November 9

Attitude of Gratitude–Day 9 by SGLY Ministry

Every Good Gift--James 1:17I AM GRATEFUL FOR…EVERY GOOD GIFT
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17 [NKJV]

An Attitude of Gratitude Thought and Prayer:
Thank You, Dear God, for every good gift that You give me.
I am grateful each day for all Your spiritual gifts and blessings, that I and other believers often benefit from.
I am grateful that You are my Light and Protector each day and that You give me grace in time of need.
I am grateful to know that You do not change, that You are my Rock, a sure foundation, an Anchor in the storm.
Thank You God, for all You are to me, and to all who believe.
I love You and desire to walk with You daily.

For the LORD God is our light and protector. He gives us grace and glory. No good thing will the LORD withhold from those who do what is right.
Psalm 84:11

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A Bible Devotion

God Is An Artist

EPHESIANS 2:10 NJB 10 We are God's work of art, created in Christ Jesus for the good works which God has already designated to make up our way of life.

Look around. See for yourself. God is an artist extraordinaire!

When we gaze at a beautiful sunset, or look at the infinitely varied forms of life we find surrounding us, and realize that God designed it all, it is easy to be impressed. God is an artist. The most brilliant, creative artist ever to exist.

But when we look at our own lives and consider what God is doing there, we tend to forget that God is an artist. He is making something beautiful out of you and your life. You may not see the beauty now -- you may not even see any design or evidence that God is working -- but you will recognize it someday.

God's intention for you is to be much more beautiful and glorious than a sunset or a school of multi-colored fish. And you will be! God will not fail.

"Wait a minute, preacher. I can see plenty of people that God has failed on. They are anything but 'beautiful and glorious' -- inwardly or outwardly."

Yes . . . today. But God is not finished. Many great works of art take a long time. Don't judge too soon!

SAY THIS: God is a great artist and He is working on me.

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Recall God's Past Care for You.

Make a mental list of times in your life when you have been conscious of God's watchful care and recall how, when you were worried and anxious, He brought things out right and took care of you. Then recite aloud this line from an old hymn, "So long Thy power hath kept me, sure it still will lead me on."

No. 14 in a series of 100 Power Thoughts from The Power of Positive Thinking, the All-Time inspirational Best-Selling Book by Norman Vincent Peale.

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You Can't Add One Inch to Your Height

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him. You have done foolishly in this; therefore, from now on you shall have wars. — 2 Chronicles 16:9

Worrying does us absolutely no good. It doesn’t change one thing, and we waste time by being upset about stuff we can’t do anything about—things only God can change.

The Bible says we can’t add one inch to our height by worrying. Yet, we worry, worry, and worry some more, which gets us nowhere.

Every time we get really upset, it takes a lot of emotional energy, tires us out, messes with our health, steals our joy, and still doesn’t change one thing. We need to stop trying to fix things that only God can fix, because the only one who’s clapping is the devil, saying, “Ha, ha, ha! Got ‘em again!”

Jesus tells us to “calm down” in John 14:27 and “cheer up” in John 16:33. I think it’s a one-two knockout punch to the devil when we do. When you realize you can’t fix everything, that calms you down, and when You know that God can, it cheers you up!

So don’t worry. Instead, calm down, cheer up, and send the devil running!

Prayer Starter: Lord, my worrying really doesn’t accomplish anything, so I leave it behind. I’m so thankful that You can fix what I can’t. You calm me down and cheer me up!

Joyce Meyer

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What We Need to Remember to Never Forget by Alicia Bruxvoort

“It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River.” Joshua 4:20 (NLT)

As a child, one of my favorite places to play was a bedraggled plot of weeds at the edge of my uncle’s farm. Dotted with rusty oil barrels and timeworn tractor parts, discarded soda bottles and mud-caked stones, the overgrown patch of green provided endless hours of “treasure hunting” for my young cousins and me.

We gathered pieces of shattered glass as if they were precious jewels and collected dandelions like nuggets of gold. We scavenged for gum wrappers and bottle caps, for acorns and butterfly wings. But we were most intrigued by the abandoned shanty that sat in the middle of that littered lot. Of course, with doors locked and windows sealed, we couldn’t see what was inside … until the day we began stacking rocks.

