O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. -1 Chronicles 16:34 (NASB)

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. -Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I showed my son the 1964 movie Mary Poppins for the first time, and it was definitely just as eye-opening for me as an adult as it was for a little boy. It wasn’t just age, but also my reborn spirit, that God used to help me connect the dots for my son as I answered his questions about the film.

Q: Why did Mary Poppins arrive with a change in the wind, and then disappear when the wind changed again?

A: Mary Poppins came at a time when the kids needed their stubborn, hard-hearted father, and then she left when his heart was changed. Her job was done.

Q: Isn’t it unhealthy to have a spoonful of sugar with medicine?

A: The song isn’t really about sugar or medicine, but is saying that our perspective can make the things we need to do much easier to swallow.

And that song, “A Spoonful of Sugar,” was the perfect connector I needed to talk about having an attitude of gratitude, Thanksgiving or not. Giving thanks to the Lord in all things, especially to start the day, can set the tone for a great day or a lousy one. And as a result, a spoonful of sugar can sweeten our witness to a jaded, cynical, complaining world.

Just as Mary Poppins brought light and cheer and triggered a change of heart in the Banks family, we believers are called to do the same in this world.

Today’s soundtrack

“Counting Every Blessing” by Rend Collective. Enjoy.

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. -Psalm 98:4 (NASB)

I have a friend who couldn’t carry a tune if she were provided a horse and cart to put it in…but she sings songs of praise to the Lord anyway. She would really belt it out, too!

From a worldly point of view, she wouldn’t win any singing contests, but from the Lord’s point of view, her singing is honest and heartfelt in its joy, love, and worship of Him. And that is true music, when it comes from the heart.

Everything we say, think, and do in our lives are notes of a lifesong. Some notes are in tune. Some are way off. And when we stray, it’s like a record player needle scratching across the record. But we can slow down and honestly, joyfully, purposefully, shout to the Lord with our lives!

Today’s soundtrack

“Shout To The Lord” by Darlene Zsechech honestly proclaims His majesty from the heart.

We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, For Your name is near; Men declare Your wondrous works. -Psalm 75:1 (NASB)

In the United States, the Thanksgiving Day holiday harkens back to the first harvest celebration by English settlers in the New England area.

This celebration and recounting of thanks was for all of God’s blessings found throughout very dark and bleak times that the Pilgrims faced: religious persecution, nearly losing the Mayflower in the Atlantic, mass illness and death, and starvation in the New World.

Through it all, God was there the whole time, through the thick and the thin. At the point when it seemed hope was gone, two Native Americans appeared who could actually speak English, and they and their tribes collaborated with the Pilgrims to survive…and then thrive. (There is much more, and bloodier, depths to the conflict between settlers and natives, beyond the scope of this post.) Out of the rich soil of suffering came…plenty and harvest. New beginnings.

God uses all things, situations, and people for the good of His children (Romans 8:28), and His promises continue today. Though sin is rampant today as it has been since the beginning, God is also with us, using everything to achieve His larger plan and blessing for us, to His glory.

Not just today, Thanksgiving Day, but every day, we recount His works and blessings, to use all things and people for His purposes.

Prayer

Thank You, Lord, for this day, the food before us, the air we breathe, the people in our lives, and the situations we live in…for we know You will use all of it to Your glory.

Thank You for Your grace, despite how we stumble. Please continue to bless us and guide us so we may live for You, so that others see You when they look at us.

We thank You most of all for your Son and His finished work. Incline Your ear and hear our prayers. In Your Son Jesus’ name we pray, knowing it will be done. Amen.

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. -Ephesians 6:7-8 (NIV)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. -Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

When I was a teenager, I didn’t like doing chores. (Who does?) I was to mow half the lawn, and my brother the other half. I went to mow my half…and was back inside in under five minutes. “I mowed my half!” I said with a clever smirk. My brother looked out the window…and saw that I’d mowed the word HALF in the lawn.

Needless to say, I had to go mow the whole lawn that day.

In our work, in our homes, in our driving, in our interactions everywhere, we always have a choice: to go the quick and dirty way, or to do it the right way. Consequences always follow choices. Remember when Abram and Sarai tried to “help” God along by having Abraham lie with his maidservant Hagar (Genesis 16)? From that union came Ishmael and all his line, which to this day rebel against the Jews and Christians. That’s quite a legacy from a choice made around 2000 B.C.!

Aside from the extra work and rework we have to do, or the work someone else might have to do to clean up after our cut corners and shortcuts, it’s God we ultimately do a disservice and dishonor when don’t give our best. He made us in His image, to honor Him in all we do. We’re his ambassadors and emissaries, His physical representatives here on this planet. Let’s show the world what those who serve the Lord can do!

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! -‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5:16-17‬ ‭(NIV)

My son asked me if he could be a baby again, to which I said, “Why yes, yes you can! When you believe that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, you will be reborn!”

He’s a bit too young to see what I mean, but God does indeed reboot our lives when we accept Jesus into our hearts, and we begin life anew. On this earth, there is no greater gift than His renewal in our lives. That gift opens our eyes and frees us from the shackles of sin and shame, to shed self every step of the way toward Christlikeness.

After we pass from this earth, there is no greater gift than the gift of eternal life, granted only by God, through His Son Jesus. So, we are richly rewarded here on earth, equipped like never before to walk and climb, and will be richly rewarded with the ultimate gift when we pass to eternity in His presence!

What supreme love for us, who are not worthy! That, my friends, fires up the warmth in our souls that nothing on this earth can match.

