Daily word for spiritual strength
«Every branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away …» (John 15:2).
Gospel of Matthew contains the story about fig tree. As we read there, looking for fruits but having not found any on that tree Jesus cursed the tree then it dried up.
Protection under the cloud of God’s glory.
«And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them…» (Exodus, 14:19).
God did so much for Joseph. He saved his life when his brothers wanted to kill him. God showed him favor when he was sold into slavery. God abundantly blessed the work of his hands that his master placed him over his whole property. Joseph never forgot these blessings from the Lord. The realizations of God’s mercy filled Joseph’s heart with gratitude toward God and his master.
Worship is life that is dedicated to God and it implies close interaction with God. It says in the Bible that God is looking for worshippers: «But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth» (John, 4:23-24).
Someone might say, «I still do not have a job, even though I have prayed and the church has prayed for me». Or he might say, «Thank You, Lord, for the daily bread You give me». Do you see a difference? In the first case we hear murmuring, in the second – thanksgiving. Is it really necessary to thank God for the daily bread? Absolutely, since many people are forced to go hungry from day to day.
You might have nothing except salt and sugar in your house today. Start giving thanks to God for what you have and you will see what God can do with it. Always look for reasons to give thanks to God. Apostle Paul said: «Now godliness with contentment is great gain» (1Timothy, 6:6).
Many of us do not thank God as we ought to, because we do not purposely keep in mind what God has done or is doing for us. We forget because we do not write it down. When I was a teenager, we often sang a song that said: «Count your blessings! Name every one of them, one after another, and you will be amazed at what the Lord has done!» I advise every one of you to record every miracle and every blessing that God does in our lives. You can use different methods: either modern technologies or simple writing.
How many times did you call out to God this week? What about this month, this year? You called out to Him and He answered. Do not repeat the mistake of these 9 Israelites that were healed from leprosy but forgot to thank God for it! Give thanks to God for all things!
«For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren» (Romans, 8:29).
It is God’s desire for us to be conformed into the image of God’s only Son – Jesus Christ. Gratitude is one of the qualities that help us to do that. Later we will see how gratitude was demonstrated in the life of Jesus and how many events in His life were directly connected to thanksgiving.
1. Being grateful is God’s will for us: «In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you»(1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Doing the will of God is very important for us because it gives us assurance in God and makes God’s grace and favour available for us.
