Happy Givingthanks!

Thanksgiving......Thanks. Giving. The word has become reference to a national holiday. It just rolls off the tongue with no particular thought. "what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" it has become different things to different people, and although many of us give much thought to what we are thankful for IN this life, I never quite give enough thanks FOR this life.....for ETERNAL life. Perhaps we should rename the day "GIVINGTHANKS" instead? Then people wouldn't even have to say,"what are you doing for Thanksgiving" because the answer would already be obvious, "Giving Thanks"!

I can make a list a mile long of all of the THINGS that I am thankful for, but the root of my gratitude is just one thing.....GRACE through Jesus Christ's sacrificial death so that I may be saved from eternal death.....His forgiveness of my filth, so that I may be made clean in His sight. His pure and Holy Grace.

His pure and Holy Grace comes unconditionally to those who believe. The Living Water of His Spirit washes away what is scrubbed clean by Grace and mercy. And for this, I Give Thanks, because without this, there is nothing on earth that can save from eternal darkness.

So WHY is it so hard to accept this? I struggle with grasping His grace myself. It's like trying to remove filth without soap or water. It doesnt work. Eventually the stench becomes unbearable to oneself and to all those around, that it drives people away, and no amount of man made fragrance can cover the persistant odor of unforgiven sin.

We all struggle with sin, even those in Christ, but instead of the accumulation of grime, we can receive the undeserved gift of Grace, which lathers up in pure joy, so we can be rinsed clean by the Water of the Spirit of God. "For it is by Grace you have been saved through Faith, it is not of yourselves, it is a Gift of God" Eph. 2:8

So take that Beautiful, Amazing, and Pure Grace into your upturned hands and be washed of all that keeps you from shining clean and holy skin of Christ's righteousness, and let the fragrance of forgiveness go out into the world where there are so many hurting souls. Take handfuls of His Grace and offer them freely to those who know no way to rid themselves of the
pain of sorrow and guilt. Hold them close so they can smell the fragrance of forgiveness and feel the warmth of love. And out of the Thanks-filled Heart, tell them of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His power to cleanse and transform.

May your Thanksgiving Day become a blessed Givingthanks day!

"Grace and Gratitude go together like Heaven and Earth.....the Grace preceeds the Gratitude like Lightning preceeds Thunder" ~Barth