When I see this picture of an elderly hand grasping a tiny apple, it brings emotion. I’m not sure what the feelings are, but I think it’s a mixture of sadness and humble gratitude.<\/p>\n
I don’t know the story behind the picture, but I do know three billion people in the world make less than two dollars a day. To that portion of the world, this small apple would be precious, and the people would be thankful.<\/p>\n
Am I thankful for a small apple? Sadly, much larger apples have spoiled in our fruit bowl and become chicken food. Compared to the poorest people, I live in a country with a medium income of over 50k. I’ve never wondered if I’d have food for the next meal. Has this deadened my heart to being appreciate for what God provides?<\/p>\n
I don’t want to take for granted God’s blessings, but I have.<\/p>\n
Lord, develop in me a continual heart of gratitude which extends beyond a single day of thanking.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Moments after I pray about having a more grateful heart, my wife enters the room, fresh from her time of solitude.<\/p>\n “I was just reminded of the doxology,” she says. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”<\/p>\n God had been showing her how easy it is to focus on the gifts and forget the Giver.<\/p>\n Every gift, from small apples, to turkey feasts, to breath for another day comes from God the creator of all things.<\/p>\n I take what she says as an answer to my prayer for God to develop in me a continual heart of gratitude.<\/p>\n When I notice any gift, from food, to provision, to creation, to relationships, to …,\u00a0 may the gift send me directly into thankful praise to my King.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/sup>I thank my God in all my remembrance of you .. (Philippians 1:3<\/strong> NASB).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n And When people give me praise or compliments may I also see these as reasons to thank and praise God.<\/p>\n When people come up and give me a compliment… I take each remark as if it were a flower. At the end of the day I lift up the bouquet of flowers I have gathered throughout the day and say, ‘Here you are, Lord, it is all Yours.’\u201d Corrie Ten Boom<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Something else which comes to mind is how many things God has done for me in eternity which will never change.<\/p>\n As I focus on these eternal blessings, life\u2019s gifts become cherries on top of a continual thanksgiving feast.<\/p>\n The Bible is full of reasons to be thankful, but here’s a summary of the unchanging truths in Ephesians 1:3-14:<\/p>\n I have every spiritual blessing available to me in Jesus. <\/span><\/p>\n God loves me and chose me to be in Christ before the world began.<\/span><\/p>\n In Jesus Christ, I’m holy and totally blameless. <\/span><\/p>\n It’s God’s pleasure to adopt me as His child through Jesus. <\/span><\/p>\n God did these things for me so that His glory, His infinite greatness and His worth, would be demonstrated in kindness and mercy toward me. <\/span><\/p>\n I’ve been redeemed, rescued from God’s wrath because of Jesus\u2019 life blood shed on my behalf. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0God lavished His grace and mercy upon me, forgiving my every sin. <\/span><\/p>\n God has made known to me His intensions to summarize all things into Christ Jesus, my Lord.<\/span><\/p>\n I have a secure inheritance because God’s purposes are never thwarted. <\/span><\/p>\n God has sealed me with the Holy Spirit as a promise and pledge of my inheritance. <\/span><\/p>\n I belong to God and my life is to be a testimony to the praise of His glory and grace.<\/span><\/p>\n These, and many more truths, give me reasons for unending thanksgiving.<\/p>\n May Thanksgiving day launch a mindset of thankfulness in me which will never change.<\/p>\n Lord, what a gift today has been. You’re giving me a thankful heart. You showed how even the smallest apple is a gift from Your hand, never to be taken for granted. You are the source of every blessings. Please help me to be continually thankful for You and not just the gifts You give me.<\/em><\/p>\n There are so many blessings You’ve given me which will never change. Please develop in me a continual thankful heart for what You’ve bestowed upon me in Christ. <\/em><\/p>\n I’m so sorry for the apples I’ve allowed to spoil because I didn’t treasure them. Tender my heart so that I will never take anything for granted again. They all come from Your hand.<\/em><\/p>\n Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n The Connection Between Gratitude and Joy<\/a><\/p>\n Enjoying Unhindered Intimacy with God<\/a><\/p>\n Communing With God<\/a><\/p>\n Completely Loved<\/a><\/p>\n Why is Knowing God’s love Essential?<\/a><\/p>\n The Connection between Love and Joy<\/a><\/p>\n What Threatens us knowing God’s Love?<\/a><\/p>\n Experiencing the Freedom of God’s Love<\/a><\/p>\n God’s Love in a Broken World<\/a><\/p>\n Being Loved by God is our True Identity<\/a><\/p>\n Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God\u2019s nearness in the midst of life\u2019s adventures.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?\u00a0\u00a0Beyond Time<\/a><\/p>\nGifts Point to the Giver<\/span><\/h4>\n
Being Thankful for Eternal Blessings<\/span><\/h4>\n
Prayer<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
For Further Reading\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n
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\u00a0<\/em>Novels by the Author:<\/span><\/h4>\n