Thanksgiving | Kristi's Morning Devotional

November 9, 2018November 9, 2018

Thankful for Help

In the 70’s there was a commercial on television with this slogan; “It’s Shake n Bake, and I helped”.

Do any of you remember that one?

There are so many things we are thankful for and in that list should be those people who are especially near and dear to us. The ones who have helped.

I was talking with Mom yesterday about Thanksgiving and what we were going to be doing and what plans she has. For the last four or five years Mom, my niece and a couple, who are close friends, have gotten together for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everyone works on different aspects of the meal; they share the cooking, enjoy their dinner and then the clean up.

It’s one of those things Mom looks forward too; she loves to cook for people. She really doesn’t do it anymore because of her age. So it makes those times when she can even more special.

When I was a girl we always had families over to share the holidays. We lived in AZ and most of our relatives lived in Iowa so, we didn’t have big family gatherings. Our friends were our family and they were around our table as often as possible.

Mom had a way of making everyone feel at home. She has a true gift of hospitality. This year, at 95, she is still wanting to help and said she really hoped there would be something she could do in the kitchen to be part of the preparation. She’s spent her life giving and doing for others and she’s not ready to quit yet.

^”I thank God every time I remember you. ⁴And I always pray for all of you with joy. ⁵I thank God for the help you gave me while I told people the Good News. You helped from the first day you believed until now.” Philippians 1:3-5 ERV

People with a helpful heart are a gift! They come in and without being asked, lighten the load. That unselfish attitude is a gift from God!

Yesterday had another example of helpfulness. Shortly after I hung up from talking with Mom, I was getting things ready for our evening meal. I asked our three-year old grandson, Sam, if he would like to help me set the table. His eyes lit up, a big grin spread across his face and he came running.

The very young and the elderly both with hearts to help! It’s their calling.

“In the same way, we are many people, but in Christ we are all one body. We are the parts of that body, and each part belongs to all the others.

⁶We all have different gifts. Each gift came because of the grace God gave us. Whoever has the gift of prophecy should use that gift in a way that fits the kind of faith they have. ⁷Whoever has the gift of serving should serve. Whoever has the gift of teaching should teach. ⁸Whoever has the gift of comforting others should do that. Whoever has the gift of giving to help others should give generously. Whoever has the gift of leading should work hard at it. Whoever has the gift of showing kindness to others should do it gladly.” Romans 12:5-8 ERV

There in verse seven, serving is called a gift. None of us are capable of doing everything on our own. We need those “helping” people by our side. It’s not only for our benefit but its the fulfillment of who they are. I am so thankful for the assistance I receive from others and I desire to be more helpful.

It might not be a “Shake n Bake” kind of moment but whatever it is, I’m certainly thankful for those who help!

November 6, 2018November 6, 2018

Thankful for the Trees

We lived in an area for several years where we were greeted each fall day by the beautiful turning foliage.

After being raised in the desert, this was quite a sight to behold. Most of those days I would walk our youngest daughter either to or from school and I would just soak in the beauty.

It wasn’t just the color of the leaves that intrigued me but also the size of the trees. How many winters they endured when the climate was chilling. The years they stood tall and stately in the pouring spring rains. How many times did they provide shade for summer picnics, games of tag and laying on the grass beneath their boughs.

Then Autumn comes and their leaves would turn from green to yellow and gold. In a matter of weeks they would be standing bear to face another winter. Their seasonal transformation is a sign of God’s faithfulness. And it gives me reason to be thankful.

“Great blessings belong to those
    who don’t listen to evil advice,
who don’t live like sinners,
    and who don’t join those who make fun of God.
²Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings
    and think about them day and night.
³So they grow strong,
    like a tree planted by a stream—
a tree that produces fruit when it should
    and has leaves that never fall.
Everything they do is successful.” Psalm 1:1-3 ERV

The trees in this verse are different from the ones I enjoyed. It says that their leaves will never fall or whither or fade, depending on which version you read. Now that is a miracle!

We are promised if we love the Lord’s teachings and follow them we will be like those trees. Growing tall, our hearts will be rooted deep in God’s word. We will be fruitful, abundant with the fruit of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, endurance, gentleness, goodness and kindness. And our leaves, which depict the flow of life through the tree, will always be green, supple, full of life and they will never fall.

This is God’s law of success. We have the promise that we will be successful in all we do if we live our lives like this.

This verse has caused me to be retrospect on more than one occasion. There have been many times that I have had to examine areas of failure in my life. If I evaluate those times by these verses I have to admit that I wasn’t drawing my advice from God’s word and staying ground in it day and night. Those failures came because I was trying to do things my own way or trying to follow worldly advice.

Yes, these tall and stately trees are examples of God’s goodness and His faithfulness. Even when we have times that our leaves seem to be falling to the ground, God’s faithfulness will sustain us as we draw strength from His word. His promises will bring us through the winter seasons of our lives and soon new growth with appear.

