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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Thankful Life – December 31, 2013

I have been so fortunate in my life. Even through struggles and challenges, I can see God's work in so many things. As long as I can remember, there have been struggles around me.

This life delivers many opportunities to exercise faith... are you taking them?

What are some of your recent opportunities? Those that stretched your faith, strengthened your faith and shared your faith as you walked through them hand in hand with our Heavenly Father?

So quickly, again we are coming up on a new year. I can't remember times moving so quickly as they have these past few years. I don't want to miss anything that God has for me, so I am really working on avoiding the busyness. Enjoying the moments! Savoring everything that God has for me in this life. To be bold in faith, often means, doing things others will not even attempt. Let us be bold. In our boldness, He is with us every step and every breath of the way. He will strengthen, guide and give us the wisdom during this journey.

We can count on His presence and we can know that, as His children won by the blood of Jesus, we can do all things in confidence and in obedience because of WHO we hold inside us. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 (New King James Version)

Let us be bold, and walk in His light and shine His glory in this world. I will not be preoccupied with the 'what ifs', but grateful for all that HE HAS DONE WITH MY 'what did nots'. Not sure if this makes since, but for years I thought that I could be so much 'farther along' if something would have been different - BUT WHAT I HAVE FOUND that because of all the 'what did not', bad decisions and in spite of 'me', HE HAS DONE AN AMAZING WORK IN ME. Let us remember to LET GO.

I share this because this is a time of renewal, as is every single day of our journey. I share this because this is a time of believing His greatness for your life. “Look at the proud: he is inwardly not upright; but the righteous will attain life through trusting faithfulness." ~Habakkuk 2:4 (Complete Jewish Bible)

YOU HAVE PURPOSE. He has a plan. "And Jesus said, [You say to Me], If You can do anything? [Why,] all things can be (are possible) to him who believes!" ~Mark 9:23 (Amplified Bible)

It's time to be expectant daily.



Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Thankful Life – December 3, 2013


I am grateful for knowledge. Knowledge that I am His… knowledge that God is who He says He is… knowledge that is yet to come through the power of the Holy Spirit… knowledge that obedience is not an obligation, but is my joy and brings joy and hope and contentment. Thinking back on the many years of pleading with God to 'heal this', 'deliver me from that' or 'take this from me', I am greatly aware that my prayers, although sincere, are not always wise... Today, I find the prayers that relay thankfulness first for what is being lived through, allows me to look at things much differently and gives me God's perspective a bit more. I continue to pray for wisdom... His knowledge embedded deeply in my heart, lived out in my life.

The other day as I read through Romans 1... I was struck by these words...

"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts..." Vs. 24
"Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts..." Vs. 26
"Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind..." Vs. 28

I don't want to take anything out of context, but these words hit a chord...

It is my pleasure and joy to seek God's Word, to know His desires for my life... when I “go my own way”, often which is the way of this world, I dismiss His instruction AND, I dismiss His love and care for my life.

What is it that is so worthwhile of this world that we would exchange the glory and grace of God for? I desire to be thankful, and thankful to He who is all deserving, all powerful and all knowing. I desire to submit more, obey more and live more like Christ... Let me seek His will and His desires for my life. Let it be known, not by my judgment or opinions, but by my example and works who I belong to.

I continue to pray for His hand upon my life, and the strength of the Holy Spirit to move me in the right direction - living in hope, joy and expectation!

How about you? What is your desire?

Let us not hide in the darkness – He will be the light in all the darkness of days and from moment to moment, “Come to me”, He says. Is that not encouraging? Is that not all that we need? “Come to me”, He says! These are truly encouraging words and His words for each and every one of us. I know this greatly, I choose daily to choose… to choose Him, and to choose wisely – my thoughts, my words, my path and my obedience to Him.

He never changes, it is us who change daily through our experiences and choices – through our desires, those that are our own, and those as we are directed and instructed and are His.

Father, let my heart break for those who insult me, hurt me and attack me… for they need You.

God does bless, restore, fill and lead those who, not only call upon Him in need but those, who call Him to save them. I once believed that I needed nothing, but know that He is what I need. I expect daily to see God work in and around my life. That is the true blessing I see. I have been restored from hurt, illness, pitfalls, bad decisions and things outside my control, and am led to seek Him and know that He is the one who fulfills.

I cry out to our Father, in the full strength of the Holy Spirit and in Jesus' name that YOU TOO KNOW HIM LIKE THIS. That you too will trust and believe Him to be who He says He is.

On this day, I pray, it's today you choose.

  

©2013 Giving Thanks Daily

Shawn Delia Boreta

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