"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Giving thanks should come naturally to a believer simply because of the victory that has been given through our Lord Jesus Christ.

But, what exactly does it mean to "give thanks"? The word "thanks" in today's verse comes from the Greek word chairo, a verb meaning to rejoice, to be glad – but not just any kind of rejoicing but to rejoice exceedingly. It also means to be well and to thrive.

When you think about today's verse, our thanks giving should be more than mere words, giving thanks infers action – it means to not only be glad but to act glad. To not only say you're rejoicing but to rejoice exceedingly in your daily activities. It not only means to give thanks, but it also means to live a thankful life – to thrive in your rejoicing and thanks giving . . . it's about living out the victory that was given us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Years ago, when I sang in our choir at church, we faced the congregation; it was impossible not to notice people's faces. Some were truly rejoicing; others were saying the words but their faces failed to show it, their actions didn't prove it and their sincerity was truly questionable.

Take some time today and get serious with the Lord, let Him know that you are exceedingly grateful for the victory that was given us through Jesus Christ our Lord—more than enough to cause us to "rejoice in the Lord always"!

Be thankful . . . the price paid for your redemption is worth more than anything money can buy, and it's yours absolutely free. All God asks is that you be thankful.

Give thanks with a grateful heart,
Give thanks unto the Holy One,
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say "I am strong",
Let the poor say "I am rich",
Because of what the Lord, has done for us
Give Thanks!

Father, I am glad—exceedingly glad for the victory that You have given me through Jesus Christ my Lord. Your bountiful blessings are immeasurable and Your love unfathomable. Lord, help me to live a life of thankfulness not hiding my joy from anyone. Help me to rejoice always, to bring glory to You in all I do and say from a heart that is overwhelmed with thanks and gladness. Thank You, Lord . . . Thank You! Amen and Amen!

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

I love the traditional songs of Thanksgiving any time of the year. But with the American Thanksgiving just a few days away, I wanted to share one with you to stir your heart of thankfulness today.

It matters not whether you celebrate Thanksgiving Day where you live, what matters is the heart of the worshipper who hastens to make known God's manifest blessings to all who will hear. Take the time to read the words penned by men centuries ago and join in the celebration of thankfulness . . .

Now Thank We All our God

Based on Ecclesiastics 50:22-24 by Martin Rinkart (1586-1649)
Translated by Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)

Now thank we all our God,
With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,
In whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers' arms
Has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us still in grace,
And guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills,
In this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God
The Father now be given;
The Son, and him who reigns
With them in highest heaven;
The one eternal God,
Whom earth and heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.

Spend some time today thanking the Lord for His provision, His peace, grace, protection, and love. Thank Him for all His hands have done to make a way for us to be reconciled to Him through the shed blood of the Sacrifice Lamb. Thank Him for the ability to thank Him. He's worthy of all our praise!

Father, I am so grateful to You for life, for breath, and for the ability to live for You. I'm thankful for Your great salvation, for Your provision, for Your healing touch, for Your redemption, for Your grace, Your mercy, Your compassion, and Your love. There are no words to convey my heart as it swells with overwhelming praise because of Who You are, not just because of What You have done. I love You, Lord, and I offer You my heartfelt praise as I celebrate Your goodness in my "thanks-giving"! In Jesus' name, amen and amen!

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving." (Psalm 69:30)

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

David wrote in Psalm 62:7, “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”  In other words, he found God to be His everything . . . “God is MY salvation!”  “God is MY glory!”  “God is the rock of MY strength!”  “God is MY refuge!”  What he didn’t say is, “God is MY PASTOR’S salvation and he will keep me in good standing with God!”  Or, he didn’t say, “God is MY TEACHER’S glory and if I attend faithfully, my teacher will represent God’s glory to me!”  Again, he didn’t say, “God is MY CHURCH LEADER’S refuge and if I stick close to him, I’ll be safe!”

Not too long ago I saw a 2-minute clip of a movie where a child was sharing with his father something that was fearful to him . . . everywhere he looked he saw people who appeared to be alive but were really dead and didn't even know they were dead. There are many who are sitting in the churches being deceived into thinking they are alive but yet they are dead, those who have assumed the name "Christian" but who have never surrendered their live to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  Many people claim the name “Christian” yet their hearts are dead in sin, living in pleasure and dead while they are yet alive.

What is a true believer?  He or she is one whose belief in God completely consumes their life.  A true believer believes inside and out—one whose belief/faith is so much a part of them that they cannot partition their lives.  They are believers through and through, in thought, word and deed.  A true believer lives his life as led and empowered by the Holy Spirit of God.

We are never satisfied.  We’re more concerned about tangible riches than we are about spiritual riches.  We’ve forgotten what Matthew 6:33 means when it says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  We see the “all these things shall be added unto you” but we neglect the first part “Seek ye first the kingdom of God”.

