"God has not promised me a comfortable life. He’s promised me himself." - Paul David Tripp
"We begin our journey through grace with the way God shows his grace – his love and favour – towards all he has made. David explicitly highlights this facet of God’s dealings with all his creatures in Psalm 145, captured in the words, ‘The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all he has made’ (145.9)." - Ref 21
"...while we should not ignore the bad news, neither should we overlook the good news. We serve a sovereign God who governs all things. As Lamentations 3:37 asks, “Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?” .... As we reflect on the end of the 2010s, we should give thanks to God for these 15 'good news' trends." - TGC
"...how refreshing is it to meet a young person who is willing to work hard, not afraid to give back, and naturally expresses gratitude?" - Church Leaders
By Eric Davis. Reposted from The Cripplegate.
That beloved American holiday is upon us. It’s almost Thanksgiving. The day before Thanksgiving is considered the busiest travel day of the year for Americans as we herd ourselves around friends and family. So, whether you’re catching a connecting flight, waiting for TSA, sitting in a traffic jam, or on your way to grandma’s, here are a few brief thoughts to prime the pump for a day of giving thanks.
God does a lot for all of us. Numbers help define what “a lot” means. That’s why I like numbers. They help me visualize things. And in the case of giving thanks, they help put God’s kindness into perspective.
Here are a few numbers to help us.
By the time you hit 30 years old:
“It is no surprise that receiving thanks makes people happier, but so does expressing gratitude. An experiment that asked participants to write and deliver thank-you notes found large increases in reported levels of happiness, a benefit that lasted for an entire month.” - Intellectual Takeout
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
(ESV)
"If I foolishly assume that I’m a good person, then I’ll arrogantly assume that I’m a deserving person. I’ll place myself in the center of my world and live with an “I deserve” attitude. Because I live with such a sense of entitlement, I’ll develop an inflated and unrealistic sense of personal need." - Paul David Tripp
