Thanksgiving IX ~

28 November - 4 December:  This past week, I have been thankful for Jesus' promise of a place prepared for us in His forever kingdom (John 14:1-2); thankful for the assurance He will come again to take us to be at home with Him (John 14:3; Revelation 22:12); thankful for the confidence I can have in His promises - as Joshua said, ". . . not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you, not one word of them has failed" (Joshua 23:14; KJV); thankful for rest in the nights when, for various reasons, sleep won't come; thankful for the D.D.s who check thru' the day to make sure things are going well for me; thankful as I peruse this thought from Psalm 63:5-7 where we read: "My soul overflows with satisfaction, ... with excitement in my heart and joy on my lips, I offer You praise. Often at night I lie in bed and remember You, meditating on Your greatness till morning smiles through my window. You have been my constant helper; therefore, I sing for joy under the protection of Your wings." (VOICE); thankful to know that the "Holiday Season" is more than the lights and tinsel, the "fun" things that so often come to mind; thankful for a heart celebration of "Advent" - not observed by all denominations, but it keeps the focus on Jesus as the reason for the season; thankful for the message in this passage from 2 Peter 3:10-11 where it is written: "The day of the Lord will come unexpectedly like a thief in the night; and on that day, the sky will vanish with a roar, the elements will melt with intense heat, and the earth and all the works done on it will be seen as they truly are. Knowing that one day all this will come to pass, think what sort of people you ought to be—how you should be living faithful and godly lives." (VOICE); thankful to be able to sit at my PC and communicate with family and friends both near and far; thankful for D.D.'s suggestion that I take the day off - not that I am EVER feeling that my load is too heavy, quite the opposite; thankful for the wonderful message from John 1:1-2,14: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. ... The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (KJV); thankful for the steadfast love of our Father in heaven - never ending, in all circumstances; thankful for His assurance, "I am the LORD, I change not."(Malachi 3:6); thankful to know these words are true, words from Hebrews 1:1-2 where we read: "At many times and in many ways, God spoke long ago to the fathers through the prophets. In these last days He has spoken to us through a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things and through whom He created the universe." (TLV); thankful for weather forecasts that can predict the probability of sunshine and rain and warn of dangerous driving conditions; thankful for the moisture in a blanket of snow; and how I appreciate the reminder of how our Heavenly Father can take a life that is grimy, soiled from contact with the world's brokenness - and from one's own mistakes and character flaws - and make that life "white as snow" ~ Isaiah 1:18; thankful as I anticipate meeting with my church family for worship - in person, rather than via a screen in the living room; thankful for the "techies" that make remote viewing possible for us when we can't be at our church services in real time; and I was thankful as I read this passage from Hebrews 4:3-4; 8-10 where it is written: "We who believe are entering into salvation’s rest, as He said, 'That is why I swore in anger they would never enter salvation’s rest,' even though God’s works were finished from the very creation of the world. (For didn’t God say that on the seventh day of creation He rested from all His works? ... If Joshua had been able to lead those who followed him into God’s rest, would God then have spoken this way? There still remains a place of rest, a true Sabbath, for the people of God because those who enter into salvation’s rest lay down their labors in the same way that God entered into a Sabbath rest from His." (VOICE).