Always Give Thanks

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:19-20

Don’t allow your mind to be controlled by the circumstances around you and thus give the enemy a foothold in your life… In today’s devotional, we are reminded of the importance of speaking over ourselves instead of allowing someone else to… There are a lot of things that we all face in this world, a lot of situations that we find ourselves in which are disheartening to the strongest and most stable individuals; however, the declaration that is made today is that we must maintain our praise, worship, and devotion to the Lord… The enemy has set out to destroy you; however, it will not be a physical fight, it will be a battle within your mind… All Satan once you to do is focus on the problem and not stand in faith knowing that the Father is the solution… Your adversary has placed strategic things in your life with the focus of derailing your faith; this is why you encounter obstacles that seem impassable and burdens that appear to be unbearable… The word of God tells in Hebrews 9:28, “so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.” This is not the only reference we have to know that Christ has delivered us from past, present, and future sins as Peter declares in the 3^rd chapter of his  1^st book, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,” 

These scriptures are referenced in today’s devotional so that you can see clearly that Satan only has the power that you give Him… He wants you to think (battle in the mind) that you are in bondage because of mistakes and failures; however, the Lord wants you to praise Him in and through your challenges because you know that He has and will deliver you… Your thoughts are powerful and today make the decision to make melody in your heart to God… Things may not be going as you desire, but you can praise God for the simple fact that His ways are flawless and He has a plan for you, to give you hope and a future… I was once told this following quote by my father many years ago, it reads as follows: “Be careful what you think, for your thoughts become your words. Be careful what you say, for your words become your actions. Be careful what you do, for your actions become your habits. Be careful what becomes habitual, for your habits become your destiny.”Whether we acknowledge it or not, the truth of the matter is that the things we think about lead to the path that we choose to travel… Paul echoes this very thing in his letter to the church of Ephesus… If we want to walk according to the will of God and do the things that are pleasing in His sight, then we must first change our mindset and focus on our spiritual identity which will lead us to spiritual thoughts… When we begin to think spiritually instead of seeking worldly possession, we begin to speak life (God’s word) over every situation and circumstance and when we reach that level, we are able to “…give thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…” 

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!