25 Reasons to Thank God Today and Every Day!

Don’t you just love this time of the year? It’s filled with family, food, and festivities! And ’tis the season when everyone starts feeling a little bit more grateful.

I hope you’ve been counting your blessings all year long. And hopefully your list includes lots of non-tangible items that can’t be bought online or in stores such as faith, hope, and love.

Still, if this holiday season is already feeling a little less than perfect and you find yourself coming up a bit short on what to thank God for, could I encourage you with some wonderful Promises we can claim as Believers? Psalm 103 is just bursting with reasons to praise God every day.

I pray you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Now let’s join David in proclaiming the following reasons to be grateful (I’ve bolded the 25 reasons for emphasis):

“Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works righteousness

and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,

his deeds to the people of Israel:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

The life of mortals is like grass,

they flourish like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting

the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children’s children—

with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts.

The Lord has established his throne in heaven,

and his kingdom rules over all.

Praise the Lord, you his angels,

you mighty ones who do his bidding,

who obey his word.

Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,

you his servants who do his will.

Praise the Lord, all his works

everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.”

Did this encourage you? Feel free to leave a comment or hit “Like” below. To get my free e-booklet MiraculousLovely Abroad: Lessons and Snapshots From the Mission Fields and to get these posts e-mailed straight to your inbox, click here. To find MiraculousLovely on YouTube, click here.

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Dream On!

Nancy Gavilanes

I’m an author, speaker, life coach, Bible school instructor and evangelist who wants to encourage and inspire you as you walk by abounding faith, hope and love and dare to live your God-given dreams! I’m also an author for Our Daily Bread. My NEW book God-Given Dreams: 6 Ways to Live Your Divine Purpose (NavPress) is available wherever books are sold.

My books Feisty Faith, By Faith, Crossing Your Jordan River, Waiting on God Well and Abounding Faith are available on Amazon. To learn more about Abounding Faith’s books, coaching, online training, the Abounding Faith for Today podcast, online store, YouTube channel and more, visit AboundingFaith.com. Join my email community today right here. Blessings!

www.AboundingFaith.com

November 18, 2013March 9, 2016

This is Only a Test

test-986935_1920

The other day I was with with my sister at the Port Authority Bus Terminal when we heard this beep and an announcement over the loudspeaker that went something like:

“Pardon the interruption. This is a test of our emergency system. This is only a test.”

The announcement replayed several times while we waited there, and it got me thinking, “Wouldn’t it be nice if when we were going through our trials, we could hear a similar announcement warning us that what we’re experiencing is only a test!”

What if the next time your car breaks down, you get walloped by a bill in the mail, or you hear a loved one is in trouble, etc… what if before you could panic you heard, “Beep. This is only a test. Everything is going to be ok.”

Wouldn’t that help you to not freak out as much?

Over the years, I’ve tried to make it a point to view trials more as the tests that they really are! It helps me to keep things in perspective.

You may be facing a battle that seems so colossal, so devastating, or so disappointing that you’re tempted to lose hope. You may feel as though God has forgotten you. You may think He is ignoring you. You may even be doubting if He’s good.

Could I encourage you that God is right there with you, and He will walk with you, strengthen you, and comfort you all the way through! The trial will help to build your faith and will help you to get to know Jesus in a way like never before.

Jesus is the Master at breathing life into barren places. He is the light that shines in the darkness. He brings hope, love, healing, restoration, peace, and more into chaos.

Remember that as a believer, you are safe in the palm of God’s hand! He’s got you covered better than any doctor, lawyer, stockbroker, or insurance policy ever could! He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother! (Proverbs 18:24)

What are you facing today? Be encouraged that:

This Trial Will Not Last Forever. “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

There is a Purpose for the Tests. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

As we Pass these Tests, God is Glorified. “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 6-7)

We have the Victory in Christ! “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

So when the tests come, let’s try to spot them early and let’s learn from Job who said:

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”

(Job 23:10)

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November 11, 2013November 11, 2013

Sailing into a Storm

photo (86) — Another beautiful sunset from my recent vacation.

Lessons from the Storm at Sea

On my recent vacation that I mentioned here, we came across some rough weather. It was our second day at sea, and my Mom, my sister, and I were enjoying lunch when my sister saw a flash of lightening. I kinda brushed it off. I didn’t see the lightening because I was sitting in the opposite direction of her.

After a few minutes, my sister saw more lightening. And eventually I saw the flashes off in the distance. I also saw the storm clouds. Uh oh.

