Greetings Courage Today friends,
It is my sincere hope that you are enjoying the riches of God’s blessings.
This note is to let you know that this past week (Sept. 12-17), I was preaching in a revival at the United Methodist Church of Hackleburg, Alabama. The pastor did not have internet services at either his home or the church. In addition, there is neither a public library nor free wifi services in Hackleburg. So, I did not send out my Courage Today devotionals or even check my email.
Your continued support of this ministry is deeply appreciated. I apologize for my failure to plan for these contingencies, and I wanted you to know why the Courage Today devotional ministry was offline last week.
May God bless your life, your family, and your work.
Below is today’s devotional . . .
“Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me.” (Psalm 103:1-2 NLT)
Most of American Christians have never experienced physical persecution for our faith. Most of us have never been locked away for our witness of Jesus Christ. Our faith has not been tried in those fires, so to speak.
Yet, the trial of our faith has come from prosperity and the temptation to apathy. One might scoff at us and our “fiery trials.” Yet, in many ways, the easy life is far more testing to our faith than a dark, cold, prison cell with bread and water might be. The one trial is not greater than the other because both test one’s faith and trust in God.
No matter the form of our trials, the attitude of gratitude flows out of our experiences when we remember that God didn’t fail us in the midst of the storm. In our darkest moment, God was there. In our hardest trial, God was there. God, our Eternal God, “is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He was with us in our past; He is with us in our present; and He will still be with us in all our tomorrows.
So, today we can say, ‘my soul is overwhelmed with gratitude to God for his blessings and benefits.’ With this psalmist, we can shout, ‘let all that I am praise the Lord.’
Dear Father, thank you for your manifold blessings in our lives. We never want to forget your blessings and benefits. Empower us to praise your holy name with a whole-hearted attitude of gratitude. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be encouraged today with gratitude and praise,