Thankful Thursday - Wisdom & Discernment

I'm not sure if we are supposed to go with a particular theme each week on this or not, so please forgive me if I am not playing by the rules.

Today I am thankful for God’s wisdom and discernment. I am thankful that we can ask for God to reveal His Truth to us and we can trust Him to do so. He will not only do it, He does it with joy and is abundantly generous to give us His Truth when we sincerely seek it.

Lord ~
I ask for your wisdom and discernment for all of us. I ask that you reveal your Truth to us, that we may rely on Your Wisdom instead of our own/the worlds. Where we may be reluctant to accept it, I ask that you transform us. Open our eyes to see, our ears to hear, our minds and hearts to understand.

James 1:5
Now if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach; and it will be given to him.

Proverbs 2:1-5
My son, if you will receive my words and store my commands inside you, paying attention to wisdom, inclining your mind towards understanding – yes, if you will call for insight and raise your voice for discernment, if you seek it as you would silver and search for it as for hidden treasure – then you will understand the fear of Adonai and find knowledge of God.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

James 3:17

But the wisdom from above is, first of all, pure, then peaceful, kind, opent to reason, full of mercy, and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

Thankful Thursday - Security

It is late tonight and year end is coming up at work (meaning lots of hours and stress), so I'm going to keep this short today (at least my part). This week I am thankful for the security I have in my Lord. The Lord has been highlighting the below verses for me this week and they pretty much say it all. Nothing further is needed from me to explain them.

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have (perfect) peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustraion; but be of good cheer (take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted)! For I have overcome the world. (I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.)

~ John 16:33

You dear children, are from God and have overcome them (spirit of the antichrist), because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

~1 John 4:4

But now, this is what the Lord says - He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead."

~Isaiah 43:1-3

Thankful Thursday - Family

I've been asked a couple times now to participate in this weekly posting called Thankful Thursday. So today I'm going to join in. I can make excuses that I'm too busy but in the end those are probably the times when I should be dwelling on this the most.

So this week I want to thank the Lord for my family. My immediate family - my wonderful husband and my three beautiful children. I also want to thank the Lord for my church family.

I was just thinking a couple days ago about where I am right now in life and in my walk with the Lord. I realize some choices could have been different in my life. My husband and I met in high school and married when I was halfway through college. We moved from Washington State where we were both raised to Arizona and then from there to Northern California where we now live. When times are rough, I could always start the "what if. . ." game. But then I realize the blessing in my life are dependent on those choices I've made.

Sometimes I wonder if I had not been rebelling against God in high school, then maybe I would not be in a spiritually unequal marriage right now. Many decisions and situations in my life would be so much easier if I was married to someone with the same beliefs that I have. However, on the other side of the coin, I would not be married to the wonderfully caring husband I am married to right now. I would not have the three beautiful children I have. I would not have moved to Arizona with my husband and ended up with the company I worked for that moved me out here to Northern California. If I had not moved out here I would not have met the amazing people I now call family, my house church. That makes me wonder if I would be walking as closely with God as I am right now if it was not for some of these people and the way we "do" church.

So - today I'm thankful for my family - the people the Lord has put in my life even when my choices may have not always been the wisest. None of my choices ever surprise Him and I need to remember regardless of my past, He has a purpose for me. I'm right where I'm supposed to be right now and He has surrounded me with people I love and who love me. If that is not something to be thankful for, I don't know what is!

For more Thankful Thursdays please visit Sting my Heart.