We’d been playing tag when we noticed a fallen tree limb had shattered the window just above our heads. We’d tried to lift one another up to climb through the splintered passageway, but our muscles weren’t as developed as our imaginations.

That’s when my cousin dropped to his knees and began digging in the dirt. Before long, he’d excavated a flat, hefty rock from the sunbaked soil and placed it beneath the window.

We spent the rest of the afternoon stacking stones until our arms throbbed and our fingernails turned a silty shade of brown. But before dusk’s debut, we crawled through that opening and discovered a wondrous cache of treasure — chipped coffee cups and dusty books, sagging lampshades and dingy tea towels.

“I can’t believe this treasure has been here all along,” my cousin said with an incredulous yelp. “We just couldn’t see it without our pile of rocks.”

In the fourth chapter of Joshua, where today’s verse is found, we discover another crew of children stacking stones. Of course, these kids aren’t 4-foot dreamers biding time in a patch of weeds; they are the children of Israel preparing to step into the Promised Land.

But before they move forward, God invites them to look back. He commands them to dig some stones out of the muddy riverbank they’d just crossed (while it was miraculously dry) and to stack them high as a reminder of the great things He has done. God knows that when we forget what He’s done in the past, we begin to doubt what He can do in the present.

Maybe I love this story because, like those children of long ago, I’m prone to forget. I forget my keys. I forget my grocery list. And sadly, when the spin of life presses in, I tend to forget God’s faithfulness too.

But, maybe I love this story because it holds the secret for improving my memory. And lately, I’ve been stacking some “spiritual stones.” Not actual rocks caked in mud, just memories laced with gratitude. Each week, I’m setting aside some time to remember the great things God has done:

The moments He’s met me in my weakness and showered me with strength

The times He’s reached into my loneliness and buoyed me with His love

The occasions He’s brought clarity to my confusion, direction to my wandering, and peace to my fears

And you know what I’m discovering? The more I acknowledge God’s footprints across my yesterdays, the more I see His hand upon today.

But best of all, this simple habit is a bit like that pile of rocks I climbed on at my uncle’s farm long ago — it’s opening my eyes to the treasure that has been there all along and will remain forevermore — the wondrous gift of God’s power and presence.

Dear Lord, forgive me of my forgetfulness. Help me remember all You have done in in the past so I can trust You completely with today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 78:35, “They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.” (NIV)

Deuteronomy 4:9, “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.” (NLT)

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Bible Verses

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. - John 13:34-35

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Romans 14:8 – If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

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James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

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2 Thessalonians 3:16 16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

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Joshua 24:15 “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.””

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Prayers

To Keep God in Mind This Day

Lord, let me begin this day in devout meditations, in joy unspeakable, and in blessing and praising You, who has given me such good hope and everlasting consolation.

Lift up my mind above all these little things below, which are apt to distract my thoughts; and keep it above, until my heart is fully resolved to seek You every day, in the path where Jesus has trod before me. Amen.

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Now all glory to you, mighty God, who is able to keep me from falling away and will bring me with great joy into your glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to you who alone are God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are yours before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time, Amen.

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Paths of Righteousness

Father, You are leading me on paths I do not know, past all my fantasies, hopes, doubts and fear. When I go through deep waters and great trouble, You will be with me. When I go through rivers of difficulty, I will not drown! When I walk through the fire of oppression, I will not be burned up–the flames will not consume me. Even though I walk through the shadow of death I will fear no evil. You lead me in the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. In the name of Jesus I will rejoice in You and be glad. Amen.

Isaiah 43:2; Psalm 23

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My Father, preserve my soul from all selfishness. May I delight in thy teaching as I trust in thy word. I pray that I may not only speak truthfully, but that I may leave the door of my spirit open, that truth may always enter and abide continually. Amen.

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Lord, if I ever “build walls”, cutting people off or isolating myself from the needs of others, alert me to what I am doing. Open my eyes to see what unites people rather than what divides us. Show me how to be inclusive and build bridges between people instead of being exclusive and putting up walls that divide. Amen.

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Dear Lord, please forgive me for all that I do. Help me make things right that I have done wrong.