Artist, Susan RoisI am reading this very good book. I thought I would share this little section with you.
The verse is "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."(1 Thess.5:18)
"The text says "THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD" Wouldn't you like a statement as clear as that when you're trying to figure out whether you should move, or take a job, or marry someone?...... People come to me all the time wishing they could find that kind of specific direction in Scripture. They want God to jot them out a neat little prescription: " Do this on Tuesday morning at the corner of Seventh and Main St."
Do you want a prescription? Do you want specific direction? Do you want to know the will of God? Here it is! Be thankful. Gratitude is the will of God for your life. If you are not a grateful person(and in your heart right now, you know very well whether you are or you aren't) you are not walking in the Spirit. You are out of the will of God, no matter how many gifts of the Spirit you might be exhibiting in your life. To be ungrateful is to be out of the will of God. You say, "Well, I don't like that. I don't like it much either, but I didn't say it. God said it. The Bible isn't only a sword, it is a hammer. Have you ever been hammered by the Word of God? Let's say you find yourself grousing some afternoon. You're singing a sad story about how bad things are, how your talents are unappreciated, how your kids aren't measuring up, how your job is going south on you, how rotten the weather is, how the government did you wrong... and you work yourself into a really bleak, foul mood. You and I have both met people who say they are believers and yet have all the signs of being ugly, bitter, mean-spirited folks. How could that be? If you are filled with the Spirit of God, your life is going to be marked by a spirit of gratitude that runs to the very core of who you are. And if that isn't true, whatever else you've got, you haven't got the Holy Spirit controlling your life.
One more thought on this matter of God's will and gratitude. Not only is the will of god clear, but the will of God concerning gratitude is comprehensive....
In Ephesians5:20, Paul says that the Spirit-filled believer gives thanks for all things.
In Colossians 3:17 he expands "all things." He writes: " And whatever you do in word or deed, Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
And if you think you have troubles Paul was in prison when he wrote this.
When we are filled with the spirit, we learn how to count our blessings instead of our crosses, our gains instead on our losses, our joys instead on our woes, our friends instead on our foes, our health instead on our wealth . We count on God instead of ourself." .....
♥
Lord fill us with the Holy Spirit today, and with a grateful heart and attitude for all things!
In Jesus Name we pray, Amen
The verse is "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."(1 Thess.5:18)
"The text says "THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD" Wouldn't you like a statement as clear as that when you're trying to figure out whether you should move, or take a job, or marry someone?...... People come to me all the time wishing they could find that kind of specific direction in Scripture. They want God to jot them out a neat little prescription: " Do this on Tuesday morning at the corner of Seventh and Main St."
Do you want a prescription? Do you want specific direction? Do you want to know the will of God? Here it is! Be thankful. Gratitude is the will of God for your life. If you are not a grateful person(and in your heart right now, you know very well whether you are or you aren't) you are not walking in the Spirit. You are out of the will of God, no matter how many gifts of the Spirit you might be exhibiting in your life. To be ungrateful is to be out of the will of God. You say, "Well, I don't like that. I don't like it much either, but I didn't say it. God said it. The Bible isn't only a sword, it is a hammer. Have you ever been hammered by the Word of God? Let's say you find yourself grousing some afternoon. You're singing a sad story about how bad things are, how your talents are unappreciated, how your kids aren't measuring up, how your job is going south on you, how rotten the weather is, how the government did you wrong... and you work yourself into a really bleak, foul mood. You and I have both met people who say they are believers and yet have all the signs of being ugly, bitter, mean-spirited folks. How could that be? If you are filled with the Spirit of God, your life is going to be marked by a spirit of gratitude that runs to the very core of who you are. And if that isn't true, whatever else you've got, you haven't got the Holy Spirit controlling your life.
One more thought on this matter of God's will and gratitude. Not only is the will of god clear, but the will of God concerning gratitude is comprehensive....
In Ephesians5:20, Paul says that the Spirit-filled believer gives thanks for all things.
In Colossians 3:17 he expands "all things." He writes: " And whatever you do in word or deed, Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
And if you think you have troubles Paul was in prison when he wrote this.
When we are filled with the spirit, we learn how to count our blessings instead of our crosses, our gains instead on our losses, our joys instead on our woes, our friends instead on our foes, our health instead on our wealth . We count on God instead of ourself." .....
♥
Lord fill us with the Holy Spirit today, and with a grateful heart and attitude for all things!
In Jesus Name we pray, Amen
God bless your day! Sharon
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