Today’s Reading: Psalms 23
Today’s Verse: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Psalms 23:6 KJV
For many of us we want to mature in our spiritual lives.
To become more thankful for all the blessings we receive.
I read a devotional where a woman started what she called a “Thanks-Living Jar.”
Every evening, she would write on a small piece of paper one thing she thanked God for.
She would drop it in the jar.
Now there were some days when had many praises; other days that were difficult and she struggled to find one.
When the end of the year came, she would empty the jar and read through all the notes.
Finding herself giving thanks to God again for everything He had done.
He had given her simple things.
Things like a beautiful sunset or a cool evening for a walk in the park.
There were other times when He had provided grace to handle a difficult situation.
Times when He had answered one of her prayers.
The writer of this devotional made a great observation.
He said it reminded him of what the psalmist David says he experienced. (Psalms 23 KJV).
David was speaking about the confidence he had in God’s grace and care.
How God had made him to lie down in green pastures.
Led beside the still waters.
Restored his soul and led him in the path of righteousness. (vv.2-3)
Thankful that no matter what he was going though, God; s rod and God’s staff was always there to comfort him (v.4).
David ended this psalms saying: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever” (Psalms 23:6 KJV).
Today is the first day of a new year and I am going to make a Thanks-living jar.
Maybe you would like to do so too.
Some may even wish to do it as a family project.
It is really easy to do.
We simply use small slips of paper to write down one thing we are grateful for.
It can be the simple things that make life wonderful (i.e. the beautiful sunshine, the beauty we see in a plant, the mile from a stranger, or the encouraging text from a friend).
Fold and place it in our jar.
At the end of the year, we can take the time to look back at wat we wrote.
As we read them, we will see we have many reasons to thank God.
Thanking Him for our friends and family.
For all the provisions He has made for our physical, spiritual, and emotional needs.
We will see that His goodness and love really follows us all the days of our lives.
A WORD OF PRAYER
Father, when we think of all that is good in our lives, we cannot help but to give You thanks. We are blessed in more ways than we can ever express. May we all take a moment to remember as many of the ways You have brought us through. All the ways You have provided for our physical, spiritual and emotional needs. Thank You for all the love You show us.
In Jesus Name We Pray, Amen