Wednesday, November 25, 2009

BOUNTIFUL


Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.
 George Herbert
1593 - 1633

Bountiful. . . giving freely and generously; liberal; marked by abundance; plentiful; lavish; princely; munificent. The nature of the one who gives bountifully is loving, caring, giving, kind, sincere, and selfless. That description defies the root of human nature. But not God's. Our God is bountiful.

He pours into our lives and world liberal abundance.  He spiritually gives us everything we need to surge with growth in Jesus Christ.  And truly, God gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, God's most bountiful gift, freely to us.

So who can give legitimate argument to the goodness of God?  Who is so blind that God's handiwork is invisible or vague?  Who can stand against God's testimonies?  Who can deny His holiness?  Who is like our bountiful God?

No one can compare to Him!  He created the world and all life, and set eternity in order.  He framed creation with His lovingkindness, and He daily reveals His presence.  With each sunrise, God's voice announces His mercy.  With each sunset, our heavenly Father lovingly kisses the night with promise of tomorrow. 

Nature is a testimony of our Creator's sovereignty.  The beauty of the earth, the majesty of the heavens, the nobility of the eagle, the graceful stance of the deer, the sustenance of the seed, the yielding of bread from wheat and rye, the opening of the dogwood bloom in the spring, the closing of the evening primrose in the day, the fabric of DNA that gives form and distinction to our mortal bodies, and all other existence tell of God's glory!

Consider the breath of God.  His own breath is our channel of life.  The Hebrews referred to it as nâphach, meaning to inflate, blow hard, scatter, kindle.  God's breath makes us living souls, weak humans who must have the life of God within to kindle them and make them spiritually alive.  The "LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7).  God's own breath began human life.  Not just once in the beginning of creation, but later, too, with a new existence.

Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, breathed on his disciples so they would receive the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, our Compass, our Counselor.  Jesus "breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" (John 20:22).  In his commentary notes, Matthew Henry states that during creation, Almighty God gave life to man, which began the old world.  And that when our Savior breathed on his disciples, He signified new life for a new world.

God created breath as a channel for life, both physically and spiritually.

God created living mortal beings of flesh and blood and weakness to demonstrate His Almighty glory!

God created the splendor of the seas, the majesty of mountains, the terror of tides, and the complex abilities of human beings combined with the possibilities of His earth's sources to point to God's greatness and goodness.

The intricate complexities of life and every living thing and the order of the universe speaks.  Whispers.  Proclaims.  Declares.  SHOUTS the truth of His name. 

He is El Shaddai, The All-Powerful God.  He is Elohim, The Creator, our Master Designer.  He is The Everlasting God, El Olam, our Eternal God.  He is the only God!  He is the only One, true God!

And our loving Creator of our world and our lives is not a clockmaker, who designed, created, and wound just to watch His creation work.  NO!!!  Our God is the Ancient of Days, active in past, present, and future, and He is Yahweh Rohi, The LORD is my Shepherd, who gives daily bread, holy compassion, and loving leadership, and divine provision to those Whom He loves, His own.

Praise Him!  Remember His Name!  Call on Him!  Believe in His Word!  Don't be fearful of speaking His truth and proclaiming Him as God! 

Declare Thanksgiving, 2009 your time to give your God glory and praise and honor.  Friends, He is our Source of all things!  All thanks we have to give, whether for family, friends, finances, church, country, health, home, and so many other blessings, are from our heavenly Father, Who delights in pouring good into our lives!

As you prepare your Thanksgiving meal, as you gaze upon your family and friends, as you go to your place at the table, remember your Lord of mercy.  Keep His goodness before you, and let an attitude of praise reign in your heart.  In doing so, your Thanksgiving holiday will be mightily blessed and remain as a testimony in your life each day.  Letting praise reign is a seed of a mighty tree that will, if watered and fed, grow and show abundant fruit. 

