On this Thanksgiving Eve many are asking, what are you thankful
for? For me the answer is both simple yet complex. It is simple in that above
all else I am thankful we live in a country where our faith can be practiced
without the overt threat of containment that so many in the world do not enjoy.
It is complex that at times our faith is challenged as we
seek rational answers to the events around us, events that can weaken our faith,
or leave us wondering how our faith is often restored and strengthened in the
most subtle ways. When tragedy strikes
look to your faith to strengthen your spirit, when good times abound thank your
faith for enriching your soul.
Those who know me well know how I read the Bible. I thumb the edges and open it to wherever God
directs me, and read. I clear my thoughts;
I mitigate my worries and humble myself to receive the most cherished thing we
can ever have on this Earth….the Word of God.
Today, the first passage I read was Psalm 35. But then a subtle event happened that gave me
thanks, strengthened my faith and humbled my thoughts.
I am not a Bible scholar or have the gift to recite many
passages chapter and verse as some do.
But years ago I read a passage that basically said…”Do not worry what to do or say before your fellow man, for
God will direct your actions and give you the words to speak”.
I knew it was in the Bible but I had
no idea where, but it remains one of my favorite passages to this day. Many times over the years I have thought of
this passage and wished I could find it again.
As a complex example of my faith, the second passage I read
today, while thumbing the edges of the Bible, was Luke Chapter 12. And what is in the beginning of that chapter in
verses 11 and 12 but the very words of our Lord that I read so long ago, and
now I have found them once again. Jesus is talking directly & specifically only to His disciples in versus 1-12 of Luke Chapter 12. Read it carefully, it is a message not to the masses, but to His most Faithful, to share with the masses, in both encouragement & teaching.
I am most thankful for my God that consoles me, directs me,
and teaches me. The word faith does
little justice to my belief, for it implies believing in something unproven or
unknown. The Lord has proved himself to
me countless times in my life and moments like this morning readings strengthen
my relationship with Him to that simple yet complex place of knowing.
In my life I have reached out for the Hand of God, and to my
amazement I found an Arm attached. Do
not be weak in your faith, for one day you will realize it as truth.
And now I thumb to the third reading and I pause at Paul’s
words in Ephesians Chapter 3. May the
Grace of God enrich your life, strengthen your spirit, and touch your soul. Thank you for reading my simple thank you
letter. I am thankful for our God
allowing our faith to be shared, and most thankful for the Word of God that
remains with us this day and forever more.
Thanks be to God.
Your fellow servant in the Blood, Body and Spirit of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 🪶😎🇺🇸✝️
Bryan A. Stross ….}….
November 22, 2017.
Post Edit & Pics 11/22/2023 🐝
Psalms Chapter 35, Luke Chapter 12, Ephesians Chapter 3. Have a Safe & Faithful Thanksgiving.
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