Thankful Thursday

A friend of mine posted what she was thankful for on her blog today and asked people to respond. So Tricia, I am responding to your post by adding what I am thankful for on my post for today. Thank you for giving me something to think about.

For the Christian, every day should be Thanksgiving Day. We should even be thankful in the midst of problems. The Apostle Paul said, "I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians 7:4). He knew that God was working all things together for his good, even though he was going through trials (Romans 8:28).

Problems will come your way. God will see to it personally that you grow as a Christian. He will allow the storms, to send your roots deep into the soil of His Word. We pray more in the midst of problems, but it's been well said that you will see more from your knees, than you will on your tip toes.

If we watched a butterfly struggling to get out of its cocoon, some people might want to help it. Say for instance we did help it, we got a razor blade, and carefully slit the edge of the cocoon. The butterfly would escape from its problem ... and immediately die.

It is God's way to have the butterfly struggle. It is the struggle that causes its tiny heart to beat fast, and send the life's blood into its wings.

Trials have their purpose. They make us struggle—they bring us to our knees. They are the cocoon in which we often find ourselves. It is there that the life's blood of faith in God helps us spread our wings.

Faith and thanksgiving are close friends. If you have faith in God, you will be thankful because you know His loving hand is upon you, even though you are in a lion's den. That will give you a deep sense of joy, and joy is the measure of the depth of faith you have in God.

So that being said, I am thankful for the following things:

1. The world in which we live. God created a beautiful, magnificent place for us to dwell. In Genesis 1:31 the Bible states: "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good."
2. Family. Christians ought to not only be thankful for our physical family, but also their spiritual family: the church, their brothers and sisters in Christ.
   
3. The love of God. I think that the following verse sums it up very nicely: John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
4. The sacrifice of Christ. As previously mentioned, the Lord sent His only son to die so that through obedience people can be saved from their sins. Ephesians 5:2 states: "And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Also Hebrews 10:12-14 states: "But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified."

I know that there are many, many other blessings for which I should be thankful, but this is all I could come up with for now. What things are you thankful for?

Still Growing in Christ,
Tanya