One small seed of determined worship is a beginning.  One small seed of praise can be the beginning of a great harvest.  Praise is the planting of bounty.  Let the seed of thanksgiving rule your heart and mind.  May this thankful time be the start of a new season of worship in you!  Your life will be spiritually bountiful, abundant, plentiful, for the only, true bountiful One will live and reign in you as true thanksgiving for Him lives in your heart and flows from your lips.

Scripture is from the NIV Bible.
Definition from thefreedictionary.com.
All research is from e-sword resources.

19 comments:

  1. What a beautiful and bountiful post! Then again, I'm not surprised to find such a thing in your parlor.

    I love the "our God is ...". When I stop and consider the fullness & ramifications of that, I realize there is no end to the descriptions.

    God bless you this Thanksgiving, and always.

    Kathleen

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  2. Beautiful post from a beautiful heart. Hope you have a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving!
    andrea

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  3. Have a happy, happy day! I pray for sweet conversations, warm hugs, compassionate smiles, and content hearts! We serve a dear provisional GOD, don't we?

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  4. Happy Thanksgiving and your post is beautiful!

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  5. So blessed by this post!

    Praying that you and yours have a bountifully overflowing Thanksgiving! We serve an awesome God, don't we?!

    Sweet Blessings!
    Jackie

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  6. This was such a beautifully rich post to
    read on the day before Thanksgiving!

    Bless you dearest friend!

    Love in Jesus~ Miss Jen

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  7. What a lovely post to read. We dont have Thanksgiving here, but it is indeed a wonderful time. We have so much to be thankful for.

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  8. Dearest One,

    What a joy it is to read such beautiful words!

    Thank you for encouraging us to go to HIM always!

    "Declare Thanksgiving, 2009 your time to give your God glory and praise and honor."

    I couldn't agree more ;-)

    May the Lord continue to fill you with HIS grace and goodness. May tomorrow be filled with an abundace of joy!

    maria

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  9. What a wonderful time to declare His majesty! A lovely post for this season, for this special day of giving thanks.

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  10. Wishing you and your family a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

    Blessings!
    ~Nadine

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  11. I love this! Reflecting on God's goodness and all he has done lifts my spirits like nothing else can.

    Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

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  12. Beautiful reflections...hope you and your family enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving!

    I LOVED this portion of your opening quote..."But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise."...amen....

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  13. Andrea,

    This post is beautiful. We have much to be thankful for in this country but mostly for the freedom to worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I am also very thankful for the wonderful friends that He has blessed me with, you especially, as your words bring God's joy to my heart and gives me guidance in my walk with Him.

    Blessings dear friend,

    Kim

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  14. You! I love this post.

    Your words inspire me to be deliberate and intentional about giving thanks to our loving God.

    "One small seed of praise can be the beginning of a great harvest."

    Because that's the kind of God we serve and worship and adore.

    I appreciate you so much.

    How are your house repairs coming along?

    Sweet dreams.

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  15. Love your write, Andrea, beautiful.

    Please follow/join me @ our new blog ... the old one had issues.

    Hope you had a lovely holiday.
    TTFN ~Marydon

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  16. Thank you for this post. My girls often say that one of the best things about knowing Jesus is having someone to thank. You just proved it again, aren't we the lucky ones for God to have brought us in?
    I love the poem at the top too, I aim to be always thankful but sadly I fail. Still- new day tomorrow!

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  17. Bountiful indeed.

    Every year I'm amazed by His grace and love. He's EVERYTHING to me.

    Thank you God for sending Your Most Beloved Treasure down to earth to save us all. Amen

    Love to you~

    Rebecca

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  18. I'm still praying for you Andrea, and for all the tiresome details that are ongoing to fix all of this... God is in those details!
    Love you,
    Sonja

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Thank you for visiting. I cherish your thoughts. You are special to me, but most of all, you are special to God, who loves you with everlasting love. May your life be swept into His joy and peace.

In the Wonderful Love of Christ our Savior,

Andrea