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Nolan is 26 mos., Liam is 13 months

Nolan & Liam

Nolan

Liam

Living a life of thanks to God is a reciprocation of the life He has blessed us with. It shows Him how grateful we are to the grace, mercy and love He has extended to us in so many ways, particularly beginning with the death of His Son on the Cross and His resurrection on the third day.

Did you know that a form of the word thank is found the following number of times in each version of the Bible as listed below.

134 times in the KJV
144 times in the NIV
165 times in the NLT
162 times in the ESV
138 times in the NKJV
193 times in the AMP
139 times in the MSG

Obviously, being thankful is important stuff in the Word of God!

Did you know that Jesus actually expects us to be thankful? It's not just a bonus to Him if we happen to remember to praise and thank Him for the blessings He gives us or prayers that He answers. It's an expectation.
Let's read...

"Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." ~ Luke 17:11-19 (NIV) (Emphasis, mine)

Christ had taken the time to heal all 10 of these lepers, yet only one returned to thank Him.

The word Greek word for thanked is eucharisteō, which means:

1) to be grateful, feel thankful
2) give thanks

Christ wanted thanks, not for Himself, but to give praise and glory to God. How sad it must have made Him that this opportunity of thanksgiving and glory to God had been passed up by 9 out of 10 men healed.

Leprosy was, according to http://www.blueletterbible.org, "2) a most offensive, annoying, dangerous, cutaneous disease, the virus of which generally pervades the whole body, common in Egypt and the East." The stigma of having this dreaded disease that resulted in scaly, rough skin, was awful. Lepers were social outcasts and considered very unclean.

Put yourself in this Samaritan leper's place for a moment. You're traveling from colony to colony, and you hear that Jesus is nearby. You stand, waiting for a glimpse of the One you've heard about all your life. You gather the others around you and say, "Perhaps if we can get His attention, He will have mercy on us. What do you think, friends? Is it worth a shot?" The others around you shoot you down and say, "No, don't bother." To rally the troops, you share with them the story about a woman in your village, the home that you lived in during a life-time ago when you enjoyed life pre-leprosy. You know the one. Remember when Christ had mercy on a sweet Samaritan woman at a well? You remember His gift of Living Water and know His power to heal if He so chooses.

The men around you are encouraged and begin to cry out, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

Christ does choose to have pity on you and as you and the others travel, your skin begins to heal. The scales seem to fall off at once and you're so excited! Now, instead of going to find another leper colony to live in, you can go and show yourself to the priest, as Christ directed, and begin living life again. But wait. Part of that life is thanks living!

You tell your friends, "Wait! Before we go to the priest, let's go thank Christ for this miraculous healing!" The nine others with you sneer and say they're not wasting one precious moment going back. They're on their way to better lives and are moving forward without a backward glance. But you cannot. "Men! We have to go back and thank Him!" "You go back if you want," they say, "but we're heading on into town! Just wait till our families see us!" Breaking away from the group, you head back alone. You have a spring in your step, your skin is back to the olive complexion, clear and bright as it was years ago, but you have to go back and thank Him, the one who healed your body, and possibly your very soul...alone.

Alone.

Now, what if you were any one of the other nine men who did not return to thank Christ for His healing?

That, my friend, is precisely how to *not* to live a life of Thanks Living.

Let's purpose to always to give thanks to God. In all circumstances, let's find something to thank Him and praise Him for. Admittedly, it's a little easier to thank God in good times than it is in the hard times, but we are commanded to thank Him. He expects it of us. He gave us grace and salvation, after all. Let's not let Him down! During the hardest of the hard times, I have been able to thank Him for being Lord of my life, for the salvation He has given, and that His will is done no matter what.

How can we live a life of thanks living to God, returning thanks in our everyday lives?

