Words Of Encouragement To Start The Day ( Friday 11/27/09)

If Nothing Else I am Grateful…

Romans 11:22 (Amplified Bible)

²²Then note and appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's gracious kindness to you--provided you continue in His grace and abide in His kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off (pruned away).

My mother and I pray in the mornings. God had instructed us at the beginning of the school year to tithe the first portions of our day to Him. So we rise and praise, worship and petition God in the early mornings before the morning light often parts the darkness. It is in these times that we have had some of the best revelatory moments, insights flow and God speaks and directs us in our prayers. On Wednesday morning during such a time of sweet communion, my spirit began to cry out in gratitude for all the Lord had kept me through in my past, and all He had and was doing in my present and all He intended to do in my future. My spirit was so full, it was hard to utter words, and tears flowed without hesitation. My Grandma James use to walk around her apartment in a state of gratitude, saying “when I think about the goodness of Jesus and A L L He has done for me, my soul cries out Hallelujah Thank God for saving me. This was a sign to us in the house that she was in a place with God where she was just thankful, where if God had chosen never to do anything else for her she was still in a place overwhelmed with gratitude.

When I think about all of the obstacles in my life right now, I could easily become discouraged and out of sorts. But I have a reference point. I know God, and I have experienced God working in my life. So I am afforded a point of reference that reminds me of how many times God has been faithful to me, how many times God has seen me through, how many times God has healed me. This indicator allows me to be grateful for where God has brought me from, what He has done for me and allows me to grasp that He can do it again, right here, right now in my present. When I recognize who I am and to whom I belong, I am grateful to God for His goodness, His kindness and His faithfulness towards me. Armed with all of this knowledge it becomes common place for me to find myself engulfed by my gratitude instead of my would be attitude. I find myself choosing life, rather than to crawl up and die and lose hope. Even when it looks like all hell has broken loose, if we know who God is to us and we know who we are in Him, we are just grateful to be!

So today, take a moment to get your mind off of all that you do not have, all that is not working for you, all that could go wrong and should go wrong, and place your mind back at Calvary’s cross and recognize all he has already done, and how He is keeping you now. Thank Him in advance for your deliverance and your needs being met; for if nothing else you should have an attitude of gratitude. One that allows you to believe that the God that has provided will continue to change; the one that healed can heal again! Be Grateful!