Today’s soundtrack

“All of Creation” by MercyMe praises God for all he has, does, and will do.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. -Romans 8:17 (NIV)

If you stop to think about it, no matter what life is like for you right now, you are here because Jesus lives! He overcame death and lives in each of us.

Beyond all worldly blessings, we have been given the gift of eternal life, to live in the presence of the Lord after we leave this world. And in this world, we are blessed to move and talk and eat and drink…to fellowship with siblings in Christ…to carry His light to bring more to Him!

In truth, we are absolutely swimming in blessings, no matter how poor our circumstances, because He lives. He gives us the strength, fortitude, wisdom, faith, hope, courage, peace, and joy that we don’t have in the face of an evil world.

If you are traveling smooth waters, thank Him for them, and all He carried you through to get there. If you are hanging on for life in rough waters, thank Him for them, because He is giving you the chance to trust in Him to carry you to the smooth waters ahead.

Because He lives, we can face this moment and each moment onward in a manner that glorifies Him. Because He lives, we are more than conquerors!

Amen?

Today’s soundtrack

Matt Maher’s “Because He Lives” exalts Him for making every good thing in our lives possible!

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. -Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

Prayer is the greatest of all forces, because it honors God and brings him into active aid. -E.M. Bounds

Prayer is either a sheer illusion or a personal contact between embryonic, incomplete persons (ourselves) and the utterly concrete Person. Prayer in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it; confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctuary, the presence and vision and enjoyment of God its bread and wine. In it God shows Himself to us. -C.S. Lewis, The Efficacy of Prayer

It is necessary to rouse the heart to pray, otherwise it will become quite dry. The attributes of prayer must be: love of God, sincerity, and simplicity. -John of Kronstadt

Prayer serves many purposes, and one of the most important purposes is to shut out the world and revel in God’s presence. God is always there, but we tend to tune Him out when we let the world and its demands and circumstances fill our view. So, we need to stop, go to a quiet, secret place, and sincerely commune with Him.

Prayer

Father God,

We come before you with thanks, praise, and adoration. You give us so many gifts, for which we must stop and give thanks.

We confess that we let the demands of the world cloud our focus, which should be on you. We confess that we let the sins of our flesh distance us from you. We repent of these sins and burdens, ask for your forgiveness, so we may take up your yoke once more. Thank you, Lord, that your forgiveness is swift!

We thank you for your Word, an inerrant guide for our walk, and sustenance for our souls.

We thank you for your promises (Jer. 29:11, Rom. 8:28, and more), which spring forth from your Word, and fill us with hope when our eyes see no hope.

We thank you for the power of believing prayer, which you command in your promises (Mark 11:24; Matthew 7:7-8; John 16:24, and more), inviting your omnipotence from up above down into our lives below.

But most of all, Lord, we thank you for you, from whom all of these things originate: your Word, your promises, and believing prayer.

Thank you for unfailingly loving us, your faithful children and servants, and giving us your steadfast presence through our circumstances.

Soften our the eyes and ears of our hearts to you, Lord. Help us to immerse ourselves in your Word, hold fast to your promises, exercise believing prayer, and anckowledge you in all things (Prov. 3:6), so that we may walk with you always.

In Jesus’ holy and powerful name we pray.

Amen.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. -Psalm 136:1 (NIV)

The LORD will work out his plans for my life–for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me. -Psalm 138:8 (NLT)

If you’ve never done it, or it’s been a while, consider stopping in your tracks the next time you’re outside. Look straight up into the sky, into its vastness. Take a deep breath, then slowly exhale. Feel the sunlight (or maybe moonlight), and see how it bounces off everything around you.

God made all these things…the sun, the moon, the stars, the earth, the air you breathe…and topped it all off with making you in His image to be here in the midst of it. And even in the vastness of all you behold, He is incomprehensibly bigger than all of that.

He opened the eyes of your heart to Him…remember when that happened? He forever changed how you perceive the world…you could see you are a blessed and important part of His creation.

No matter what’s going on in your life…no matter how wonderful or how traumatic…He is the constant. He is always there, everlasting to everlasting. He is the beautiful One, who is always with you, and who will never leave you or forsake you. As His children, let us sing His praises in all we think, say, and do…and make our lives a sweet-smelling sacrifice to Him all the days of our lives.

Today’s soundtrack

By The Tree’s rendition of “Beautiful One” is powerfully moving and upbeat in its pacing. Enjoy.

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. -1 Thessalonians 5:18

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? -Matthew 6:26

Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! -Psalm 106:1

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! -2 Corinthians 9:15

At some point we’ve heard of the term “attitude of gratitude.” I actually didn’t hear this term till maybe 2005, but it really resonated with me. Even though I was and am a “glass half full” type of person, “attitude of gratitude” really reminded me to think about my mental approach when faced with less than favorable circumstances.

And once I was saved, the idea of counting your blessings meant so much more.

Too many blessings to count

God blesses us with the things we can see, and countless others in the background we don’t see. If you’ve ever tried to count all the blessings you can see, you won’t have enough time in the day. In fact, I often fall asleep at night trying to thank Him for all the things He does in my life!

The biggest blessing of all, however, is the final sacrifice made to wash away our sins and secure our salvation…a sacrificial love so unfathomably deep that a Father would give up His only Son for us, who cannot nor can ever earn or deserve it.

In light of this, there is really no trial or challenge we face that can be greater than the sacrifice made for us, which ensures our place in His kingdom. Suddenly, even the most harrowing disaster we can imagine is infinitesimally small by comparison to His love, which overwhelms all.

Today’s soundtrack

Downhere’s “How Many Kings” asks us: who else would sacrifice their only son for us?