T - Tell God often how thankful we are for Him. "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." ~ Psalm 118:1 (NIV)

H - Happily offer our praises to God. "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." ~ Psalm 100:4 (NIV)

A - Acknowledge that all gifts come from Him. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." ~ James 1:17 (NIV)

N - Never pass up an opportunity to thank God for loved ones in your life. "I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus." ~ 1 Corinthians 1:4 (NIV)

K - Know that God hears our thanks and praise. "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." Psalm 22:3 (KJV)

S - Seek to constantly praise God. "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise." ~ James 5:13 (NIV)


L - Live a life of gratitude to Christ. "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." ~ Colossians 4:2 (NIV)

I - Invite others to join us in praise. "Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts." ~ Psalm 105:2 (NIV)

V - Visualize how pleased He is with our thanks. "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." ~ 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 (NIV)

I - Intentionally thank God for others and pray for them to know the Savior you know. "I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." ~ Ephesians 1:16-17 (NIV)

N - Never forget to praise Him in the storms of life. "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." ~ Psalm 42:11 (NIV)

G - Give thanks to God by guarding our words and motives in acts of service. "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." ~ 1 Peter 4:11 (NIV)

Note: This post originally ran on November 25, 2008.

Thankful Thursday - Peace

Jesus knew a thing or two about peace. After all, as we see in Isaiah 9, one of His names is Prince of Peace.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." ~ Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

Sometimes I need to be reminded to slow down and be still. I have been sick since June and it seems I am always running toward recovery. I think if I take that extra step I will become well again. It doesn't work that way and I end up stressed because of it.

"Peace I leave with you; My own peace I now give and bequeth you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." ~ John 14:27

Jesus gave us peace. The Greek word for peace is eirēnē. It means:

1) a state of national tranquillity
a) exemption from the rage and havoc of war
2) peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord
3) security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)
4) of the Messiah's peace
a) the way that leads to peace (salvation)
5) of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is
6) the blessed state of devout and upright men after death

I love these definitions, because they offer such comfort to me and remind me what true peace is. It exasperation at being on eight different medications, it isn't fighting a massive case of writer's block, and it certainly isn't looking elsewhere for my peace.

The peace I have was given to me by Jesus.

The Greek word for give is didōmi. Scroll down through the definitions.

1) to give
2) to give something to someone
a) of one's own accord to give one something, to his advantage
1) to bestow a gift
b) to grant, give to one asking, let have
c) to supply, furnish, necessary things
d) to give over, deliver
1) to reach out, extend, present
2) of a writing
3) to give over to one's care, intrust, commit
a) something to be administered
b) to give or commit to some one something to be religiously observed
e) to give what is due or obligatory, to pay: wages or reward
f) to furnish, endue
3) to give
a) to cause, profuse, give forth from one's self
1) to give, hand out lots
b) to appoint to an office
c) to cause to come forth, i.e. as the sea, death and Hell are said to give up the dead who have been engulfed or received by them
c) to give one to someone as his own
1) as an object of his saving care
2) to give one to someone, to follow him as a leader and master
3) to give one to someone to care for his interests
4) to give one to someone to whom he already belonged, to return
4) to grant or permit one
a) to commission

The precious gift of peace was something Jesus gifted us with. It would be such a shame not to accept it and use it.

This week I am so thankful for peace and for our host, Lynn. Her post and her hosting really ministered to me.

P - Prepare your heart and soul for peace by staying focused on Christ and not the world. "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." ~ Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

E - Expect good results from the gift of peace. "Peace I leave with you; My own peace I now give and bequeth you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." ~ John 14:27

A - Aim for peace in your life. "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." ~ Romans 14:19 (NIV)

C - Call on the Lord when you need peace. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." ~ Romans 15:13 (NIV)

E - Enjoy the benefits of peace. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." ~ Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

What are you thankful for this week? Visit Lynn at Spiritually Unequal Marriage and link up and share.

Standing in Awe of the Love of God

What are some things that really "wow" you? I mean really make your jaw drop?

I salivate over beautiful cookware, good chocolate, and great books. Okay, so I don't get all slobbery, but I can browse for hours in a bookstore, I can sit for hours at a time reading, and I could max out a credit card on Le Creuset cast iron cookware.

How long has it been since I have really just all out praised God for His holy name and the fact that He alone is God? The question I asked myself today is if God still wows me. I am pleased to be able to answer, "He does!"

"No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power." ~ Jeremiah 10:6

"Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?" ~ Exodus 15:11

"For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God." ~ Psalm 86:10

I am in awe that the God of the universe knows me, loves me, and is involved in my daily life on an intimate level.

