Practicing Thankfulness

I am 100% certain that I am not the only person who feels the presence and blessings of God in my life.  Yet I talk to people or hear people all the time who say that they don't hear from God or they don't "feel" God.  This always leaves me in a quandary because I KNOW God is there; He is the common denominator.  The other denominator is the individual involved.  And, yes, I can remember when I wasn't so conscious of God's goodness and faithfulness.  I suppose it was not until I needed Him, BIG, in my life that I recognised that He was there all along.  What changed?  My pursuit of Him, of His peace, of His presence changed for me.  And that changed everything.

I'm not sure where you are on your journey with God today, but I can promise you this....God loves you and wants to be in relationship with you.  He wants you to know that He cares and He wants you to rest in His presence.  This is no easy task because it flies in the face of pride.  Our pride tells us that we can do life on our own; we don't really need any help.  God tells us we can do life much better if we surrender it to Him and let Him guide and lead us.  It really is a simple concept, yet so hard for so many of us to grasp. 

I've found that I can be assured of God's presence in my life as I seek Him and thank Him.  I'm truly amazed at the frequency in which He shows up as I do this.  And I'm even more aware that I'm the only one keeping Him at bay.  As my focus and thoughts toward, and of, God go, so my day and my life goes.  I read this in my "Jesus Is Calling" devotional today and I want to challenge you with it as well.  It is written as if Jesus is talking directly to us.  "When thankfulness flows freely from your heart and lips, let your gratitude draw you close to Me.  I want you to learn the art of giving thanks in all circumstances.  See how many times you can thank Me daily; this will awaken your awareness to a multitude of blessings.  It will also cushion the impact of trials when they come against you.  Practice My Presence by practicing the discipline of thankfulness."

I will never be the most brilliant person in the world; maybe not even in the room, but I will always be the one Jesus loves.  How do I know?  Because He has promised His love to me and He is faithful.  My gratitude for His love brings me in close proximity to Him.  He is always with me.  When we seek Him with all our heart, we will most definitely find Him.  He said as much in His Word.  I'm just blessed enough to believe Him and respond to His promise with gratitude.  You can too.  It will really change everything.