There were many thoughts going through my mind this past week, as we experienced the season we call "Thanksgiving". I am sorry that I do not have exact quotes today, as I am away from home and have not got my Bible before me, so the chapter and verse may not be quoted exactly.
Throughout this month of November I contemplated all the things that I have to be thankful for. Each day I wrote, on my Facebook page, one tangible thing that I am grateful for. As I did this not only did I start to be truly more thankful, as I "counted my blessings" but verses from Romans chapter 1 kept coming to my mind. The Lord tells us in this chapter that mankind has become vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts are darkened. It tells of how man worships the "creature more than the Creator". One simple phrase in this chapter says, "...neither were (they) thankful". Knowing the Lord as my Savior, I ask myself, "am I being THANKFUL?" ---regularly and genuinely thankful? How easy it is to not be, and how ashaned I should be! I wish to resolve in the days to follow (though I may not do it perfectly) to write down, every day, something that I am thankful for.
As I have been spending time in the gospels during my morning Bible time, it has made me dwell upon just how MUCH the Lord Jesus gave as He went to the cross for my sin. Many years ago someone stated that if I were the only person dwelling upon the earth, Jesus would have gone to the cross and died for my sin. It hit me hard then and I have never been able to forget it (nor do I want to!) When I picture the Lord on the cross, I imagine each and every one of the sins that I have ever committed, or will commit, hanging upon Jesus Christ - all over Him. The Word says that, "He became sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God, in Him." Elsewhere it says that "He bore our sins in own His body on the tree." Two days ago I read again about Christ's agony in the garden of Gethsemane. He asked God that He might "let this cup pass from me" but then added,"nevertheless, not as I will but as thou wilt." Jesus was not afraid to face the cross or the pain or the shame, but He would have to BECOME SIN there for me. As He hung there, the Father would have to turn away from Jesus because God cannot look upon sin. What a horrible thing to have to happen to One who had never even known sin! These thoughts made me so much more grateful for what Jesus Christ went through, for me alone...and we know He did it for the whole world.
These are some Thanksgiving week thoughts and contemplations that I have had and I am so grateful that God refreshed my heart with them. I hope that they will remain and change me into a more thankful person as I walk with Him through the rest of my days on earth.
I'm glad you visited The Hill today and truly wish you the best as you head into December and then the new year.
