Overflowing Thankfulness
So, then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. -- Colossians 2:6-7
Heavenly love.
Here on earth.
Think about the greatness of the gift of Christ.
Think about where we once were.
Think about what God has done for us.
Remember when we were bonded to brokenness? Destined for darkness? Falling into fear? We wandered lost, crying in the wilderness; there was nothing we could do. Nothing that could save us from the punishment for our sin. We felt hopeless. Ruined. Burned and branded with this burden.
But God, in His graciousness, would not let us go. He would not release His grip on us. He saw us in our shame, our hurting hearts, and made a way.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” -- John 3:16-17
Jesus stepped across the barrier between heaven and earth, touched the ground with two sandaled feet and set forth with determined purpose to the Cross at Calvary.
Our freedom for His bruises. Our place as royal children for His pierced lungs and punctured heart. Out of the glory-filled tabernacle of God’s throne, Jesus humbled Himself to become the Lamb of sacrifice.
God could have left us as we were, given up on His creation, but He kept to the course He set in place since the beginning (1 Peter 1:20). Salvation is ours when we believe, freely given, though it cost Jesus much.
Therefore, let us “enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise” and bless His name (Psalm 100:4), for He has indeed been good to us.
Blessed are You, the Reviver and Restorer of our hopeful souls! Our voices can sing with sweetness once again!
His love. The perfect gift. The greatest blessing. The hallelujah of our hearts.
May He be seen in all we speak and all we do, so our stories will be overflowing with thankfulness to God’s great and inexpressible grace that has come to ignite the ashes inside us into a continual fusion of faith.
Questions for Reflection:
1. How can I live out of the overflow of thankfulness in Jesus?
2. How can I strengthen and encourage others to live a life of gratefulness?
