You stay steadfast with the reprogramming, and you suddenly think it’s a good idea to fall and fail a little. ‘You’ve made a lot of progress’, you say to yourself, ‘you let one thing slide, how about another one – one more won’t hurt, right?’
The thoughts then come – Stay focused. Stay vigilant. Stay strong. None of them ever say that it’s okay for you to fail once in a while. None of them will ever say it’s okay for you to indulge.
Avoid that voice. Avoid that thought – and actually, they don’t come in one shot, but in shotgun blasts, or rapid fire, or rapid shotgun blasts. Avoid the calls to complacency. Understand that they’re not just promoting whatever actually sabotages you, it also demotes whatever you’re doing consistently.
These statements – this temptation not only puts the mistakes on the pedestal, but it also subtly implies that what you were doing (with all the focus, with all the vigilance, and with all the strength) was inferior. Not pleasurable.
Remember that there’s not just focus, vigilance and strength present in all that you’re doing to fight the good fight – there’s also pleasure and joy; in fact, it’s SUPERIOR pleasure and joy.
Get back to the reprogramming. Get back to the renewing of your mind, and the transformation that ensues. And take note: It’s not for you to transform, primarily. You’re to focus on the renewing of your mind.
How are you to renew your mind? Go one verse earlier, or, actually, go all the way back to the first chapter of the book, and quickly make your way back to the previous verse. What I mean is that, you ought to take in God’s greatness and glory, meditate on God’s grace and goodness, respond naturally in awe regarding how His character is perfectly harmonious (that is, His grace works with His glory, and His greatness works with His goodness)…
…and in taking in God’s infinite glory, and everlasting grace, THEN offer yourself up as a living sacrifice, taking in the Truth of your salvation; that, through Christ, you are holy (set apart) and acceptable (grafted in) to God.
It’s not a lot, when you think about it. Or, rather, when you look at it from another angle – or, from another part of the Word. Put in all in a nutshell:
As you take in God’s goodness and grace with God’s glory and greatness, you automatically rejoice always.
Offering yourself up as a living sacrifice, telling yourself and others of Christ’s finished work rendering you holy and acceptable to God – that’s praying without ceasing.
And I keep saying – as I’m saying to myself, right now – when all else fails, when you find it hard to even rejoice, or to pray – give thanks.
There will always be reason for you to give thanks, more than there will be reasons for you to complain. In the sun and the rain, give thanks. In pleasure and progress, give thanks – in fact, give thanks even more. Why not?
Give thanks, with company or by yourself. Give thanks, when moving or staying still… and, even when you fail, even when you fall.. Give thanks.
When you are tempted, give thanks. When you are struggling, give thanks.
Give thanks to God, for His faithfulness even when you are struggling to walk by faith.
Give thanks to God, for His steadfast love present and powerful, even when you’re ready to fall.
Give thanks to God, for His faithfulness and willingness to make all things work for the good of those who love Him – even when you find yourself failing.
Oh, give thanks to God – for He continues to flow, even in times that you feel stagnant! Give thanks to God – give thanks to the Father, for the streams of living water that do NOT stop according to your actions and reactions;
Give thanks to our Savior, Jesus Christ, because it’s because of HIS finished work that these living waters do not slow down to a trickle, but BURST forth, as entire rivers.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, indeed – for He truly IS good, and is worthy of all our trust!
The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, in the form of a dove, following His being baptized by John. A voice is heard, seemingly from the heavens, affirming Him – ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’.
Samuel anointed the shepherd David with oil, and the Holy Spirit ‘rushed into him’. By these two accounts I could go ahead and say that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit precedes milestones and breakthroughs – and in Christ’s case, God’s voice – His Father’s voice – was heard, piercing from eternity into the finite, affirming Him as His Son, beloved (holy) and in whom He is WELL pleased (acceptable).
Here we have another reason to give thanks to God, because through Christ’s birth, death, resurrection, and His ascension in particular, the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples in the upper room, and a milestone followed in the marketplace.
We give thanks to God, because we have been filled with the same Holy Spirit, which affirms us as Christ was affirmed; As God called Him His beloved son, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our righteousness (holy), and also serves as our Spirit of Adoption, causing us not only to look at God, but also to run to His throne of grace, calling Him our Father (acceptable)!
Psalm 37:23-24 says, The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.
We give thanks to God, because, though we are still in this wretched world, and though we still fall, we’re reminded that we shall not be ‘cast headlong’, because our Father upholds our hand.
We give thanks to God, because, through Christ and through His word, our ways are made straight, and in our ways He would delight…
and we give thanks to God, because as such, our steps are established.
I give thanks to God today, because I am reminded that when I acknowledge Him in all my ways and plans, He establishes my thoughts and steps…
but, consequently, I also give thanks to God today, because we’re given another perspective to our acknowledging Him – that is, to turn to Christ, and to turn to His word.
I give thanks to God, for even in my rejoicing and in my praying, I remember and appreciate the Father, consequently acknowledging Him, and I don’t need to see how, but I KNOW He moves, and I KNOW my steps and thoughts are being established.
I give thanks to God – Oh, thank You, Father, indeed! For You keep flowing, flowing, flowing!
Lie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous; do no violence to his home;
for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. Proverbs 24:15-16
Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God!
It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
Thank You, Father!
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