"Thank You!"

Reflections4Life™ August 6, 2017

“Thank You!”

“I will give You thanks with all my heart; I sing praises to You before the [pagan] gods.
I will bow down [in worship] toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word together with Your name. On the day I called, You answered me; and You made me bold and confident with [renewed] strength in my life.” Psalm 138:1-3

Scripture Contemplation: Psalm 138; 1 Samuel 2:1; 1 Chronicles 20; Daniel 2; John 11:41; Revelation 11:17…

I decree that this week’s Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart, mind, and soul. Allow the grace of God to cover you and fill your heart. Let your heart be filled with hope and peace as you give God praise; thanking Him for life, His love, His covering, and His forgiveness. A grateful heart will open long awaited doors.

If there is one thing that I have learned growing up, was that a posture of gratitude got you further along than an attitude of sniping, griping, and self-entitlement. Sometimes, all a person desires is a simple Thank you. A sign of recognition, of gratitude, that they are appreciated; that their efforts are not only noticed but also accepted and not taken for granted.

How many times have you encountered a person, a proprietor, a sales person that felt disgruntled because of a bad day, but when someone gives them a genuine thank you, they seem to light up, and get a dose of energy? No one wants to be taken advantage of or looked over for the work they are doing. Even if it were a person’s job to serve, they still would like to hear thank you, to know that their efforts and their work are being appreciated.

A simple thank you can change so much in a person’s life. It can give them strength. It can bring encouragement; giving them that extra zip and push that they need to continue with what they are doing. There are not many in the world that desire his or her efforts to go unnoticed or not appreciated for what they do. Yet, many people are over looked, passed by, their efforts never mentioned, their work never acknowledge. Many taken advantaged of; their kindness being taken for weakness.

Can we be honest today? Whether it is someone we know or ourselves, we all know someone that everyone calls on to for help or assistance knowing that there is a ninety-nine percent chance that he or she will say yes. There is that person we all know that people consider an easy mark for their kindness. However, does that give us the license to abuse their kindness? To take advantage of their gifts of help? No. It does not. Though they may have a kind heart and possess the gift of help, does not mean we a have a right to take advantage of them, nor does it mean they do not deserve to be recognized for their kindness and all the work that they do. Even if it is one’s job to serve—they are still worthy of hearing, thank you, and being shown gratitude.

What about God? How many times has our heavenly delivered us, provided for us, got us out of sticky situations, and in the moment we may say thank you, but then we start to take advantage of His grace and mercies? How many do you know that willfully sin, because they believe that all they have to do is repent the next day? I have overheard some people blatantly and proudly say that they are going to intentionally sin and ask for forgiveness tomorrow. Wow! My question is: What happens if you die in your sins? What if you do not get the opportunity to repent? What if, although God has forgiven you, there are unseen consequences for your actions? Here is what God says about this:

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap.

Have you given a simple thank You, Lord, for being woken up today? Or for having a meal, clothes to put on, a roof over our heads? How about saying grace. When was the last time you said grace before commencing to eat your food? Or to have your family around you? Or for the job, you have, even though it may not be the one you desire right now? How about giving God thanks, being grateful for having provision until you get the position that you desire? Did you thank God today for your family? Friends? Being in your right mind? Health?

I can go on. The truth is, we get comfortable in our lives. We get comfortable and take for granted the things we have and that are readily available to us. When we get used to the blessings we have and the accomplishments we have made, some of us forget about where we have come from, or about how hard it is for others at this time; especially if we are not surrounded or see people that are struggling and in need. The truth is for some, that they do not want to be reminded of where they came from. They do not want to see where others are struggling and have nothing because they have in their mind and heart that they got where they are by themselves and that others can do the same if they want to.

Listen, Beloved, we all have our own paths to walk, our own relationship with God to cultivate and grow. No one truly knows what is in our hearts but God. Yet, we do owe it to ourselves to remember that but for the grace of God, our lives could be far worse than it is. We are fortunate to be where we are in life, and a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving goes a long way. Not only are we honoring God for His blessings, be we open the eyes and ears of our heart to those around us. A heart of gratitude, a spirit of Thanksgiving allows us to see the need in others and propels us to become who we truly profess to be as children of God. A simple thank you goes a long way in people’s lives and in the heart of God. Our attitude determines our altitude and a simple thank you can change not only the lives of others but ours as well.

