Being Thankful

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 02:00


Good morning,


Today I was reminded yet again about the importance of being thankful. Quite often when we are going through any kind of testing or trial, we lose sight of all of the good things that God has already blessed us with. Yet, if you have an agreement with The Father He will, by the Holy Spirit, gently encourage you to continue to offer thanksgiving. Today, I saw a clip about a young boy of 10 years old, that was blind and autistic. There he was singing the song, "Open the Eyes of My Heart." Well, that instantly caused me to cease murmuring, and start thanking God for His faithfulness to me. Here he was singing, "open the eyes of my heart, I want to see you!"

Jesus gave His life in order to make it clear to us by the Holy Spirit, all that God has prepared and planned for all who believe in Him and continue to put their trust in Him. "[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him, By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength.." (Ephes. 1:17-19) After all isn't that what we really want and need most of all is a spirit of wisdom and revelation, of insight into mysteries and secrets into the deep and intimate knowledge of Him? God has granted that to us, but this too is in progression, or in stages of growth. It is to the degree of our hunger or pursuit. We want to know the deep intimate secrets and mysteries of God, but a lot of the time we really don't want to have to do what's necessary to be in the position to have the eyes of our heart flooded. Deep is extending far down from the surface; the part of greatest intensity. Intimate is very private; closely personal; (of an association, knowledge, understanding, etc.) arising from close personal connection or familiar experience. We can go as far as we want from 'surface Christianity', and be as close as we want to knowing and understanding more about our Father. When we avail ourselves to Him more often during our day, we will find our eyes flooded with light. By setting our minds to be more sensitive to Holy Spirit all day long. The eyes here represent the faculty of knowing; having vision or being able to see; to be discerning or perceptive. Light is to illumine; to render evident; to become clear; to instruct and inform; and to give understanding to. Flood is to overflow or an out pour of; to overwhelm with an abundance of.


I know that we will never know it all, for only God is Omniscient (having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things). Except that He does want us to really know Him and His secrets and mysteries that He is wanting to reveal. And He replied to them, To you it has been given to know the secrets and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given." (Matt. 13:11) Let's read it in the 'Message Bible', "He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears." We already have so much more secrets, mysteries, and insights flowing freely into our life just because of knowing Him. Is there a readiness and a receptive heart in you for an abundance and overflow of Him, until all things become more clearer and evident to us? We can decree and declare that, "I have a spirit of wisdom and revelation into the deep intimate knowledge of Him." Let us begin to pray this prayer for our own life as well as being thankful for what has already been given to us. "But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!" (Ephes. 1:17-19; Message Bible) Open the eyes of my heart!

Love,

Pastor D.