God's Roadmap

Now may the Lord Jesus Christ and our Father God, who loved us and in his wonderful grace gave us eternal comfort and a beautiful hope that cannot fail, encourage your hearts and inspire you with strength to always do and speak what is good and beautiful in his eyes (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 TPT).


Showing posts with label Romans 1:21. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romans 1:21. Show all posts

Thursday, November 28, 2024

3 Ways Gratitude Benefits Our Lives

 

3 ways gratitude benefits our lives

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

Have you ever wondered why we are told in the Bible to be thankful?

Our flesh defaults to complaining. Sometimes we may not realize our words or thoughts contain grouchy sentiments.

Even though we have been made new in our spirits when we accept Christ, our soul still needs to be renewed or we drift back into unholy thinking.

Gratitude may be easy when we contemplate answered prayers and receiving what we want. But even those blessings can be taken for granted when we get comfortable. God warned the Israelites against complacency when they arrived at the Promised Land where everything was already provided for them (Deuteronomy 8:11-18).

There are more verses in the Bible about thankfulness than we can count here. That should tell us how important this virtue is to our lives.

Here are 3 ways gratitude can benefit our lives.

Saturday, August 29, 2020

How to Stay Thankful in an Ungrateful Society

 by Barbara Latta

One of the signs of the end times is unthankfulness (2 Timothy 3:2). All one has to do is see a news
report for a few minutes to know ingratitude and rudeness are prevalent in our society. The spirit that permeates the air reeks of self-promotion and greed. Intelligence and technology have become a god and the “gimme” attitude has its hand out for more at the expense of others.

The Bible says in Romans 1:21, because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

This verse is part of Paul’s letter to the Romans explaining how people really know there is a God even when they don’t admit it. But because they continue to refuse Him their hearts become hard and they can no longer hear any conviction. Eventually, they become totally reprobate and without hope.

After all, when a person totally ignores the unction of the Holy Spirit and make themselves or their intelligence a god, why should they thank anyone else? There is no one to be accountable to so in their minds any behavior is acceptable. It is hard to understand how some people cannot discern the evil practices of leaders, politicians and celebrities but it is because they are blind to the truth. 

Whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them (2 Corinthians 4:4 NKJV).

With blasphemy, violence and hateful words surrounding our world, how can we stay thankful in this ungrateful society?

  • Meditate continually in the Word of God
  • Confess His Word over ourselves and our situations.
  • Acknowledge the Lordship of Christ in our lives
  • Glorify Him during all events of life because He is always the solution


If we find ways to give thanks daily for things we sometimes forget are blessings, we will have a heart filled with gratitude.

What about the color of the rainbow, fall leaves, or spring flowers? God could have made everything black, white, and gray and we wouldn’t have known the difference. But He chose to give us enjoyment with the variety of colors for our eyes to feast upon.

Have you ever been thankful for a child’s giggle or grubby little hands bringing you flowers, the blue sky, bright sunshine, or the smell of bread baking in the kitchen?

Can you breathe, walk, talk, hear, see, or move about? Even if you can’t do some of those things, God loves you and that is the main thing to be thankful for. Thank Him for giving His Son Jesus to redeem you from sin and giving His Word to help you overcome the difficulties you may have.

God wants us to have a thankful heart because in doing so we are submitting to Him. A soft heart can hear His voice and we in turn can spread that voice to the world.

What are you thankful for today? Share your thoughts.

How to stay thankful in an ungrateful society (click to tweet)

 

Sunday, November 18, 2018

What would happen if we were not thankful?


by Barbara Latta

The Bible is full of verses telling us to be thankful.

But why is it important to give thanks? What would happen if we didn’t?

  • When we aren’t thankful our hearts can become hardened and selfish.
    Why do we need to be thankful?

Because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened (Romans 1:21 NKJV).

  • We can become fearful and anxious. Thanksgiving in prayer can keep our minds from anxiety.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let our requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

  • When we are thankful for what we have received, we are able to give out to others.
While you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God (2 Corinthians 9:11).

  • Give thanks just because God deserves it. He is the giver of our life and every good thing we have.
Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. (Psalm 106:10.

Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever (Psalm 136:1).

May we remember who the giver of all gifts is and never forget to acknowledge His bountiful hand to us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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