“The LORD will indeed give what is good,
and our land will yield its harvest.”
Psalm 85:12
Our Lord is good. He gives us good things. Do you and I acknowledge those good things?
James 1:17 reminds us:
Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
who does not change like shifting shadows.
What gifts have come down from above into your life? Have you thanked Him for those good gifts?
Christmas is a time for gift-giving and gift-receiving. We compile lists of our wants, to make it simple for those who are shopping to buy just the perfect gift. As we make those lists, it’s convicting to ask, “Are the things I desire, think about, and long for good things? Do they spur me on in my affection for Jesus?”
We are never more vulnerable to the traps of consumerism, materialism, and narcissism than at Christmas. The endless sales, ads, coupons, and bargains propel us on to keep wanting, shopping, and buying. But are those all good things?
Before we jump to make our list of wants, perhaps it would be helpful to push the pause button and take a moment to make an already-have list.
Johnson Oatman, Jr. wrote Count Your Blessings in 1897 — over 100 years ago! — but the lyrics offer timeless truth to us in the 21st century:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
On this weekend after Thanksgiving, perhaps a good challenge for yourself is to make an Already-Have List before making a Christmas list. How about one item for each year of life? If you have children or grandchildren at home, a seven-year-old could identify seven blessings — while 57-year-olds can be challenged to list 57 good things! If that’s too much, start off with a list of just ten things. Filling out the list could be a personal exercise, or something you do together as a family.
It’s always the season to count your blessings and acknowledge the good things God has provided.
Have you ever considered the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” The apostle Paul addresses that question in I Thessalonians 5:16-18 and in this week’s devotional video, Laura expounds on his answer!
As this year draws to a close and we look forward to 2023, we are excited for the new opportunities God will provide, for Laura to minister to women and encourage them to love God and love His Word.
For the rest of 2022, we’re offering a FREE set of next year’s Write the WORD bookmarks, printed in full color and mailed to you, for our readers who make a tax-deductible donation to support the ongoing ministry of Cross My Heart. (Given the cost to print and mail the bookmarks, we kindly request, but do not require, a gift of $20 or more to offset our expenses.)
You can mail donations to:
Cross My Heart Ministry, 1310 Scout Trail, Siloam Springs, AR 72761.
To make a donation from your bank account through Zelle, please use email address cross.my.heart@cox.net.
Did you know that Amazon will donate to Cross My Heart Ministry every time you make a purchase? Simply choose us as your designated charity, shop at Smile.Amazon.com or the Amazon Shopping app, and Amazon will donate a percentage of your eligible purchases — at no additional cost to you! Click here to sign up today: smile.amazon.com/ch/46-4702149