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."  (Matthew 5:7)
 
Merciful . . . compassionate . . . emotionally and spiritually moved to some way help alleviate the pain and misfortune of others; a by-product of love, the kind of love that comes from knowing God and being transformed into His likeness and image.
 
Being merciful toward others will cause mercy to be returned to you.  I've seen this first-hand almost daily since living with chronic pain for the past several years . . . reaching out and touching others with similar afflictions opens the door for my life to be touched by them.  It's a simple law of love . . . a two-way street!  "Give and it shall be given unto you . . . "  Our Father has set a principle in motion that is anchored in the essence of Who He is according to 1 John 4:16 " . . . God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." 
 
Make it a habit to allow mercy and compassion to flow freely toward those who suffer or are less fortunate in any way.  Don't turn your back on opportunities to reach out with lovingkindness toward others.  The day may come (and for many has already) where you will need others to show that mercy, compassion and love toward you, especially when you are dealing with major disappointments, chronic pain or illness, or life's hard circumstances.  It's a promise that every one of us will need to stand on at one time or another in our lives -- "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy."  Amen!
 
Father, I thank You, Lord, for Your promises that are true . . . "yes and amen!"  Lord, all too often I overlook those needing a gentle touch, a loving smile, a warm embrace, an encouraging word . . . all too often I am so caught up in my own needs and desires that I fail to look at the pain around me.  Father, open my eyes so I can see the needs . . . give me a heart of compassion to reach out; help me to be merciful to others in their time of need!  And, Father, help me to plant the seeds of mercy everywhere so that when the day comes that I am in need, I, too, will be blessed with the gentle touch, the loving smile, the warm embrace, and the encouraging word. Let me be a servant to all, Father, to bring glory to You . . . help me to be Your arms outstretch to those in need, in complete obedience to Your Word.  Let Your love flow through this Your servant . . . in Jesus' name, Amen!

"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."  (Luke 6:38)

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

“Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”  (Psalm 62:8)

We have a tendency to look to anyone/anything other than the Lord for answers.  In fact, we would rather trust flesh and blood than we would the Lord for most everything.  Sad, but true!

David, when he wrote this Psalm, had dealt with misplaced confidence.  He saw the error of his way, quickly repented, and wrote these words:  “Trust in him at all times – pour out your heart before him.”

When you are faced with a major disappointment, to whom do you run?  Your best friend?  Your internet friends?  Where do you take your disappointments, hurts, disillusionments, rejections?  Unfortunately, most of us take our problems everywhere but to the Lord.  David found himself on the run, alone and away from all that he found comfort in.  Yet, his cry was for all of us (“ye peoples”) to learn to trust in the Lord, to take our problems to the Lord, to trust Him to take care of us and protect us, and to pour out our hearts to Him, not anyone else!

It is so easy to pick up the phone and dial your closest friend and pour out your heart when someone has let you down or hurt you.  But God is calling you to use Him as your refuge ... to run to Him with every issue of life.  He alone can help and He alone has the ability to change the circumstances.

“God is a refuge for us!”  The word “refuge” comes from a Hebrew word that translates as “to flee for protection, to confide in, to have hope and to have trust.”  Taking that into consideration, read the words of the Psalmist once again:  “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”  Do you see it?  Because of his own experience, David is admonishing us to flee to God for protection, to confide in God when misused and abused, to have hope that He will lead you out of the situation, and to trust God alone.

Don’t waste your trust on man.  Put your trust in God, tell Him all that troubles you, and let Him be your refuge, your confidant, and your hope!  Selah!

Father, forgive me for not running to You first with my problems.  Lord, help me to remember that You are ALWAYS there for me, longing to be my confidant, wanting to be my refuge in time of desperation and need.  Lord, help me to remember that there is NO ONE more trustworthy than You, there is NO ONE to offer consolation like You, and there is NO ONE like You in whom I can hide in my time of trouble.  Draw me to You, Lord, and help me find my refuge in You always.  In Jesus’ name, amen and amen.

“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” (Jeremiah 17:5)

© Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

One of the co-authors in our book, Women of Passions: Ordinary Women Serving an Extraordinary God, Yvonne Blake, sends out a daily “Morning Song”.  I can’t tell you how these daily words from the old hymnals have blessed me.  For instance, read today’s “Morning Song” and, while reading, really meditate on the words and stop to think about what they say.  Let these words be your prayer today:

I really encourage you to contact Yvonne and ask to be put on her mailing list.  The “Morning Song” reflects the hearts of many powerful men and women of faith in years gone by, a rich heritage so often overlooked in today’s modern church.

Yvonne can be reached at yvonblake@hotmail.com.  Tell her I sent you and highly recommended her “Morning Song” to be included as part of your morning devotional time.

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© 2008 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

* "Lord, Speak to Me" by Frances Ridley Havergal
http://mybackdoorministry.blogspot.com