Today’s Reading : Romans 12: 9-13
KEY VERSES:
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Th 12:18
“What does the Lord your God ask of you...” Dt 10:12
Most of you will have been to our house, quite a few will have been to our downstairs toilet... guests are often amused at the verse we have on the wall ‘Give thanks in all circumstances’
I was challenged several years ago by a Talmudic Jewish custom to bless the Lord for 100 things each day. Deuteronomy 10:12 says ‘what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, walk in obedience to him...’ In Hebrew the word ‘what’ (mah) is similar to the word for ‘hundred’ (meah), so this group of Jews choose to bless the Lord 100 times daily.
Every time I am in that little room I thank God for the miracle of my body; not choosing to see the bits I don’t like so much, but marvelling at how it works, heals itself, grows, gets rid of what it doesn’t need, learns and houses my mind, spirit, soul. But that is not where it stops…
There are so many things in my day to day life I can thank the Lord for – bless Him in, so I have tried to bless the Lord for 100 things a day like this for many years. Sometimes I write it down, sometimes I pray it, sometimes I count... but I try to make it my habit. I encourage our family to as well, I hope it has led to an attitude of gratitude and thankfulness.
Most of the time I do this in relation to the Lord, but it was also so helpful several years ago when I was cross with John on his birthday... I wasn’t sure what to write in his card, Holy Spirt whispered to me ‘write 100 things you are thankful for in John’. That changed everything, suddenly I had an attitude of thankfulness for the many things I love about John and forgot the one thing that was tricky between us.
ACTION STEPS
• Start thanking God each time you do a repetitive task (mine was going to the toilet...!)
• Write a list of 100 things you are thankful for today in your journal
• Start your prayers today with thankfulness