Loving Right Where We Are...

Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud"

Woah, woah, how am I going to relate a love song to a devotional? Easy. 

We found love right where we are...

I met with my Pastor recently for coffee to catch up and chat. After nearly two hours and sharing laughs, he said, "You've got a joy about you. You're filled with joy." And I realized, yeah. Yeah, I am! And you know something? It's not from another human being! I mean, I am definitely incredibly blessed to have a family and friends who pour their love into me daily, but....nah. I'm not sparkling because of them. I'm sparkling because of Him. 

I found love right where I am...with God. That sounds crazy, right? But bear with me! If you're married or seeing someone, wonderful! But if you're single, like me (especially us romantics), we smile sheepishly as we look out the window when we think about someone like Sheeran is describing in his song. And above all - his song made me look forward to whoever God is going to bring into my life. 

Even as the world is being destroyed all around us, let's focus on the good stuff today. 

Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your love. Thank you for pouring it into us. Thank you for the people you put in and take out of our lives for Your reasons alone. Help us to be a blessing to someone today. Help us to remind someone today (even one of your smallest or greatest creatures) that they are incredibly special and their life is full of purpose through our actions or words to them. Take Your broken people and unite us in your love. We love you Lord, You are our strength (Psalm 18:1). In Jesus' name, amen. 

Faithful Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

       Today, we're going to do something a little different. I'm opening up the commenting section to post your reasons for being thankful.

      Why is it so important to give thanks in all cirumstances? Because look at the role of positive thinking. If we're broke, be thankful that we have a God who provides. If we're sad, thank Him that we even have the ability to feel sad. And then give thanks that He has promised that you won't be sad forever. If we just can't seem to get it together for whatever reason, give thanks for being given so much responsibility.

    Fact:  The more we remain faithful, the more thanks

              we give.

              The more thanks we give, the more we praise  

              God.

              The more we praise God, the more we realize

              what we have and rejoice in our blessings and

              contentment.

              The more we are content, the less room

              worry, anxiety, or any other form of negativity

              has to sneak its way into our thought life and 

              hearts.

             

     Fact: Thankfulness + Praise = Building of our faith

     What are you thankful for? What praise do you have to share?             

     Let's see if we can post at least 10 reasons why we're thankful to God from personal experience or have a praise to share and from at least three different countries.

     Tomorrow's post will be based on our responses and directed toward Psalm 118:19-21. Here we go!

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