Living with an attitude of thankfulness is much better and healthier for us than living in a state of continual whining and complaining. Afterall, there is much more to be thankful for than not. Oh, I understand the difficulty, for I too am prone to focus on the negative…and then of course there’s the media continually feeding us, 24/7, large portions of negativity. It all supplies fuel to the constant battle going on between our two ears.
The Bible offers some good words on the subject: “Rejoce in the Lord always”…and a few verses later…”Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (Phil. 4:4, 4:8)
So this Thanksgiving, for my blog readers, for us that are Christians, here are some things we can be thankful for. For the non-Christians, they are words for thoughtful, honest contemplation and prayer.
Some time ago, I thought it a worthwhile pursuit to read through the New Testament with particular attention given to noting those verses that spoke specifically to God’s promises to those that trust in Jesus for their salvation…things we can definitely be thankful for. Not including promises found in the four Gospels, or Acts of the Apostles, I discovered 174 promises. Rather than list them all, I will highlight a few from most of the New Testament books. Alongside each book listed are the number of thankful promises discovered in that book.
So this Thanksgiving, along with the many other things we can express gratitude for, consider these promises, made by God Himself, to those that trust in Christ Jesus.
Romans (49)
We can call God, “Father”. (8:15)
We are helped in our weakness. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us in prayer. (8:26)
Nothing can separate us from the love of God. (8:39)
We are objects of God’s mercy, prepared in advance for glory. (9:23)
1 Corinthians (16)
God will keep us strong to the end, so we’ll be blameless on the day of the Lord. (1:8)
2 Corinthians (14)
We are new creations in Christ; the old is gone, the new has come. (5:17)
Galatians (9)
We are no longer slaves to the world and sin. We are now sons. Since we are sons, we are also an heir. (4:7)
Ephesians (17)
We are marked with a seal – the promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. (1:13-14)
Philippians (3)
All our needs will be met in Christ Jesus. (4:19)
Colossians (16)
God has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Kingdom of Light. (1:12)
1 Thessalonians (4)
We are not appointed to suffer wrath but salvation. (5:9)
2 Thessalonians (2)
From the beginning God chose us to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and belief in the Truth. (2:13)
Hebrews (10)
God will never leave us nor forsake us. (13:5)
1 Peter (12)
We have an inheritance waiting for us that can never perish, spoil, or fade. It is kept in heaven for us. (1:4)
2 Peter (3)
Jesus’ divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him. (1:3)
1 John (12)
We’ve been given understanding so that we may know Him who is true. We are in Him who is true. (5:20)
Jude (2)
When the Lord comes, we’ll be coming with thousands upon thousands of His holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly. (Verse 14)
Revelation (4)
Through the blood of the Lamb, we’ve been purchased for God. (5:9)
