Gratitude

Have you noticed that hate between people seems to be in the news more than love is in the news? That’s what makes God the Father and Jesus’ love for us so jaw dropping.

Think about it for a minute. Jesus, at age 12, described the temple as the house of His Heavenly Father and in so doing claimed familial intimacy with God. At Jesus’ baptism, His Heavenly Father claimed intimacy with Him, saying, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17.

“Beloved Son” is a term that means esteemed, dear, favorite Son.

Yes, believers are sons and daughters of God. Yet when we ponder the magnitude of our Heavenly Father’s sacrifice in sending His favorite only begotten Son to die for our sins (John 3:16), and when we think of the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice when He left His Heavenly Father to come to earth to die for us, we can’t help but have profound gratitude and wonder at their love.

Heavenly Father and BELOVED SON, we praise You for Your magnanimous love, grace, and sacrifice. Thank You! We love You.

Have you noticed that hate between people seems to be in the news more than love? That’s what makes God the Father and Jesus’s love for us so jaw dropping. Think about it for a minute. Jesus, at age 12, described the temple as the house of His Heavenly Father and in doing so claimed familial intimacy with God. At Jesus’s baptism, His Heavenly Father claimed intimacy with Him, saying,

This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17.  

“Beloved Son” is a term that means esteemed, dear, favorite Son. Yes, we are sons and daughters of God. Yet when we ponder the magnitude of our Heavenly Father’s sacrifice when He sent His favorite Son to die for our sins (John 3:16), and when we think of the magnitude of Jesus’s sacrifice when He left His Heavenly Father to come to earth to die for us, we can’t help but have profound gratitude and wonder at their love for us.

Heavenly Father and Beloved Son, we praise You for Your magnanimous love, grace, and sacrifice so we can live with You in eternal glory. Thank You! Thank You! We love You.

Have you noticed that hate between people seems to be in the news more than love? That’s what makes God the Father and Jesus’s love for us so jaw dropping. Think about it with me for a minuted.  Jesus, at age 12, described the temple as the house of His Heavenly Father and in doing so claimed familial intimacy with God. At Jesus’s baptism, His Heavenly Father claimed intimacy with Him, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17.   “Beloved Son” is a term that means esteemed, dear, favorite Son. Yes, we are sons and daughters of God. Yet, when we ponder the magnitude of our Heavenly Father’s sacrifice when He sent His favorite Son to die for our sins (John 3:16) and when we think of the magnitude of Jesus’s sacrifice when He left His Heavenly Father to come to earth to die for our sins, we can’t help but have profound gratitude and wonder at their love for us.

Heavenly Father and Beloved Son, we praise You for Your magnanimous love, grace, and sacrifice so we can live with You in eternal glory. Thank You. We love You.

Jesus, at age 12, described the Jerusalem temple as the house of His Heavenly Father and in doing so laid claim to intimacy with God. At Jesus’s baptism, our Heavenly Father laid claim to intimacy with Jesus when He said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17.   “Beloved Son” is a term that means esteemed, dear, favorite Son. Yes, we are the sons and daughters of God. Yet, when we ponder the magnitude of the sacrifice of our Heavenly Father giving up His favorite Son for our sins (John 3:16) and Jesus leaving His Heavenly Father to come to earth to die for our sins, we can’t help but have profound gratitude and wonder at their love for us.

Heavenly Father and Beloved Son, we praise You for Your magnamious love, grace, and sacrifice so we can live with You in eternal glory. Thank You. We love You.

#biblegatewaybloggergridmember

Have you ever been asked, “What’s going on” and you replied, “Not much” or maybe, “keeping busy.” But what if you were asked what you were thankful for last year; but not only last year, but for each day last year? Could you answer? You could if you had kept a gratitude journal. Why would you want to do that?  Is it a crazy thought that each day we have something for which to be thankful? No, and it’s incredibly advantageous. Research proves that people who journal their thanks are more optimistic about life than those who don’t. No doubt, that’s why 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks. This does not mean we’re to say, “thank you, God, for the car wreck.” It does mean we’re to be mindfully thankful that God is with us and will see us through whatever we face. Begin the practice of writing your thanks to God each day. This time next year, you’ll have a collection of daily gratitudes.

Jesus, at age 12, described the Jerusalem temple as the house of His Heavenly Father. He laid claim to intimacy with God. At Jesus’s baptism, our Heavenly Father laid claim to intimacy with Jesus when He said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17.   “Beloved Son” is a term that means esteemed, dear, favorite Son. Yes, we are the sons and daughters of God. Yet, when we ponder the magnitude of the sacrifice of our Heavenly Father giving up His favorite Son for our sins (John 3:16) and Jesus leaving His Heavenly Father to come to earth to die for our sins, we can’t help but have profound gratitude and wonder at their love for us.

Heavenly Father and Beloved Son, we praise You for Your magnamious love, grace, and sacrifice so we can live with You in eternal glory. We love You.

#biblegatewaybloggergridmember

In our study and praise of the Lord each day, we’re often familiar with the ways in which God is revealed. That may not be the case with Jehovah-Shammah, the LORD is There. What does this name indicate? I looked to Herbert Lockyer’s “All the Divine Names and Titles in the Bible” to explain.

“Ezekiel saw the glory of God, and recorded its departure from the Temple because of Israel’s idolatry and iniquity. He likewise saw judgment upon Jerusalem, and the setting up of the Prince, the second David, as the channel of Israel’s future blessing – the judgements of God and Magog – the setting up of an ideal city with the restoration of the Temple within it. The name of this ideal commonwealth or kingdom is to be Jehovah-Shammah – “The LORED is there” – so called because of the manifest present and power of Jehovah therein.”

Lockyer continues, “Here, then, in this consoling title, the last of Jehovah’s titles, …He designates Himself as the Dweller from beyond space in the millennial city of Jerusalem. In the past, Tabernacle and Temple alike were His dwelling place, but in the future a wider sphere is to be His. During the millennium there will be the Temple and the City. In the New Jerusalem, however, there is no Temple, but the LORD Himself, as Jehovah-Shammah.”

Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your eternal dwelling in our hearts. We look with hope and anticipation to the New Jerusalem and being in the presence of You, Jehovah-Shammah.

Record each of God’s divine names in Prayers of My Heart, available HERE.