With a lit candle flickering nearby and a hot cup of coffee, I was ready to settle into my morning routine of communion with God. I was preparing to read Luke as we move toward the Christmas season, but this morning, God redirected my study. As I tried to turn the page to Luke chapter 1, my Bible fell open to Psalm 107. There I saw a note that my cousin Amy had placed in the margin almost a month ago to the day. It simply said “breathe, Psalm 107.”

God was answering a prayer that I had prayed as I walked up the stairs to my study room. I was telling Him that I really didn’t know what to pray for anymore because this year, it seemed as though my prayers only consisted of one word: please. I knew that God had been with my family this year – the proof was beyond evident. But I still felt as though I was coming into my time with Him with a fix-it list.

As I saw Amy’s handwriting and felt peace, my eyes wandered over to Psalm 107:1: 

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good: his faithful love endures forever.  

The Hebrew word for faithful love is chesed, which means covenant loyalty. Psalm 107 tells us five times to “give thanks for His faithful love” – His covenant loyalty. Jesus was reinforcing his unconditional love for me, the reason He came to this earth as a baby and then carried out God’s plan for our redemption.

He has broken down bronze gates and cut through the iron bars. When I have cried out this year He has brought me out of my distress. I can see it and when I give thanks, when I rejoice, all injustice shuts its mouth. (verse 42).

As we enter into a season of wish lists, I pray that we keep the spirit of Thanksgiving for His faithful love at the top.

EXTRA  – I Know How To Say Thank You

In my podcast – episode 120-  Katie Reid asked me if I have ever shared with you that I love to sing.  I told her that I had not.

After the interview was over she asked my why.  I didn’t have an answer, I had not thought about it.

Since we are talking about taking the spirit of Thankfulness into our Christmas season I will share a song that I sang with my daughter and husband in 2016.

It reminded me that:

I don’t know about the future,
I don’t understand some things about the past.
I don’t why some things happen,
I don’t why some things end and others last.
I don’t know of the rhymes and reasons,
I don’t understand the words some people pray.
When I see the hand of mercy Lord,
Protect me the dangers in my way.

I know how to say to say thank you