Thankfulness

I haven't posted much in such a long time, and now it seems like the urge to write is constant in me. As I have written about tribulations, I see the deep need to connect the concept of thankfulness. I am coming to the place where I see more clearly that if we are not able to express thankfulness to God then that is a sign of not trusting Him fully.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess 5:18
Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. Heb 12:28

If we say that we are Christians, then we are saying that we honor, revere, worship, adore, exalt, esteem, hold high the reputation of Jesus Christ. But if we grumble and complain about every trial and tribulation of life, we contradict our proclamation of esteeming Him as LORD. Every time we thank Him, we acknowledge that He is our LORD and Provider, which is the proper stance for a child of God............receiving with thanksgiving.

It is, in fact, the mundane, chronic, persistent trials of day to day living that war against our souls that often find us murmuring and complaining rather than giving thanks. It reminds me of the passage in James 3 about the tongue that I find in vs 10 in the Phillip's translation: "Blessings and curses come out of the same mouth--surely, my brothers, this is the sort of thing that NEVER ought to happen!" It goes on to say "Have you ever known a spring to give sweet and bitter water from the same source?"

It makes me want to say. "Have I ever grumbled...... murmured and trusted God at the same time?" Can't happen!!! Thanksgiving and trusting God go hand in hand!!

Through Many Tribulations!

"We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
Acts 14:22b

Recommended Reading Romans 8:18-19

"When seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong became the world's most famous cyclist, his consecutive victories--the most in history--were made sweet by what preceded them: a bout with cancer. Diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996, cancer that had already spread to his brain and lungs, Armstrong dropped out of cycling to fight his disease. He returned to cycling and won the Tour de France for seven straight years (1999-2005).

Armstrong's greatest years as an athlete--and now a worldwide advocate for cancer research--were preceded by the most difficult years of his life. His experience illustrates a universal, and biblical, principle: the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory. In fact, the apostle Paul put it this way: entry to the kingdom of God is always accompanied by "many tribulations" (Acts 14:22b). Those who enter the kingdom of God by way of the coming Tribulation will echo Paul's words while praising the God who made their salvation possible (Revelation 7:9-14).

If you're experiencing a trial right now, recognize its ultimate outcome: a deeper dependence upon God and gratefulness for your victory in Christ.

There can be no victory where there is no combat"

Those are not my words........they were in a devotional today by David Jeremiah!!! But they are my words indirectly. By that, I mean AMEN. It is what I was going to say in this blog that has been stirring in my head and heart for a couple of weeks, but then there it was already written out for me.

A small group of wonderful, godly friends and I have been meeting for almost four years now on Monday evenings. We are truly kindred spirits, soul-mates, iron sharpening iron. The trials that have been and are still being endured, just within our small group, have been amazing. It has varied in intensity, in specific uniqueness to each person, in length of time...............but mostly the desired out come has been a depth of trusting God that was not there before the testings came.

I don't mean to hint at all that we weren't trusting God before, but the surety of what that looks like is becoming more and more obvious. We can see it in each other, as well as in ourselves. It is the visible kingdom of God that comes through TRUSTING GOD in tribulations.