Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
11 25 2024
Thanksgiving. Is Your Joy Intact?
We sit here on the near eve of Thanksgiving, and many are hurting, struggling in pain and even despair. I would encourage you today to fight for the high ground… fight for the joy of your salvation. Fight for the privilege of rejoicing in the blessings of others. Give yourself away to enrich those around you…Yes serve them…give yourself away and leave your darkness at the door. Get lost in the love of giving.
Not, I wish I had this or I wish my life could be like that.
We all want to live alongside someone else’s happiness, not their misery.
What can I do to seed more of God’s grace in you today?
What can I do to cultivate and help you grow the joy you see in others or just to help you
get the joy of Thanksgiving back or take yours to the next level?
Might I even be an instrument of God himself to teach you what living, giving, unselfish family and friends taught me. Not giving or serving out of obligation but out of love. Out of giving oneself away without looking for anything in return or judging whether they deserve it.
That is real love. Not because I have to or even want to… but because I live for that …
realizing that is a key ingredient of why God made us.
He knew it was an issue of the heart, planted by the Holy Spirit to love your neighbor
by giving your love away…by giving the Love of Jesus away.
But our intellect says, they have been so mean…disrespectful… divisive…selfish.
But Jesus says we are not judges, we don’t issue sentences
or have the right to hold our love back as a means of holding them accountable.
Accountability cannot happen without their permission,
that only begins with their submission to God himself, not to us.
But we are not helpless! He calls us to fight with the only weapons that are effective.
The word of God. The very words of God. Prayer.
Resist the devil, and he will flee. James 4:7 For those of you battling depression, anxiety or lonliness in this time of year.. Don’t let Satan or Screwtape take from you the blessings God is pouring out on you; What is it you live for? Tell Satan you are done with his meddling. Jesus is the Lord of your home and your life. Demand by the blood of Jesus to get out! Demand he takes his lies and accusations OUT.
Take authority over your circumstances. These thoughts and feelings don’t have to define you…
stop letting him steal you joy.
I know, you are you sick and tired of waiting for your “real” life to begin. Then change the Paradym. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:9
“My purpose in writing you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything“.
Jesus has already defeated him, so tell him with authority, and send him back to hell and out of your home, your job, you marriage and your life! Our joy in the Lord is our strength… (Neh 8:10) It is the power he has given to each of us as an inheritance, as a true weapon of power to walk by the spirit and hold up the shied of faith to take every thought captive, and every negative connotation that has been taking up mental space… taking up the high ground of your life. Jesus sits on the thrown of your life, because you have surrendered. You have made yourself accountable to God himself. His ways are higher than your ways. (Is 55:8) You know that, now step out in faith, and purpose and start walking in the joy of the Lord. It is a gift of eternity, for eternity…It is truth and light to blow out those dark recesses in your soul and your life. You are the head and not the tail. (Deut 28:13).
Thanksgiving is a time of thanksgiving. We need to remember the obvious some times.
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on our blessings and to give back whether it was a good year or not. It is a reminder to get off the wheel and slow down…set up some new boundaries and make time to reflect, pray, and take in again, the joy of your salvation, and be thankful…truly, authentically, and genuinely thankful for what you have…before everyone floods in for the turkey. When was the last time you seriously reflected on what God has given you, blessed you with, done for you?
How deep must you dig to find the blessing of God in your life?
The depth of that may be a tell all by itself of your spiritual state.
What does his word say, “If God is with you who can stand against you?” If God is leading you in a new direction, will you just say no and head in another direction? How profound are our excuses? It’s a little hard… you’re not so discipled… It’s too much work. Have you been contending with God? Is there something in your life he requires of you or has been asking for some time? Something he wants you to lay down at the foot of the cross. Maybe that thing you have tripped over too many times.
That will probably take on the form of repentance for our stubbornness and our pridefulness. It began with the little things, and before we knew it, we were in a habit. The return begins with asking for forgiveness and mercy to change direction to submit to His will for your life. He will never leave you stranded and alone. Perhaps rather than craving the friendship and relationships with others to fill this void of loneliness, we might consider that it’s a deeper relationship with Jesus that God is asking for…so that you might discover, he has been there all along and he is jealous for YOUR company…your appreciation…your worship and adoration. Go get lost in THAT and see if you won’t find your joy and all you’ve been searching for.
This is the time of year to remember all His blessings.
Maybe some of them are memories…but memories are gifts too.
So let’s rededicate this thanksgiving to the Lord. When we get right with God, we have a light that shows us how to be right with others and even the world. Fighting for the high ground is just the beginning. There is not just a strength in recognizing God’s truth.
There is a joy and even a dance as God pours out his presence on you and in you.
It is not just about remembering to fight… It is sometimes about returning to the battleground to take back the ground we have surrendered, and Satan has coerced us to give up.
(You know that is the only way he can steal it).
So, call those things as though they are. (Rom 4:17) Forget about how you feel about… THAT …or about your past and how others may take this sudden change…
Speak the truth … Speak His truth, in love, over this week and this holiday and your family.
Institute the beginning of a season of prayer , forgiveness and thanksgiving.
Let today be the beginning of answering God’s call to live a life of thanksgiving,
not just on this holiday or this season but every day.
There is no other path to walking in thankfulness and joy before God.
When we give him credit, when we invite him in,
when we use the weapons he gave us to fight these battles!
Finally, I found this prayer at the altar Sunday as I was praying for a young couple struggling with the content of this message.
“ My Prayer is that I will make more room in my schedule for the Holy Spirit to move. I want to fight for time with Jesus in my busy schedule. Amen”
Lord, we will stand on your word for this person and all who listen today. We pray for your hand of protection. Send your uncompromising light before me and use me to be a warrior of love for you. Lord, I promise to worship you unashamedly. Raise me up higher lord. Use me to be a holy vessel and honor you in all I say and do. Let it begin with me, In Jesus name.
I write a Christian devotion 3 times each week. If you would like to pass this lesson and future devotions to someone, send them this Signup link: http://eepurl.com/gKlklD
My website to view past devotions is https://fearlesslycourageous.com
Give Thanks with a grateful heart.
Leave a Comment