May Our Hearts Beat
With The Compassion of Jesus Christ
This Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. It is a day that for many is filled with family, friends and good food. Happy memories and reminiscing fill the day in a Norman Rockwell type setting. Many travel countless miles to spend this day with loved ones.
What Guides Your Heart?
This Thanksgiving keep your heart open and let His compassionate heart guide yours. A dear friend sent me the glass heart pictured above. It is beautiful when the sun shines through it in the window. So too, your heart is beautiful when the Son shines through it, though you may be in the darkest surroundings.
Stay Safe But Not Walled Off
Look closely at the heart in the picture. The outer glass is thick and sturdy protecting the thinner glass patterned within. Guard your heart with a hedge of protection but do not build an impenetrable wall. Not all of us will sit at the proverbial Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving table. Some are challenged with sickness, death of a loved one, no family or home in which to be included. No matter what has gone before in your life, let this holiday be new and fresh for you. You have His promise that He will make all things new. He will if you choose to let Him.
If you have no one to be with yet you do not want to be alone, share your day with those less fortunate and volunteer. Be the spirit of thanksgiving! It is through giving that you receive.
If you are serving in the Armed Forces and are away from home, may God bless you and keep you safe. May you find the warmth of fellowship with other warriors an oasis. On this Thanksgiving Day and always, thank you for your service.
Look inside the glass heart again. Notice the patterns. Your heart has many patterns within it of the past. Some patterns have soft edges. Some are more pointed. Do not get stuck in historical patterns!
In this season of thanksgiving let Him soften the pointed edges of your past and give you hope and peace.
Maintain Your Center
In the very center of the heart is an icthus or fish symbol. The Greek word icthus stands for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour. Always keep Jesus Christ at the center of your heart (it is always a heart issue). In spite of whatever may be swirling around in your heart from day to day, keep Him at the center! Whatever your circumstance, let Him lead you through every day with His grace and peace.
Know this. If you make Jesus the center of your Thanksgiving Day and every day forward you are never alone. Sometimes you can be with many people and still feel alone. With Jesus, it does not matter if you are in a crowd or unaccompanied, you are never alone.
If you have yet to accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life, do it now! If you have grown lukewarm, recommit now! What better time to make a fresh commitment to the King of kings and Lord of lords than in the season of thanksgiving.
There is much to be thankful for no matter what is going on around you. Start with thanking Jesus for giving His life so you can have eternal life. Thank Him that His mercies are new every morning; that He offers you the peace that surpasses all understanding and that He has a plan to give you hope and a future. Start there and add your own reasons to thank Him.
In this season of thanksgiving, I am thankful for all of you who are faithful prayer warriors raised up ‘for such a time as this.’ May God richly bless you on Thanksgiving Day and always.
Quotes To Ponder This Week
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ~Jesus, Matthew 11:28
“Assuredly, is say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” ~Jesus, Matthew 18:3
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ~Jesus, Matthew 28:19-20
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” ~Jeremiah 29:11
“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
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your 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
“Let your conduct be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have, for He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’” ~Hebrews 13:5
“Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’” ~Revelation 21:5
“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” ~John Bunyan
“…one faithful person plus God is always a majority.” ~O.S. Hawkins, the Jesus Code, 52 Scripture Questions Every Believer Should Answer, 2014
A Prayer Request
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to pray. Please keep all who serve our country, our diplomatic corps, our servicemen and women and their families in prayer for salvation and safety. They are our front-line on the battlefield, let us be their front-line in the spirit. Also, let us cover all who have come home wounded that they and their families will receive the kindness, help and support they need to go forward in their lives. May the Lord bless them and keep them safe.
Pray for all throughout the world for hedges of protection against radical Muslim extremists and all forms of terrorism. We have long prayed for spiritual victory over radical Islam in Esther’s Warriors Ministry. We now see the reality of this threat come to the forefront in this time in world history.
Please pray for all in authority over us, for the full truth to come forth concerning Benghazi. We as Americans and the families of those murdered in Benghazi deserve to be told the truth. Pray that God will open doors to let the truth on all that has been hidden flow for all of us in this United States of America! The truth shall keep us free.
Pray for peace in Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for Christians throughout the world who face violence and death for their faith.
May God richly bless the United States of America, bring to light every single crooked place and keep her safe. May we arise united once again as One Nation Under God in this auspicious season in our country’s history. We continue to pray for truth to prevail as we saturate this country in prayer and stand for all that is right in America and for all of us who call ourselves American. These are treacherous times and now more than ever we must maintain our walk. Fail not in this hour. #Pray for America.
Please Join Me in Prayer
Father God, We thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to set us free. With You as our center, empower us to walk in the grace and compassion of Jesus. With humble and thankful hearts let us be a light for every darkened heart in this world. Direct us to lead others to You with grace and compassion. Cancel any spirit of judgment or division that may be in our hearts. Grace us with the spirit of healing and unity in this season. Great is Your faithfulness, oh God! We thank You that You keep Your hand on America. Forgive our sin and heal our land that we will remain One Nation Under God. We pray this in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen and Amen.