This has been a season of intense vulnerability for me – for reasons I won’t go into here. The details involve other people who did not agree to have their business out on the internet. But this feeling of vulnerability – like the other shoe could drop at any minute – is the reason I chose “rest” for my Word of the Year. I knew I desperately needed to learn to rest in my Savior. Because, unfortunately, this broken world hands us storm after storm.
One of the things God is teaching me this year is that it’s hard to be anxious and in a state of unrest when I’m giving Him an offering of thanksgiving. Gratitude and fear don’t coexist. And yet if you are anything like me, you spend a lot more time feeling anxious or fearful than you do feeling thankful. I’d like to call this a personality flaw, but I’ll just call a thing a thing. This tendency to focus on the “what ifs” and the “wish I hads” is nothing but sin.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” Psalm 23:1 NIV. There is nothing I lack! If I chose to believe anything else, I deny the truth of God’s Word. I have what I need to be safe and secure. Jesus forgives my darkest parts. And in Him I will always have more than enough. It’s good to be reminded. That’s what this time of year does for me. As I stop and smell the butterball, I take the time to acknowledge and thank Him for the truth that banishes every lie. Doubt and discouragement take a backseat to His glory when I express my gratitude for who He is and what He’s done. I might even kick them out of the car!
Scripture Offering of Thanksgiving
“As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,
of your saving acts all day long—
though I know not how to relate them all.
16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord;
I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your mighty acts to all who are to come.
19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
you who have done great things.
Who is like you, God?
20 Though you have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once more.
22 I will praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to you—
I whom you have delivered.
24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
have been put to shame and confusion.” Psalm 71:14-24 NIV
Another Offering of Thanksgiving
Perfect rest comes from His perfect grace. Perfect grace comes from a perfect God. And today I thank Him for that grace. And all the marvelous attributes and actions in this Psalm In so doing, I come to understand that rest is not something that I do, but something to believe.
I pray you and yours have a joyous Thanksgiving.
And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!
I loved reading Barbara Lee Harper’s take on the “word of the year” trend. I never felt the desire for one until two years ago as my family was going through an intense crisis. It almost felt like the word choose me. And the next year I chose a version of the same theme. This year, once again, I have a word that just jumped in my lap. But for me, I know picking a “word for the year” is a season. One I am currently enjoying and learning so much from, but there are so many other ways to engage with our Father. See what you think. Read You Don’t Have to Choose a Word for the Year.
The Link Up
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MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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Gratitude and fear don’t coexist. Thank you for that reminder – which goes perfectly with my Bible reading this morning. I am in the middle of circumstances that, naturally and in my flesh, make me fearful. The answer? More gratitude, giving thanks and offering up praise!
Amen and amen, Jennifer.
Lauren, Offering thanksgiving is a discipline for me at times. Once I do, I find my eyes open to so many more things I’m truly thankful for.
Such a good point, Debbie. Thank you.
Thanks so much for the mention and link, Lauren. I love hearing about different ways to engage with the Father. Even though I have not felt led to choose a word for the year, I have been blessed by the testimonies of those who do.
My default is “concern” (which is really worry for me) and anxiety over “what ifs,” too. It takes intention to be thankful–to deliberately look for God’s hand in our lives and the large and small blessings He scatters along our way. Perhaps that’s why thankfulness is not our default–because we have to choose to do it. But when we do look for ways He is working in our lives, thankfulness overflows and edges out the worries.
It is my pleasure to share your thoughts with others. And I appreciate you adding more of them to this conversation!
Lauren, I love your honesty.
I’m going to call a thing a thing in my life, too. Sinful personality flaw. It’s the whole shebang!
Such a wonderful message about rest. This grabbed me–“Perfect rest comes from His perfect grace. Perfect grace comes from a perfect God.”
What a blessing that He is our rest.
Such a blessing, Tammy. Praying you are able to lean into Him this week.
Wow, Lauren. This spoke to my heart right off, “One of the things God is teaching me this year is that it’s hard to be anxious and in a state of unrest when I’m giving Him an offering of thanksgiving. ” Ouch, that’s something I certainly needed to read today. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Thanks for letting me share my struggles with you. I so appreciate your online camradery and support.
Love your message Lauren.
Visiting today from G&T
Thanks for stopping by, Paula!
May we meet God in fresh ways during these vulnerable, fragile times. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with rest, hope, and celebration, friend. I’m grateful that we get to do this blogging life together …
I’m so grateful for that too, Linda. Thank you.
I appreciate you being vulnerable with us about your journey with rest. It’s a struggle for me, too. I love your pairing of it with Psalm 71. It’s a chapter I memorized years ago, but didn’t consistently review so it’s no longer on the tip of my tongue. But hopefully the truths are still in my heart. There are days it’s hard to give praise and be thankful, but it’s on those days that I need to do it the most. Thanks for sharing, Lauren. It’s been a blessing having you in our One Word community in this season!
Your community has been a blessing to me on this journey. Because of it, I got so much more from my word this year than last. Looking forward to next year’s focus.