Grace For The Journey

  With tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I want to unpack a concept of “Living A Thankful Life.”  We will see what the Bible teaches about this kind of life that God want every believer to life.  It entails three primary areas of living out our Christian faith: what we think, what we do, and what we say.  I am only going to focus on one verse of Scripture for each topic; I encourage you to find others that will strengthen your commitment to life for God’s glory and for the good of others.

Today we’ll look at what the Bible teaches about our thought life.  The Bible says in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such thing.”

You won’t find any of what some call “stinking-thinking” in this command from God! Notice that I said command.  This is as much a command from God as any of the ten that were inscribed by the finger of God on the tablets of stone and given to Moses on Mount Sinai.  Here the apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, described the thought life of those who are committed to living a thankful life . . . regardless of the cost or circumstance.

I say “regardless of the cost or circumstance” because Paul did not qualify this divine imperative with words like, “Think such thoughts when all is going well in your life – when the sky is blue and the clouds are fleecy and the sun is shining brightly.”  He simply said that we are to think about such things as a way of living a thankful life before the face of God.

Paul explained that the only way that this will be a mark in the life of the Christian is to keep our thoughts focused on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. And what will stimulate such thoughts?  Where will we be exposed to these qualities? Not in the newspaper . . . not in magazines . . . not in movies or music . . . certainly not on television or the Internet!  This kind of thinking will only be found and forged by being immersed in the Word of God.

The only way we will think God’s thoughts

After Him is to know God’s thoughts;

And the only way to know God’s thoughts

Is to read, study, and marinate in His true,

Noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable Word.

So . . . how are you doing in the area of thinking?  How much time are you spending in God’s Word each day?  Each week?  Each month?  Remember . . .

The book you don’t read won’t help you

. . . And that truism most definitely includes the Bible.  Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God’s Word is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating our very soul and spirit, but . . .

It will not have that effect in the lives of those who do not read it!

I can tell you that one of the best things Kay and I have done is to read through the Bible in one year.  Our church family gathers each week to study through the Bible during our small group Bible Study Classes and during worship.  God uses these opportunities to help us become, and stay, grounded in the Word of God.

Perhaps this blog today is that gentle and providential “push” for you too.  Make no mistake;

Living a thankful life will only happen

When we are very intentional

About what we put in to our minds.

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”