“Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
James 1:22 NIV
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“
Philippians 4:7 NIV
(This photo was taken at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming)
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
Romans 12:9-13 NIV
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 ESV
Every one of us has a choice, every day…
Do we choose to follow the ways of the world and put ourselves first
Or will we seek God’s Kingdom first and live according to His Word?
How will you choose to live this day?
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:1-2 NIV
(This photo was taken in Glacier National Park in Montana)
“Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
What are you thankful for today?
How often are we able to see something to be thankful for during difficult times?
It is not easy…yet it is a choice
An attitude of gratitude may not come naturally to us but we should strive for it
It can make such a big difference in our lives and the lives of others
We don’t have to do it alone
Start by thanking God for all He has done for you
Remember when you have struggled in the past and how God was present with you
Be thankful for what God has done and know that He can and He will do it again
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 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.”
Colossians 3:15-17 NIV
(This photo was taken while traveling through North Dakota)
“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 NIV
God’s Presence restores and renews us, it comforts us
He provides for us even when we are not paying attention to Him
God meets all our basic needs…our role is to believe in Him and obey His Word
His Word is not a burden or only a bunch of rules to follow…
His Word and His Presence give life, comfort, peace and hope
Think about circumstances and events in your life that have occurred in the last few days, weeks, months and in the past year…
Throught it all, God was with you…so where did you see Him?
Give thanks and trust in the Lord…
Remember He provides for you with His Presence every day, all the time
“Praise the Lord.[a]
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.”
Psalm 106:1 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake in central Minnesota)
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?”
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NIV
We are all human and we are all broken
Remember every person you meet is fighting a battle you may or may not know about it
Choose to live obedient to God’s will and His ways
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 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.”
Colossians 3:12-17 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Father God, open our eyes to what we are truly devoting ourselves to
Help us as we fight against selfish desires and worldly ways
We want You at the center of our lives
When we drift away refocus our hearts and minds on You, and Your Word
In Jesus name, Amen
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
Colossians 3:1-2 NIV
(This photo was taken while traveling through southern New Mexico)
“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV
Personality…nature…disposition…temperament…mentality…essence…identity…spirit
Our character is defined by who we are and how we relate while interacting with others
This is at the core of who we are as a person
For some, their true character is only revealed to a few other people as they have fear and a lack of trust in others due to previous wounds and painful past experiences
The other reason fear exists in revealing our true character is our concern regarding acceptance
With the proliferation of social media sites, judgement or what is know as ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ has inappropriately become the measuring stick of defining who someone is…talk about judging a book by its cover!
We can begin to get knowledge and a better understanding of our character by spending time with Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord and by accepting who we are according to God
Additionally, we can encourage and help build up others by taking time to listen and discuss the things that make us different
I pray we all examine who we are more than what we do and we lay our fears and worries at the foot of the cross
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.”
2 Peter 1:5-7 NIV
(This photo was taken in Glacier National Park in Montana)
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.“
Psalm 23:1-4 NIV
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 NIV
The peace and comfort we seek from worldly values and other people will only be found in our relationship with God
Remember that God has said that in this world we will have trouble
Also remember He is walking with us through every moment of every day
He doesn’t take away the suffering
He gives us the strength and courage we need to go through it
Put your trust in Him and give Him the worries and burdens of each day
“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 NIV
(This photo was taken at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:21 NIV
Do not give up…do not quit
Yes, you have been knocked down and it hurts
Get back up
Stand on the rock of faith
Fix your eyes on Jesus as your guide
Choose to be an Overcomer
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
21 To the one who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
Revelation 3:20-21 NIV
(This photo was taken near Dillon, Colorado)
“Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”
Psalm 37:7-9 NIV
Be Still And Know by Amy Grant
“I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.”
Psalm 27:13-14 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake in central Minnesota)