These last verses are from Isaiah. Isaiah was a prophet who gave many prophecies about Christ; his birth, life and death. This one is about the purpose of Jesus ministry.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has chosen me to bring good news to poor people. He has sent me to heal those with a sad heart. He has sent me to tell those who are being held and those in prison that they can go free. ²He has sent me to tell about the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day our God will bring punishment. He has sent me to comfort all who are filled with sorrow. ³To those who have sorrow in Zion I will give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes. I will give them the oil of joy instead of sorrow, and a spirit of praise instead of a spirit of no hope. Then they will be called oaks that are right with God, planted by the Lord, that He may be honored.” Isaiah 61:1-3 NLV

Jesus came to take away our sorrow and our shame. He gives us beauty in place of our mourning and joy in place of our sorrow. He has come to plant us as trees, trees that are right with God and bring Him honor.

Lord, today I’m thankful for the object lessons you have placed all around us. Thank you that the principles in your Word give us guidance, hope and bring us to a place of success in You.

November 5, 2018

Cornucopia Gratitude

Do you remember being younger and learning “adult” words?

That’s the way I was with the word cornucopia. I remember being in first and second grade when the teachers would put out the Thanksgiving decorations with the Pilgrims, turkeys, corn stalks and the horn-of-plenty.

They would have pictures of a horn-of-plenty filled to overflowing like the one above. They would tell us how the Pilgrims nearly starved that first year in the New Land and from their friendship with the Indians they learned to grow good crops. They all celebrated together and enjoyed the plenty of their harvest.

Then there was third grade. Mrs. Griffin put out a horn-of-plenty and asked if we knew what it was. Lots of hands went up and we all responded with the same answer. It was then she told us that this was a cornucopia. Now, that was an adult word.

Nearly every year I put out my cornucopia and it reminds me of the wonderful plenty that God has given to me. My life is full and running over just like the arrangement.

This morning, let’s be grateful for “plenty”.

“Then all the people in that land will see that you are called to be the Lord’s people, and they will be afraid of you.

¹¹“And the Lord will give you many good things. He will give you many children. He will give your cows many calves. He will give you a good harvest in the land that the Lord promised your ancestors to give you. ¹²The Lord will open his storehouse where he keeps his rich blessings. He will send rain at the right time for your land. He will bless everything you do. You will have money to lend to many nations. And you will not need to borrow anything from them.” Deuteronomy 28:10-12 ERV

The verses above are part of the summary of blessings that Moses told the Israelites God would pour out on them if they were obedient and followed the Lord. In one translation the word “many” in verse 11 is also listed as plenty.

God has promised that He would supply all our needs according to the riches that we have in Christ.

“My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 ERV

When Jesus taught about giving. He said when we give we receive. That’s the way it is in farming. We give the ground the seed; we give the seed the water and the seed gives us a harvest.

“Remember this: The one who plants few seeds will have a small harvest. But the one who plants a lot will have a big harvest. ⁷Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give. ⁸And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work. ⁹As the Scriptures say,

“He gives generously to the poor;
his goodness will continue forever.”

¹⁰God is the one who gives seed to those who plant, and he gives bread for food. And God will give you spiritual seed and make that seed grow. He will produce a great harvest from your goodness. ¹¹God will make you rich in every way so that you can always give freely. And your giving through us will make people give thanks to God.” II Corinthians 9:6-11 ERV

That’s the way it is with God. We take what He has given us and with a joyful heart we give back. Then God multiplies what we give so that we always have plenty.

Today is a cornucopia day – a day of plenty. Plenty of gratitude, plenty of joy, plenty of peace, plenty of friends and plenty of what we have need of!

Thank you Lord that you are the God of plenty.

November 4, 2018November 4, 2018

Do You Smell Thankful?

I guess the better question would be, what does thankful smell like? According to Scripture it should smell like us.

“I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume. ” II Corinthians 2:14 CEV

When we center our focus on Christ and follow His lead He will always – ALWAYS – lead us to victory. With those victories comes our testimony of God’s goodness, His power and His provision. Those testimonies bring the knowledge of Christ to the world and that knowledge brings the smell of a sweet perfume.

So, we have the opportunity to be God’s perfume. Thankfulness should smell like us.

In the Old Testament, when a sacrifice or an offering of thanksgiving was made the priest also burned incense to make the sacrifice smell sweet.

The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to give our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord.

“Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. ²Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.” Romans 12:1-2 CEV

We give our lives to Him to be molded and used for His honor. As we thank Him for all He has done and the purpose He gives our life, we are a living sacrifice that is pure and pleasing.

The Lord has so many good things in store for us. He created us for good things. He’s not looking to withhold blessings from us, He desires to overflow us with blessings.

“ I pray that God will be kind to you and will let you live in perfect peace! May you keep learning more and more about God and our Lord Jesus. ³We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. ⁴God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” II Peter 1:2-4 CEV

Take time to let those verses sink in. We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. Not by our own power but by His. He gave us great and marvelous promises. Now that’s a reason to be thankful. It’s knowledge like this, that God wants us sharing with others.

God doesn’t expect us to live a life that pleases Him on our own. No, He gave us His promise that He would empowered us for the life He called us too.

“God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.” Ephesians 2:10 CEV

When obstacles, trials and difficult times come, and they will, let’s refrain from complaining and worrying. Instead, let’s use the knowledge that God has provided victory for us through His power and His promises.

That way, we will be the ones who are the sweet smelling perfume of thankfulness.