Thankful
My sister-in-law/best friend Laci and I are pretty much always together. You'd think we would run out of things to talk about, but we never do. Last weekend while out to dinner together (OLIVE GARDEN, YUM!) we got on the topic of how richly God blesses us even when we aren't doing anything for Him. Even in our "rebellious times" or times when we are mad at Him, or when we know we aren't giving our all to Him, He still gives us grace and blesses us with the desires of our heart. And then, this morning, I'm catching up on my daily devotionals in Jesus Calling, and this is the one from yesterday:
November 12
THIS IS A TIME OF ABUNDANCE in your life. Your cup runneth over with blessings. After plodding uphill for many weeks, you are now traipsing through lush meadows drenched in warm sunshine. I want you to enjoy to the full this time of ease and refreshment. I delight in providing it for you.
Sometimes My children hesitate to receive My good gifts with open hands. Feelings of false guilt creep in, telling them they don't deserve to be so richly blesses. This is nonsense-thinking because no one deserves anything from Me. My kingdom is not about earning and deserving; its about believing and receiving.
When a child of Mine balks at accepting My gifts, I am deeply grieved. When you receive My abundant blessings with a grateful heart, I rejoice. My pleasure in giving and your pleasure in receiving flow together in joyous harmony.
"He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32
So, wow! Accepting blessings when you know you are undeserving is hard. I know for me I feel that guilt mentioned and feel selfish. Like I am getting something that is someone else's. But God doesn't work the way we work. None of us are deserving of anything He graciously gives. But He loves us. I can kind of understand because sometimes when my kids don't deserve something, I give it to them anyway because I love them and I love to see them happy. I guess God is like that but on a much grander scale. So I' going to cherish the times when I feel abundant blessed, and cling to those times when I am going through a storm. Because just as much as God will richly bless us, He will also test us to teach us and bring us back to Him.
The song "Blessed be the Name of the Lord" is very special to me. It first spoke to me when I had my first miscarriage. We were in church on Sunday and this was in the service and I just started crying. Because God did give me that baby, and for whatever reason, He took it away. And as hard as it was to lose my first pregnancy, I know that God loves me enough to do what is best for me. So every time I sing this song, I think of all the things God has given me, and taken away. And sometimes it takes Him taking away the things you love and cherish the most for you to be where He wants you. But just as this devotion says, He also uses blessings and gifts in your life to put you where He wants you!
"You give an take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name."
-Candi
November 12
THIS IS A TIME OF ABUNDANCE in your life. Your cup runneth over with blessings. After plodding uphill for many weeks, you are now traipsing through lush meadows drenched in warm sunshine. I want you to enjoy to the full this time of ease and refreshment. I delight in providing it for you.
Sometimes My children hesitate to receive My good gifts with open hands. Feelings of false guilt creep in, telling them they don't deserve to be so richly blesses. This is nonsense-thinking because no one deserves anything from Me. My kingdom is not about earning and deserving; its about believing and receiving.
When a child of Mine balks at accepting My gifts, I am deeply grieved. When you receive My abundant blessings with a grateful heart, I rejoice. My pleasure in giving and your pleasure in receiving flow together in joyous harmony.
"He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32
So, wow! Accepting blessings when you know you are undeserving is hard. I know for me I feel that guilt mentioned and feel selfish. Like I am getting something that is someone else's. But God doesn't work the way we work. None of us are deserving of anything He graciously gives. But He loves us. I can kind of understand because sometimes when my kids don't deserve something, I give it to them anyway because I love them and I love to see them happy. I guess God is like that but on a much grander scale. So I' going to cherish the times when I feel abundant blessed, and cling to those times when I am going through a storm. Because just as much as God will richly bless us, He will also test us to teach us and bring us back to Him.
The song "Blessed be the Name of the Lord" is very special to me. It first spoke to me when I had my first miscarriage. We were in church on Sunday and this was in the service and I just started crying. Because God did give me that baby, and for whatever reason, He took it away. And as hard as it was to lose my first pregnancy, I know that God loves me enough to do what is best for me. So every time I sing this song, I think of all the things God has given me, and taken away. And sometimes it takes Him taking away the things you love and cherish the most for you to be where He wants you. But just as this devotion says, He also uses blessings and gifts in your life to put you where He wants you!
"You give an take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Lord, blessed be Your name."
-Candi
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