True Thankfulness

“But he who boasts is to boast in the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 10:17)

Thanksgiving week is right around the corner.

Some will be planning elaborate dinners, others will be visiting family, some will have multiple get togethers this week. It’s not just a time to share a meal and spend time with friends and family, but it should allow us some extra time to reflect on what we are thankful and grateful for, AND to express that gratitude to God for His faithfulness in our lives.

If you know me, then you’ve heard or read the story of my cancer healing. What I absolutely love about the way that God healed my cancer is there is really no way for me to claim any credit or glory for myself in what was done – my cancer was solely a result of His grace and mercy towards me.

I had terminal cancer.

The wisdom of the world was that I was going to die, and very soon. My doctor had pronounced this over me, and the traditional “specialists” I had seen all agreed and told me that everyone who has this cancer dies within 6 months. Words are inadequate to describe how thankful we are that God decided that their earthly wisdom was not the final word.

In the above scriptur, Paul was likely referring to Jeremiah 9:23-24 here. (Remember, he didn’t have a “New Testament” – all they studied was what we call the Old Testament.) Jeremiah wrote:

“The Lord says, “Wise people should not boast that they are wise. Powerful people should not boast that they are powerful. Rich people should not boast that they are rich. If people want to boast, they should boast about this: They should boast that they understand and know me. They should boast that they know and understand that I, the Lord, act out of faithfulness, fairness, and justice in the earth and that I desire people to do these things,” says the Lord.”

Everyone of us have instances where God has moved in our lives.

As Christians we all have powerful testimonies about how God has changed us. Are we looking for ways to boast in the Lord?

When we share with others what we’ve experienced and how God provided for us, answered prayer or arranged circumstances to meet a need that itself can be an answer to someone’s prayer. Remember people are not saved by your words, or your testimony of what God did for you. They are saved by Christ alone, and our testimonies of how God has moved in our lives are meant to point people away from us to the one who worked in us.

We have no way to fully understand what others around us are going through. In their toucgh times, people are seeking to be reminded that God still moves, still acts and still provides.