Out of 6,943,738,621people on earth right now (and counting), God knows me. The God who is great, whose name is mighty in power, the God who is majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, the God who works wonders, is great and does marvelous deeds loves me.

"But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." ~ Psalm 86:15 (Emphasis, mine)

How does God show His love?

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." ~ 1 John 4:9-10

How could we not be in awe of a God like that? The only God. The one TRUE God. I asked myself another question today. "How do I show my love for God in putting Him first?" This morning I overslept and only had a few minutes before leaving for work to sit down. What I really wanted to do was read a book, but a glance over at the end table showed my Bible open to where I had left off in Matthew. I had a choice to make. Steve knows that on Wednesday nights at 7:30, I enjoy watching Grant Jeffrey on TBN. He knows I won't miss it and if I do have to miss it, he records it for me. (I'm DVR illiterate at the moment.) I stop whatever I'm doing on Wednesday nights at 7:30 and catch that show! I can spend time with him, read, do chores at home, go buy food from afar at Walmart, or visit relatives, but I forgo all that because I love Bible Prophecy Revealed. I have a choice to make. When it comes to loving God, do I put Him first? If I haven't had my quiet time for the day, do I choose God or something else? If I haven't prayed, do I choose God or something else?

"You shall have no other gods before me" ~ Exodus 20:23

Above all, whether it's reading, cookware, chocolate or even a television show, I will have no other god's before You, Lord. I will give You my whole heart and praise Your awesome name. I will love You with the everlasting love with which You have loved me, and I thank You for that love and grace manifested through Your Son Jesus. What beautiful names You have, Lord God.

This post originally ran on 9/12/08.

WFW - Psalm 27:14

While We Are Waiting

Who enjoys a good, long wait? Not me. I have places to go and people to see. Hah. Seriously, although I am patient to a degree, when I am going through a trial I want it to be over. I have been battling a trial of illness that hardly lets me even write since June. That's the whole summer, ya'll! One thing I have found is that there are things I can do while I am waiting.

The Hebrew word for wait is qavah. I looked it up on the handy-dandy http://www.blueletterbible.org/ and found this verb to mean:

1) to wait, look for, hope, expect
a) (Qal) waiting (participle)
b) (Piel)
1) to wait or look eagerly for
2) to lie in wait for
3) to wait for, linger for
2) to collect, bind together
a) (Niphal) to be collected

This speaks volumes to me. It makes me have no self-pity, just a need for practicing more patience. It encourages me to hope and expect that I will be healed or God will act in someway. I look eagerly for that. No matter what our trials are, we should wait and linger for God to intervene. And He will. God is like that. He loves us! He is not going to leave us where we are. I can feel myself improving, little milestones, but they're there, blessings given by God.

Don't Worry...Be Strong

All of us have gone or are going through our own personal trials. While we are waiting on the Lord, we are encouraged by the Psalmist to be strong.

The Hebrew word for the phrase be strong and take heart is chazaq. Implying action, this verb means:

1) to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore
a) (Qal)
1) to be strong, grow strong
a) to prevail, prevail upon
b) to be firm, be caught fast, be secure
c) to press, be urgent
d) to grow stout, grow rigid, grow hard (bad sense)
e) to be severe, be grievous
2) to strengthen
b) (Piel)
1) to make strong
2) to restore to strength, give strength
3) to strengthen, sustain, encourage
4) to make strong, make bold, encourage
5) to make firm
6) to make rigid, make hard
c) (Hiphil)
1) to make strong, strengthen
2) to make firm
3) to display strength
4) to make severe
5) to support
6) to repair
7) to prevail, prevail upon
8) to have or take or keep hold of, retain, hold up, sustain, support
9) to hold, contain
d) (Hithpael)
1) to strengthen oneself
2) to put forth strength, use one's strength
3) to withstand
4) to hold strongly with

I submit that if we truly make the effort to be strong, we will not remain in the pit long. I like each and every one of these definitions. They are the epitome of strength and what we can do to use to strengthen ourselves.

Where does your strength come from? Mine comes from the Word and from knowing that God will pick me up in His time.

Wrapping It Up

We all need encouragement during times of trials, so if you're going through one, rest assured I am praying for you, bloggy friend.

