Have you ever noticed how thanksgiving and joy seem to go hand in hand? It’s difficult to express gratitude for God’s blessings and still have a heart heavy with sorrow or disappointment. Perhaps it’s not so much that God wants thanks from us, rather it is the joy that comes from a thankful heart that He wants for us.
Father Almighty, thank you for every hour with which we have been blessed. Show us how to use them wisely. Don’t let us waste a single moment today with negative thoughts or actions. Teach us how to use this day to honor you and your gifts and live a life of joy and thanksgiving.
Thank you for this moment, this hour, this day, this week, this year, this very life you have given me! Let my heart sing with joy today and every day. Praise God from whom all blessings do, indeed, flow!
Lord, help us give up the false belief that we’re the ones in control of tomorrow and that we’re the only ones who can solve its problems. Remind us of your love and that your ways are infinitely higher and better than ours so that we will truly trust that the future is safely in your loving (and capable) hands.
Yes, God loved the world so much that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. [John 3:16 (ERV)]Truly, while we let the Son shine on our lives, a little sun shine on us certainly helps, too! I’m not naive enough to think that a little time outdoors is all we need, but it helps. It’s got a double benefit: it not only works off calories, it also gives us an opportunity to have a chat with God in His beautiful and blessed house!
May you feel the power of God’s love today and may his Son shine in your heart!
The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feels that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. [Anne Frank]
Devotions of the Heart 