Harvest Thanksgiving All Year Round!Sample

MAGNIFY GOD WITH THANKSGIVING!

How do we magnify God with our thanksgiving? There are several ways to show God our thanksgiving for all He is and all He does.

• Obedience: I am reminded in His word that 'obedience' is better than sacrifice. I Samuel 15:22 When we obey and live by His word, we thank God continually with our lifestyle!

• Praise with our mouth: "I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving." Psalm 69:30

• Compassion:"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

• Prayer:"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

• Generosity:"Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God 'loves' a cheerful giver!" 2 Corinthians 9:7

Please think of these suggestions to stir-up thanksgiving and joy from deep within!

I like to think of serving God wholly with the analogy of baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies. If I'm in a hurry, I might try to speed the process up; perhaps use a higher temperature than what the recipe indicates. I might become distracted by taking a phone call and forget to put the baking soda and baking powder into the dry mixture. Or perhaps make the wrong decision to use old chocolate chips.

I don't think you would feel my gratitude and love by offering you cookies made in this manner. So, it is with the Lord. Like baking, we take our time, put other things on hold, and use the best and freshest ingredients possible. Most men feel appreciated and loved when they smell those cookies and, better yet, when they are handed a few on a plate to savor.

God waits for us to approach Him daily, to show us our love through thanksgiving!

TODAY'S EXERCISE:

• Use this list or develop your own for ways to magnify the Lord.

• What a privilege to come into the presence of the Creator; begin putting this thought into your spirit!

• Don't put God last in your daily routine.

• Stir up thanksgiving from deep within.