Image from studentdevos.com
Hear Here: http://bit.ly/2OoVXxG
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 NRSV)
Are you ready, Friend for tomorrow? Yes, thanks Pastor Eradio, for the added pressure! We've done the 6 am run to HEB to find the right-szied turkey. Sunday we tried Walmart and they only had a 19.1 lb bird. We usually buy a larger bird for all the family to enjoy and take home if they so desire.
The goal for tomorrow, and today, and all days; is to be joyful in the Lord; a thing Paul stresses twice. He then encourages us to show others that we are gentle persons. And what makes us want to be gentle? That the Lord is near. I share again, one of my classic stories told by my wife, when she taught a Sunday school class of small children. mostly kindergarten age kids. She had asked them to clean up the room as the session was almost over, and one of them happened to look out the second story window to the hallway and he yelled, "Jesus is coming! Let's get busy!" Nellie didn't know what he meant by that until she looked out herself and saw me. And she remembered that many of the kids called me Jesus.
Then Paul addresses a key thing that I mentioned above; tis the season to be stressed, and anxious. Paul says, "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God." Jesus said, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 28:11). He was addressing the worriers. Do you remember Jesus addressing worry and what little good it could do to a person? It is like Jesus, and it is, Jesus saying, "It will all be alright." Prayer keeps us in contact with Him as does our giving Him thanks in all things; and this brings us the peace of God. And that peace, which we really truly can understand, but it serves to guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
That's a foundational blessing that truly passes all understanding. Most of us have learned long ago, the best and only way to receive God's blessings, is to thank God and forget trying to make sense of what God has done. That is Thanksgiving!
PRAYER: Lord, we may truly step back to just say, "Thank You" for all you do. May the joy and spirit of Thanksgiving bless my life in such a positive way, that others will enjoy that blessing as well. This we pray in Christ Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Be a Thanksgiver today, and in every way!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
DISCOUNT CODE: HOLIDAY20 at check-out will qualify you for the 20% discount of any purcahse. Offer ends on Dec. 4, 2019. Click here: https://teespring.com/god-never-quits?pid=658