What comforted me were the thoughts that God was ultimately in control, and the crew must have been used to maneuvering around this kind of weather. I’m sure the captain didn’t panic. I’m guessing he didn’t get tempted to turn around and retreat or cancel the trip. I’m sure he had experienced this hundreds of times and was prepared to stay the course. The ship may have taken some extra steps to get out of harms way, but the mild storm didn’t seem to rattle the captain or crew enough to stop them in their tracks.

What an odd feeling to be on the ship calmly headed in the general direction of a storm. After I finished eating, I just went about my relaxing day.

What would happen if we approached the storms in our lives with that same quiet confidence? As believers, God is the “Captain” of our lives. He knows how to navigate us through any storm or trial.

Oh, that we would TRUST God to be the Sovereign Lord of our lives! Every area of it!

It did rain that day, but we were all safe in the ship, thank God.

The rain followed us a bit, which was fine. When we arrived at the first island the following day, there was a brief sun shower that didn’t stop any of our fun. The next day at the second island, we must have just missed the morning showers because there was a STUNNING rainbow there to greet us!

So what are some of the lessons I was reminded of?

When Storms Come, They Don’t Have to Paralyze us or Deter us. With God’s Grace, we can continue on the path that He has for us. We don’t have to cower in fear or give up even when things look rather dark or scary. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)

Trust that the Lord, our ultimate Captain, Knows how to Get us Through the Storms Safely! God isn’t asleep at the wheel. Your storms haven’t caught Him by surprise. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

You can Still Enjoy Your Life Even While it’s Pouring. Thankfully, storms don’t last forever. But don’t wait until they’re over to praise God. Ask God to give you the strength to worship Him and thank Him despite the clouds, wind, and rain. “I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” (Psalm 34:1)

Rejoicing and Rainbows Come After the Storms! God will bring you through, and will restore you, renew you, and refresh you. He’ll also put a new song in your heart! “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever.” (Psalm 30:11-12)

No matter how hard the wind is blowing right now, be encouraged that God is with you! He knows the exact route to take to get you to where you’re going!

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November 4, 2013November 4, 2013

Receive It!

Lessons from the Sunrise

During my recent vacation to the Caribbean, I was excited about catching a glimpse of a sunrise over the ocean. I’m so not a morning person, but I didn’t want to miss out on the spectacular sight.

The only problem was that on the particular morning that I peeled myself out of bed in time, it was really rainy and overcast. What a major bummer! I had gotten up extra early for seemingly nothing.

The day did clear up, and I eventually forgot about the disappointment of not seeing the sunrise. That evening I enjoyed watching a gorgeous sunset like the one pictured above instead. Truly amazing!

The following morning included a mad dash to get to breakfast before visiting our first island. Trying to catch the sunrise was NOT on my schedule, but I was happily surprised.

While we were eating at a table near a window, the beautiful, bright sun came rising up in all its splendor to greet us. It was so breathtaking! And because I wasn’t “striving” to see it, it felt even more like a gift from my Heavenly Father.

So what was the difference?

The first morning it was all about my agenda and having the sunrise fit into my “to-do list”. The following day, it was an unexpected blessing. It was a very welcome interruption to my plans.

Here are just a few thoughts I’d like to share from this experience:

Things are Better When we Sit Back, Relax, and Let God be GOD! – I admit I’m more of a doer. I like to set goals and achieve them. I like to co-labor with God to get things done. Those are good characteristics, but God has been showing me that sometimes it’s better to Be Still and let Him work. Is it easy? NO! Is it possible with God’s help? Absolutely!

Leave Room for God to Surprise You! – There’s no use trying to figure out everything or trying to keep God in a box. He’s too Glorious for that! What He has for you is better than you can even imagine! Just typing that made me smile! What about you? Will you try to stop controlling every detail and let God Almighty have His way in your life? Will you receive the gifts He has especially for you?

Slowing Down can Actually be a Good Thing. – Is God working out the fruit of patience in you as well, my Friend? If so, no worries. God knows what He’s doing and He’s never late. Sometimes when we get caught up in a flurry of activities and feverishly try to check off items from our never-ending list of tasks, we miss out on some of the best parts of our days.

It’s great to have goals and plans. Yes, act when God tells you to act. But hold steady when God says so. While you wait, don’t forget to enjoy something as Miraculous and Lovely as a sunrise or sunset!

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17)

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Month: November 2013