There’s something so beautiful as sitting outside, reading Psalms, and watching the sun cast its first rays through the morning skies. It’s a new day. Another sign of the Lord’s tender mercies toward us! Have you thought about what it would be like if the sun did not rise?
I love Psalm 103. The first two verses especially:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul:
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.”
Isn’t it easy to forget what the Lord has done for us? So I’m taking a few moments to say how grateful I am to the Lord for His abundant mercies, for the ability to share Him with others and proclaim Jesus, for His blessings of health and family, of many things to do, and for His guidance. What can you bless the Lord for today? I’d love for you to leave a comment below!
Sarah
I am thankful for how the Lord watches over his people in hard times or not. We have been reading “Of whom the world was not worthy” by Marie Chapman, and I have been listening to Sabina Wurmbrand’s book “The Pastor’s Wife” via christianaudio.com. Both set in terrible times of war during the Nazi terror and communist regime that followed. But both books tell us of Christians who served God faithfully through difficulty. It makes me so grateful for a God who holds us so carefully as we cling to Him through all the trouble this earthly life may afford us.
Amen!!!
What a beautiful post and an amazing sunrise, Sarah.
I’m grateful for Jesus being our Mighty Deliverer and Help! The Lord God of Hosts. “Trust in Him at all times, ye people, pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us.” Psalm 62:8
I’m grateful for Psalm 144.
I’m grateful for the Maxwell family!
Thank you! I loved your grateful items! 🙂 Psalm 62 is another favorite of mine!
Amen. My favourite psalm. I am in the middle of memorizing it!
Wonderful!
I’m grateful for His love. It’s something I have been more fully comprehending the past couple of years and it’s changed my life! I could never deserve to be loved by Him the way He loves me.
I’m grateful for His nearness. Those who worship false gods are fearful to approach, only hoping to appease. Our God wants us to come boldly.
I’m grateful for the ways He prepares us for trials, even before we know how badly we are about to need those provisions.
I loved reading your list! Thank you for sharing.
I am thankful for Jesus’s ultimate sacrifice on the cross for our sins. I am thankful for every part of my body that is working well. I am thankful for the fact I live in a free country instead of someplace where people are badly abused and mistreated. I am thankful for my family, friends, job, healthcare, a roof over my head, enough food and clean water, my education, my job, my ability to work, drive, and take care of myself. I am thankful for all the times God protected me, for all the beauty in the world and the traveling I was able to do. I am thankful for all that is good in the world. Praise the Lord!
Wonderful list, Torrie! I love how you articulated all of that!
I have so much to be thankful for, and try to thank the Lord for at least a few of those things each day. But even if we thank Him every day, we can never thank him enough for ALL the things He’s done for us, small or large!
Yes, Psalms is my favorite!
Amen! Great thoughts, Rebecca!
Such a beautiful reminder. Psalm 103 is one of my favorites, and I recently finished memorizing it. I am so grateful that He saved me and washed my sin away as far as the east is from the west! I am so grateful for my precious husband and baby daughter. I’m so grateful that the Lord is trustworthy, and that even when I don’t understand, He is still there and will never leave me. And I’m grateful for sweet friends and this encouraging blog!
Awww! Love your list! You are a precious friend.
Morning by morning new mercies I see, all I have needed thy hand hath provided, great is thy faithfulness!
Wonderful picture. Appreciate your blog.
Thank you! Love that portion of a hymn!
I am thankful for a wonderful family that loves me, and friends who look after me.
Thank you for the encouraging post, Sarah!
That’s great, Austin!
Our God is an awesome God.Too faithful to fail.He deserves all our praise – David
You’re so right!
I’m especially thankful for the Lord’s protection. We live in Florida and just over two weeks ago, we expected to take a direct hit from what was then Category 4 Hurricane Irma. Our church services were cancelled that Sunday, but our pastor did an online service, and I have been replaying his words over and over in my head: “Safety is not in a place….it’s in a person (Jesus).” In his sovereignty, God spared our area and calmed the storm, and we experienced only minor inconveniences as a result. But as a blessing, we got to talk to neighbors who rarely come out of their houses as we all cleaned up together.
Then one week ago I was in a bad car accident. There is SO much to be thankful for, even in a car accident! I’m thankful to have walked away with just a sore neck and bruises. I’m thankful that the driver and passenger in the other car didn’t have serious injuries. I’m thankful that my kids weren’t with me at the time. I’m thankful for the Lord’s financial provision (and a husband who values Biblical stewardship) to be able to replace my van, which was totaled. Just this morning, the Lord reminded me that he’s given me an opportunity to demonstrate forgiveness to the other driver. I’m thankful for the years of training my kids to handle household chores, because they’ve really stepped up to help me over the past week. I could go on and on…
But now thus says the LORD,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
Isaiah 43:1-2
Thank you for sharing! I’ve been listening to an Audible book by Jerry Bridges called Trusting God; it’s so good! I’ve been reminded of God’s Sovereignty. Thankful for your protection from the hurricane and then in the car accident. You’ve been through a lot, but I love those verses from Isaiah. So perfect! Thank you for sharing! Praying for your full recovery!
I am thankful for another day. To hear the birds sing, and to see the beautiful sunshine! God is so good to us!
That is a beautiful sunrise picture, I can almost imagine being there and hearing God say, “Be still and know that I am God.” So peaceful!
Thank you for commenting, Amy! Yes, another beautiful day, and after it’s been hot here, a delightful cool front blew through, and it’s really autumn!
As I am in treatment for Stage 4 cancer I appreciate every day that I wake and see the sun 🙂
What a sweet comment. Praying for you!
I am thankful for my husband of 20 years. He loves me unconditionally. I am also thankful for:Jesus and His gift of Salvation, God’s Word, God’s Grace+Mercy, my 4 daughters, my parents, my siblings, the ability and liberty to homeschool, the ability to worship God freely, food, shelter, and clothing. The list goes on and on!
Kelley,
Love your thankful list! Praise the Lord for His good gifts!
My list includes my husband, children, home, health, and a full pantry. This year I am particularly grateful for homeschooling days! This is because my youngest is 13 and in the 8th grade. I remember when she was a baby, and thinking I would be homeschooling “forever.”
I know now just how quickly those high school years will go by. Each day when we start homeschooling, we pray together. And each day I say “thank you for another day of learning together.” These are sweet days indeed!
Praise the Lord! Yes, those days go quickly, don’t they?! Love your list!
What an encouraging post, Sarah!
I love Psalm 103. My favorite though is Psalm 23.
You must enjoy having your Bible time on the back porch early in the morning just like me.
I keep a list a list in the back of my prayer journal of what I’m thankful for. I’ll name a few things from my list:
I am grateful for my family and friends; for Jesus dying on the cross to pay for my sins; for the Bible; for health, a home, a car; for being in America and getting the blessings that come with that – freedom of religion, speech, press, education (Christian education, homeschool at that), for every new day – OK, I guess I’ll stop there before I have the longest blog comment on record! 🙂
That’s a wonderful list, Alanna! Love it!
that cool
I have so many things to be grateful for, but to keep it short, I am grateful to still have a child at home with me. My life would be much different if God had not chosen to give her to me when he did.
Blessings,
Johnna