Thanksgiving

"Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name." - 1 Chronicles 29:11-13

Learning to live life with humility and thanksgiving is one of the secrets to celebrating joy along the journey of life. Knowing that all good things come from the Lord, Jesus taught his diciples to ask for "daily bread". While I would prefer to have a fully funded 401(k) plan, walking in the Way one learns that God provides on a daily basis. The children of Israel had to learn that lesson the hard way in the Wilderness.

With that said, the "good news" is not that God is going to materially bless us and make all of our aches and pains go away. Instead, seeing the bigger picture gives us hope that we can have a relatinship with a living God that transcends any circumstance. Nothing is too big for our Lord.

God's offer to his people is contractual.

"If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

The way we live makes a difference to the Lord. He cares about our conduct. If we want to be "His" people we must begin with humility and prayer. Learning to be thankful helps one to begin that journey.