Thankful
Good Friday Morning Lake Tapps
This week our family celebrated Thanksgiving on Wednesday to accommodate all our schedules. This caused me to pause and wonder why we have to wait for a particular Thursday in November to remember to be thankful.
As Christians we are encouraged all through the Psalms to be in an attitude of thankfulness to the LORD for all His provisions for us. Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 that we should give thanks in every situation. On the face of it this seems to be an impossible task. How on earth can we do it? Aren’t there situations in life where there just isn’t any joy? Just read the next verse, 5:19. Paul says, don’t quench the Spirit. That’s the answer. We can’t, but the Spirit can. In each situation He causes us to see the hidden aspects for which we can be thankful.
James carries this idea of thankfulness to the extreme where he says we should find joy in our disappointments and trials. On the surface we would be crazy to find joy in our problems. But James reminds us that it is through the trials that God makes us perfect and complete (James 1:2-4).
So, when we take a few moments to consider our life – even with its disappointments and trials – by the guiding of the Holy Spirit, there is much to be thankful for each day of the year.
As we consider the blessings of the Lord, we would do well to thank Him for His mercy and grace toward us. Last Sunday our guest speaker, Tim Henle, reminded us of the battle we all have with our old nature (the flesh). We can all be thankful for the Spirit of Jesus who fights against our flesh moment by moment. Thankfully as He fights the battle, He also conforms us to the image of Christ for others to see.
All of this caused me to thank the Lord for all that He’s doing in our midst at LTCC. I was so blessed to see so many people assemble together last Sunday to worship our Lord and Savior. For me it was an encouraging sign, that as we take a little pause in the Senior Pastor search process to catch our breath and process all the information, we could come together to seek the face of the Lord as a family. To that end, remember that beginning this Sunday, November 27th, we will be going to one worship service at 10 am for an indefinite period. For those that can come early, each Sunday we will be meeting in the sanctuary at 9:15 a.m. to pray for healing and the leading of the Lord.
Gary for the Elders
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