February 23, 2012 The Big Picture

Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered and that my life is fleeing away. My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existence is but a breath. Psalm 38:4-5


O Lord my God, you have done many miracles for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. If I tried to recite all your wonderful works, I would never come to the end of them. Psalm 40:5

I feel like these two passages embody what God has been doing in my life these past couple of weeks - reminding me of the fragility and brevity of life, my life, and reminding me of the goodness of God, in particular, the power of thanksgiving.

In relationship to thanksgiving, God calls us to be thankful all the time, but I have come to believe that is not for His benefit but ours. The more we review our lives to "count our blessings," the more we are reminded of not only God's love and kindness to us, but the power available to us.

I realize that I am in the final third of my life, so I have lots to rehearse of God's goodness to me, but it really doesn't matter where you are in physical years. None of us is guaranteed a three score and ten kind of lifetime. The point is fill our days with thanksgiving and use the power that yields for God's glory.

Don't listen to the evil one who would whisper into your ear that a particular dream or idea or even, I would dare to say, vision is impossible. Remember what God has done and given you, and go ahead. Put your feet out there over the water, and watch him separate it, so that you can walk on dry ground to do amazing things.