Be Thankful, At Least For This..…
1 Thessalonians 5:9 – “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ…” (KJ)
As we approach Thanksgiving, we become mindful of the things we should be thankful for. There are of course the physical things such as houses, cars, clothes, and food. Also there are the intangible things like jobs and health. It is true that these things are wonderful to have, and there is nothing wrong with being thankful for them, but I believe we often miss being thankful for this one spiritual thing — God’s selection of us.
From our scripture, we are told that God did not appoint us to wrath, but to salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. In short, you were not born to be cursed by God; instead, you were born to be blessed by Him. You were born with a divine appointment to have peace that passes all understanding. You were born to prosper and be in health. You were born with a destiny that would lead you face to face with the true and living God who would care for your every need in a way that no one else could.
There is no way that any believer should ever think of himself/herself as a “born loser.” Even when it doesn’t look like you’re a winner, you are winning! Tell me this….. How can anyone who is going to live in eternity with the God of heaven and earth be a loser? How can you see yourself as the least and the lacking when you have a God who has already orchestrated and ordained every victory for every obstacle you will ever face? The same God whose affection for you—- led to the selection of you—- will bring about the perfection of you.
I know that family members might have written you off, co-workers may have talked about you, and your closest friends may have left you when you needed them. But our God still had your solution wrapped up in the midst of His salvation before you hit planet earth. You were not appointed, born, and then created to go through hell on your way to hell. You were created to see God’s goodness on this side of life through the salvation of Christ.
This salvation comes from the Greek work “soteria,” which means deliverance, preservation, safety — the exact opposite of wrath, which tells me that God chose you, called you, ordained you, and selected you simply to put the devil under your feet. That by itself is more than enough to be thankful for.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!