Focus: Thankfulness (Holy Scripture)
Day: 08/95
Pathway summary: Study of the Word of God with expectation of Holy Spirit inspired revelation.
Justification: (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Psalm 119; John 16:7-15; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
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Setup:
Summarizing how thankfulness can be applied to the Holy Scripture
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Prep:
Answering the question: how does thankfulness look with respect to the path of the Holy Scripture
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Execution:
I began with prayer - and mostly want identify aspects to Holy Scripture for which we should be thankful and because of which we can draw closer to Christ.
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Day 8 - Observations on Week 1 (Holy Scripture)
There is a fundamental association between being thankful and being Christian. Whether it is the Biblical mandate to in everything give thanks, the presence of earnest appreciation in the Lord's Prayer, or like just about every one of the psalms. Part of this is simply having a heart of gratitude - in the same camp as motive, attitude, and focus, having a heart of gratitude helps reign in our tendency for selfishness. More importantly, it helps us appreciate the sheer volume of gifts provided by God.
In fact, you could argue that many of Jesus' commands were actually expressions of thankfulness. Prayer is functionally a conversation with God - and His command to "pray without ceasing" begs the question ... pray about what? About what you noticed and are thankful for! He follows up the prayer command with a reinforcement - give thanks in all circumstances (or in everything give thanks, based upon your version). No griping, no whining, no wishing for things you cannot have - put away childish things and walk around child-like because of the sheer abundance awesomeness of His glory and His gifts.
I have seen growth in my walk, as a spouse and a parent, and in my Bible studies. Prior to this past week, I believe I'd only had any kind of consistent Bible study at the behest of someone else. And, much like another rather-more-guided-study, I have seen personal growth as a result. And, I can safely say, because of that outward improvement, I must conclude I have grown more spiritually. I cannot take any credit for it - for truly God put it in my heart to change and God worked the change in me; however, because I am thankful (in particular for that change) I can earnestly recognize how He has changed me - and trust that, in future, He will do the same for me (or anyone else who seeks Him with an open, earnest heart - as a child).