Questions for Reflection: Where does your strength come from? What are some ways you have been strong through trials?

Verse of the Day: "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." ~ Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

Prayer: Father, we all face trials of different magnitudes. These trials can rock our worlds and seem to last for seasons upon seasons. Others are shorter but just as tough to go through. Help us, Lord, as we wait and find our strength in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

S - Sing praise to God no matter how dark the night. "I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High." ~ Psalm 7:17 (NIV)

T - Trust God as your deliverer. "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." ~ Psalm 18:2 (NIV)

R - Remember Who your strength is. "The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him." ~ Exodus 15:2 (NIV)

O - Obey God's command to be strong as you wait. "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." ~ Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

N - Nourish yourself by reading your Bible. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." ~ Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

G - Go on with life at a pace you can deal with. God will sustain you. "Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me." ~ Psalm 54:4 (NIV)

The purpose of WFW is to share the Word of God through photo's and a verse. Susan, at Forever His, is our hostess. Be sure to link up and share your own, and drop her a thank you for hosting this wonderful meme each week. It always blesses my heart to read all the posts and see the photos and verses. This is a wonderful way to minister to others and to be ministered to by reading others posts. Please visit by clicking on the button below.

WFW - Discretion

Weighing Our Words

"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." ~ Proverbs 13:3 (NIV)

The first time I read the Bible from cover to cover, the Holy Spirit had a running theme going with me. I saw a commonality throughout the Scriptures that the words I speak do matter and that I should pay careful attention to them. This was a Scripture I really thought about for quite a while. Our words have weight behind them and can lead to victory or ruin in our lives.

Guard My Words

What does setting a guard over my lips actually entail? The Hebrew word for guard is natsar. This is a verb that means:

1) to guard, watch, watch over, keep

a) (Qal)

1) to watch, guard, keep

2) to preserve, guard from dangers

3) to keep, observe, guard with fidelity

4) to guard, keep secret

5) to be kept close, be blockaded

6) watchman (participle)

Guarding my words involves carefully considering what I say. Wisdom, discretion and motive are things to be considered here.

I have to ask myself if what I have to say is something someone really needs to know. Some of the words that are so easy to speak are actually things that should be closely kept, guarded as a matter of wisdodm, discretion and motive, perhaps because someone has asked us not to say anything or through wisdom we know that discretion dictates not telling everything we know just to be saying it, especially when the motive is just chatter.

How can we keep our words so closely to our hearts? I think the outline of biblical usage for guard as mentioned above is key. We do what it says.
Watch, keep, guard, preserve, keep close, blockade...

Rash Talk

Speaking rashly can cause a downfall in our lives more quickly than anything else. If we utter profanity, we lose our witness. If we gossip or slander someone, there's a great chance it will get back to them before we know it.

Rashly speaking hurts not only ourselves but those we love and those we have other types of relationships with.

The Hebrew word for rash is pasaq. This verb means:

1) to part, open wide

a) (Qal)

1) to open wide

2) to be talkative (of the mouth)

b) (Piel) to open wide

Is it easier to hold our tongues when our mouths are open or closed? Closed, of course. We should keep the lid on rash talk. But how?

I think it is vital to pray before we begin our day or to go into meetings, even before answering the phone or chatting with friends, whether in person or online. One prayer I pray every time I go to meet with friends is this verse:

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." ~ Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

Do I always have victory in this area of my life? This bear looks ashamed. So am I sometimes. But I'm striving toward victory!

Besides prayer, we need to check our self-control meter. We should temper our words and lack of self-control in this area if we are struggling. Most of all, we need to purpose in our hearts that each and every one of the words we speak will glorify God and bring Him honor, not discredit Him to others who are watching and listening to the example we set.

S - self-control is so important in guarding the words we speak

P - Pray about the words you say, do they honor God, do they honor others, do they need to be shared at all

E - Expect fallbacks - we are not perfect, but we can be forgiven

A - Always count to 10 before you share something or respond to something "questionable"

K - Kindness goes such a long way in setting an example for others to follow

I - Invite God to be your mouthpiece before you begin your day

N - Notice the speech of those around you - it can rub off on you

G - Grumbling mouths are a sign of grumbling hearts

The purpose of WFW is to share the Word of God through photo's and a verse. Christy, over at Critty Joy, is our hostess. Be sure to link up and share your own, and drop her a thank you for hosting this wonderful meme each week. It always blesses my heart to read all the posts and see the photos and verses. This is a wonderful way to minister to others and to be ministered to by reading others posts. Please visit by clicking on the button below.

