I will MAGNIFY HIM with thanksgiving.

I know we are traveling through a difficult passage of life right now, there is a lot of scary, and negative news out there. It may feel like God is far away. I ask you to answer this question for yourself, is God big or small to you?

I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

In our lives it’s very easy to get focused on all of the things that are not going our way and if we are not careful they can consume us to believe that nothing is going our way. And we begin to question, doubt, and distance ourselves from God.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:12-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It can start out very simply, and very quickly escalate us into feeling as though our whole life is a mess, and we lose our lights. I will keep this thought short and sweet to remind you to look at the life around you and notice what you do have rather than what you don’t, be thankful to God, take time to consider what He has done for you up to this point and do your best to be thankful for Him…

Even in our trials we can be thankful…actually we are told we can have joy and glory in them, because God is making us stronger!

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1:2-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:1-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

MAGNIFY HIM

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Make a list of what you are thankful for, if you have heard the song count your blessings, think of it! Each one of us have been blessed in different ways, it will do us no good to compare our blessings with the blessings of others because then that can make you envious, and ungrateful for the life that God has given you!

“A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14:30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Count YOUR blessings and you will find that God is nearer to you than you realized! He loves YOU so much, let His love motivate you each day, to be a worker for Him, to learn to be self less, and Magnify Him and praise Him for what he has done for YOU each and every day.

“I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34:1-22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