My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity finds permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. I take this time to thank you for your fellowship, friendship, and spirit of community. Thank you for those who have brought my new book, What Love Teaches Me. I pray that it is a blessing to your soul. It is with gratitude and a heart full of love that I thank God for His kindness, grace, and mercy. I know that without Him, I would never have made it through the storms of life. He is my anchor. Guess what? He is your anchor, also. Trust Him where you cannot trace Him. And thank Him for what He has already done and is about to do. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!

©2017 Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.

"Did You Ask?"

Reflections4Life™ March 19, 2017

“Did You Ask?”

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you…” Matthew 7:7

Scripture Contemplation: Deuteronomy 32:7; Joshua 9; 1Samuel 1; Esther 5; Philippians 4:6…

©Ruthe McDonald.

I declare and decree that this week’s Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and enlightenment for your heart, mind, and soul; bringing you peace in every area of your life. Do not be afraid to make your petitions to Lord be known. Let this week find you walking in confidence and faith. Believe in God to answer your requests. Spend intimate with the Father so He may fill you with His wisdom.

Do we really ask for what we want, anymore? Do we ask God what He thinks; for His wisdom? Has disappointment and unanswered prayers kept us from asking God for what we desire? Do we no longer seek God for His instructions? Many have suffered disappointments. They find their faith, not at a level it may have been once before. Yet, God will remind us to ask; to speak aloud and ask for what we want and to ask for His wisdom.

There have been times when God has asked me, did you ask for what you want? Did you ask for My wisdom or opinion? I had to ask myself, did I ask God? Did I submit my petition to the Lord? Did I seek His counsel before doing forward with certain plans? Did I assume the answer would be no, or the prayer was not going to be answered? Did I think this was the will of God for me?  I had to search myself. Because there are times when my faith has not been on the level it should have been, and times I have acted hastily without seeking His counsel. Sometimes the cares of this world can overwhelm us that we begin to move with the current of the world, and not the current of God. We forget the promises, we stop seeking His will, we succumb to what only our natural eyes can see, and we often forget about all the answered prayers we previously received, Our memory becomes shortened because we have moved out of faith and have begun to walk by sight.

It is not hard to overlook the one simple act of actually asking. When we are caught up in the way things appear to be, often times God is the last One we go to. When we seek Him, we are not asking or seeking, but instead telling God what we need, and informing Him of made up plans. I am guilty of this behavior. I either have asked but did not believe or have confidence in what I was asking for. Or, I did not ask God or seek His will, and went ahead with plans that were not favorable or what God desired for me.

1 John 5:14-15 (AKJV) 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us: 15 and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Jeremiah 29:11-12 (AKJV) 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

For many of us, our confidence has dwindled. We no longer ask boldly or according to God’s will for our lives because we have not spent any quality time in the presence of our God to know His will for our lives. We lack understanding, faith, courage, and wisdom. We have no confidence in God; no confidence that He will answer when we ask. We have come to this sad conclusion because we do not know God. We have no knowledge of who our Father truly is. If we have no knowledge of who He truly is, then how can we ask and believe that whatever we ask for, He will give it to us. How can we know that He blesses our plans?

Beloveds, it is time to seek the will of God for our lives. It is time to ask God to fill us with His knowledge and wisdom. So, that we will understand and believe in our hearts that whatever we come to Him for, He will indeed answer us. We have been on a lone search for answers for far too long. Too many of us are crashing and burning when all we need to do is seek God. Seek His will, the Kingdom of Heaven, and ask God in confidence for what we want.

We have made decisions in our lives and wonder at our failures or the uncomfortable situations we find ourselves in. This is when we ask ourselves, did I ask? Did I ask God for direction, His will, and His instructions? Or, did I just do what I wanted or what someone else said I should do without seeking wise counsel?

The pendulum swings both ways. Will we receive everything we ask for? No. For those with children, would you give your children everything they asked for? God has given us freedom to choose. That includes the paths we take. Whether or not we desire to listen and heed to His counsel. We cannot blame God for the actions we take when have not sought Him or His will. When we have not asked for what we want, or for His directions.

My Beloveds, may the spirit of peace and prosperity finds permanent rest in your lives. I decree that every good thing that God has ordained for your life will become evident to you. God will answer, and sometimes His answers are not what we were expecting, but He is answering. Be confident in knowing that God does hear you. Never allow fear to keep your heart closed to a Father that only desires the best for you; whether you are seeking an answered request or His wisdom concerning a situation or direction; ask. You are blessed. Now go…and be a blessing!

©2017. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.