” THANKFUL that Jesus can be our ANCHOR and is able to keep us steady, our faith can be anchored in the Rock of Ages. We don’t have to drift through life with uncertainty. We can be anchored in knowing that Christ will take us through any crisis that we will face. We can sing with assurance the words of the songwriter, “We have an anchor that keeps the soul, steadfast and sure while the billows roll; fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.” Is your life anchored in Jesus? Are you trusting Him with your life? Storms are inevitable. Don’t be caught without an anchor. Thankful for the Anchor in Jesus!

Still The Storm

Psalm 107:29 He makes the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

Man is making reasonable progress in predicting the weather. Warning us of a potential storm that is coming, we make preparation in the event the storm hits. Storms are nature’s way of balancing out the earth’s atmosphere. It is an accepted part of living on this earth. The after effects of the storm often leaves a trail of disaster. No matter how well we prepare destruction happens. The scripture uses storms to show life will not always be perfect. Being a Christian does not mean that bad things don’t happen. Storms sometimes come of our own making by the choices we make, other storms are beyond our control and sometimes hit us blind-sided. The loss of a job, illness of a loved one, the unexpected passing of a family member or friend, conflict in a relationship, a marriage on the rocks, the rejection of others, and the list of potential storms goes on. To those who trust in God, there is an anchor, there is one that can still the storm. The outward storm may not always go away, but He is able to still the storm that troubles our heart, causing us to fear. 

Drifting Away

Heb. 2:1 “Therefore we ought to give even more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”-

Drifting away from God happens so gradually. Letting those things that are important to our spiritual life slip away often happens when we become too careless and allow the things of this world to distract us. Legit as they may seem, they are insignificant when it comes to having our soul slip away from the Haven of Rest. The Anchor that holds us in place when the storms of life hit us. It is essential that we give heed to what God’s Word has to say and what it teaches us about living holy and right before Him. Staying anchored to the Rock and leaning strong on Him is our hope and salvation from drifting and finding ourselves shipwreck in life’s sea. “Dear Lord, help me to live in your Word and take heed to your commandments. Help me to stay focus on the things that really matter, keep me from drifting away from You”

Anchor of the Soul

Heb. 6:19.20 “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, where the Forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, who is made a high priest forever...”- 

The future is so uncertain. Things change from one day to the next and sometimes those changes can be big. But in the midst of change, we serve a God who does not change. His promises are forever true and He stands by His word. We can anchor our trust in the One who is steadfast and dependable. Jesus, the one that is constant and true, He changes not, He is the same today, yesterday, and forevermore. When the circumstances around us swift and change with the blowing wind, His love and care is consistent. He will not let us become shipwreck in the storm of change. “Our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus Christ and His righteousness.” “We have an anchor that keeps the soul, steadfast, and sure as the billows roll.” He is unchangeable, He is our hope when all else fails. Yes, the world seems to be headed toward self destruction, leaving God out of it’s plans, but for those who have anchor in Him, we can believe that there is a better tomorrow. Because He lives and is the anchor of our soul, we can look to the future and know that God will be there every step of the way.