Serving God With a Whole Heart

One of the ways we can be obedient to God is to serve Him with our whole heart. I am thankful for the opportunity to put forth my best foot in trying to be obedient to Him this way.

Paul, in his desire to visit the Romans, penned these words…

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.”
~ Romans 1:8-10 (Emphasis, mine)

What does serving God with a whole heart, living our faith out loud, involve? To me, it involves dying to self daily, and making our faith walk and talk.

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” ~ Galatians 5:16

Living in the flesh, or sinful nature, is something I did for years before I began living life by the Spirit. My earthly/fleshly body is about 16 years older than the new creation I became when I became saved. Living in the flesh has far more experience on me than living in the Spirit does.

Life by the Spirit is something I am maturing into. It’s a growing process that I’m learning to live. A number of years after I came to a saving knowledge of Christ, I lived an on-again off-again relationship with Him. It is only in recent years that I have had the true desire, the true calling, to serve my Savior faithfully and wholeheartedly. I finally realized that I was called into this life of having my heart beat to serve my Savior daily.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” John 15:16

God chooses us and appoints us to live lives worthy of Him, and He calls us to bear fruit. He chooses people who have a will to serve Him, who have a vision to serve Him, and those who are filled with His Holy Spirit - those who will serve Him wholeheartedly.

When we serve Him wholeheartedly, we live the faith He desires us to live out loud in our daily lives.

So what about this business of serving Him wholeheartedly, of living our faith out loud? What does serving God with a whole heart involve? And how do I serve with my whole heart?

For me, it begins with a life of PRAYER.

P - Prayer - do I pray about what I am to do for Him, what He wants me to do rather than following my own will? “But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.” - Psalm 88:13

R - Respect - do I have a proper respect for God, admitting His holiness and sovereignty in my life? “O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. - Isaiah 37:16

A - Able - do I believe that He is able to teach me and direct me in the way that I should go? “This is what the LORD says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17

Y - Yes - am I always willing to say, “Yes,” to God and “No,” to self? “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” - Luke 9:25

E - Equip - am I equipped to serve Him? Have I spent time in His Word, learning all I can about servitude? “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” - Psalm 119:105

R - Reliance - do I rely on Him or on others as I serve Him? “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” - Joshua 24:15

What other verses come to mind for you as you think of each of the truths for this acrostic?

Do you serve God wholeheartedly? Are you ready to make that commitment if you’re not?

It is my desire that I serve Him wholeheartedly, and that I begin to do it afresh today.

We can find a great example of obedience in Luke.

He had fished all night and didn't catch a thing. He was a fisherman by trade. He knew the water. But he also knew his Savior. "But because you say so..." Simon listened to the Savior and *together* they caught so many fish the nets began to break. Had to have help to haul them all in.

He was willing. Willing to have obedience, faith, honor and love. May I be as obedient, faithful, honoring and loving as Simon Peter was, and simply respond to Christ with, "But because you say so, I will do it."

One of the markers of obedience to God is serving Him wholeheartedly.

Simon didn't have to re-cast the net. He could have said, "Lord, what about just using a pole? I'm so tired after fishing all night and not getting so much as a nibble."

Because he respected Jesus and knew that there was a lesson to be learned, he moved in obedience to the command of the Lord. He had ever reason to pack up and call it a night, but he obeyed with his whole heart.

We have the opportunity to do that, friends. I am so thankful for the privilege to serve God in obedience, even when I've "fished all night and haven't caught a thing."

Are we willing to listen for His voice and do what He tells us?

I pray that we will all be thankful for the privilege to serve the God who saved us when we could not save ourselves.

This was a post that I originally did as a guest post for Laced With Grace and Thankful Thursday while back and another post I did on obedience last July. I apologize for the re-run (I did edit it to include some new thoughts).