Something to REALLY Be Thankful For!
At this time of you we turn our thoughts to being thankful. I enjoyed reading all of the posts from Facebook friends listing the things and people for which they were thankful. I believe that expressing thanksgiving is a very healthy, spiritual exercise for all of us…and we all need exercise after yesterday’s calorie consumption!
Today I began 1 Peter and was overwhelmed by how he begins this letter, especially as it relates to thanksgiving. Let’s read it together: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
If you are not familiar with this passage I recommend reading it again, slowly, and seeing all of the things for which to be thankful. First, we have the fact that we are born again to a living hope because of the mercy of God and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We do not have to continue to serve sin. We can change masters, from sin to Jesus. We also get an inheritance! Yee haw! But not an inheritance that is short-lived but one that is incorruptible and undefiled and one that does not fade away. All those “Black Friday” deals have faded away…but not the “deal” that the Father offers through Jesus Christ. We should be thankful for that incredible inheritance that comes through Jesus Christ. We should also be thankful for the fact that God keeps us in that salvation by His power, not our power. We are saved by grace, not works. We are “kept saved” by the grace of God and not our works. We can be thankful for that. So, as you wind down the rest of the leftovers and/or put away the bargains that you got today, let’s remember to be REALLY thankful for our salvation…and if you haven’t yet experienced this incredible salvation, send me a comment..I’d be glad to talk to you more about it. It is worth your time and it will change your life!