Monday, December 2, 2013

Gratitude - Days #27, #28, #29, and #30

Hi mommies! As I had mentioned, we traveled during Thanksgiving week, but I also had limited internet access. I missed writing, and I missed your reading! Here are our four verses on gratitude to finish out the month of November. I hope you have enjoyed this journey with me, and I look forward to doing some creative thinking and writing throughout December. I will also share deals and tips of how we do Christmas at the McNamee house! Be sure to check back frequently!

We are nearly finished with our journey through scripture, searching for thirty verses teaching on thanksgiving, or giving thanks. My goal for this experience was to learn how God desires for us to show our gratitude by the examples that He has shared in His word. I wanted to get into the habit of starting my day with thanksgiving, instead of starting with my laundry list of prayer requests. I also wanted to compile a list of verses on gratitude with the intent of sharing them with my children as they grow up. It has been an awesome experience, and I have enjoyed sharing it with all of you! Only four verses left! Here are verses #27 and #28:

"That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the Lord: Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done." 
1 Chronicles 16:7-8

...Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me." 
John 11:41

In the first verse, I love how the writer takes the time to tell us that David was speaking this psalm (or song) to others. He wrote a song of thankfulness to God and felt compelled to share it with whoever would listen. Wouldn't it be wise of us to consciously speak our gratefulness our loud, so that our children could learn by example?

In John, the words spoken are those of Jesus. Everything that Jesus said, or did, was meant to set an example. We know that God answers our prayers. He loves to bless us, but He also loves to strengthen our faith and trust in Him. While we know it is important to thank Him for whatever request He has granted us, I think Jesus is saying that it is just as important to thank God for simply hearing us and listening to us. He is a big God, the God of the universe, yet He takes the time to listen to us. In fact, He delights in listening to us. Today, I am grateful for that gift!

Finally, here are verses #29 and #30...


"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. The service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God." 
2 Corinthians 9:11-12

God promises to bless us in areas that are important to him. Maybe He made you rich in compassion. Maybe He made you rich in the gift of encouragement. Maybe He made you a blessed mother, overflowing in the richness of patience! Perhaps He has made you rich, literally, in finances. Whatever gift(s) He has bestowed upon you, be sure to use it to bless others. It glorifies Him when we use our blessings to enrich the life of another. We could be generous to our husbands, our children, our family, our friends, or complete strangers. Whoever He allows to cross our paths, let's be sure to bless them with the riches our heavenly Father has given to us!

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." 
Psalm 30:11-12

Mommies, we will all go through hardships in our lives. It isn't if, it's when. Choosing to live a life of gratitude to our Lord, and choosing to set that example for our children, isn't because we have a perfect life without any heartache. How easy would it be to live in a state of thankfulness then! No, it's the fact that we choose to be grateful in the midst of trials that shows true devotion to Christ. A bit of encouragement to remember is that sadness, loneliness, frustration, anger, and mourning will not last forever. He is faithful to do just as He says above. He will always turn our hearts back to dancing, joy, and song. For that, and for so many other daily reasons, let's decide to live a life of gratitude, and let's decide to teach our children to do the same.

I have loved learning His Word on a deeper level with you through November. Thank you for doing it with me! A little cheat sheet of our gratitude verses is listed below (whatever can save a momma some time!). They are all from the NIV of the Bible. 

Psalm 100:4 -  
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name
Hebrews 12:28 -
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe...
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 -
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 136:1-3, 26 - 
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His love endures forever... Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.
Colossians 3:15-17 -
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 -
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may leave peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness
1 Chronicles 29:13 -
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise Your glorious name.
Ephesians 1:16 -
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
Ephesians 5:19-20 -
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 107:8-9 -
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalm 107:15-16 -
Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.
Isaiah 12:4 -
...Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted.
2 Corinthians 2:14 -
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
Philippians 4:6 -
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Colossians 1:3 -
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus...
Psalm 75:1 -
We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 95:1-2 -
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.
Colossians 4:2 -
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
2 Corinthians 9:15 -
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
Psalm 69:30 -
I will praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6-7 -
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
2 Timothy 1:3 -
thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
Psalm 28:7 -
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.
Jonah 2:9 -
But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.
Ephesians 5:3-4 - 
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
1 Chronicles 16:34-35 -
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise."
1 Chronicles 16:7-8 -
That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the Lord: Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.
John 11:41 -
Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me."
2 Corinthians 9:11-12 -
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. The service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.
Psalm 30:11-12 -
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Now...join me next time to get December rolling!