One of the things I love to do is sit on our beach condo deck with my binoculars. The binoculars help me to see the dolphins jumping and the pelicans diving for their food up close and personal. However, if the focus is off, everything is blurry and fuzzy. So, for me to see clearly, I must focus the binoculars. Sometimes things can get out of focus for us. I know you can relate. In fact, you might be there right now. One thing that helps me get my focus clearer is to think about the gifts God has given to me. According to this verse in James, God has given us gifts. In fact, His gifts are always good.
With Thanksgiving looming before us, we might call it a gratitude list. Here are a few I’m focusing on today:
Abundant life: The life Jesus came to give me is full of His promises, His provision, His protection, His fruit, His goodness. All these things give me abundance.
Purpose: When we surrender to Jesus, He fills us with HIS purpose. This purpose keeps me from floundering. It gives me a reason to get up in the morning. God’s purpose inside me helps me to trust Him. I have learned that the main purpose of my life (and yours) is to bring glory to Him. And that’s what I strive for each day.
Joy: I talk about this a lot because joy is a glorious gift that sustains me and gives me strength every day no matter what’s going on. It’s an inner peace and contentment that only Jesus can give me. Unbelievers can never know joy, but we can.
Presence: His presence goes with me every day. I am NEVER alone. He has promised to go before me, behind me, and with me. Every step I take, He is with me. What a great comfort.
Holy Spirit: How thankful to know that the third person of the Trinity lives inside me. He is my Comforter, my Advocate, my Guide. Whatever God puts before me, no matter how challenging it is, the Holy Spirit helps me to accomplish it. (That’s very true of every Bible study I write)
Word of God: God has literally given me His Word… His Word is my shield and protector, my sword to fight the enemy, and my guidance every day. It helps me to know how to live to please God and more importantly, it helps me know God personally.
Hope: God has poured out His hope into me. Hope sustains me in the difficult days, carries me in the loss, strengthens me in the storms, and helps me to not give up. Hope keeps my eyes on the finish line.
This is a short list, but just focusing on these things today make my vision so much clearer. Let me encourage you to write down your list as well, especially if your vision is a little blurry.