Linda Wood Rondeau

Snark & Sensibility

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO BE THANKFUL
Wednesday, April 8, 2020 by TRINA BRESSER MATOUS

PLEASE WELCOME

TRINA BRESSER MATOUS

TO

DEVOTIONAL WEDNESDAY

 

In recent years as Easter approaches, my thoughts have gone back about 15 years to a missed opportunity to be thankful. A boss, who may not have been completely in touch with her employees, decided to host an Easter egg hunt. The eggs were hidden around our small building and the employees searched for them. I was filled with dread as this sort of activity is not in my comfort zone. I managed to get the job of hiding the eggs, so I wouldn’t have to go searching for them later.

When the day arrived, I hid the eggs and then watched and waited as my coworkers went searching. When all the eggs were found and the hunt was done, we spent a few minutes together opening the eggs to find lottery tickets.

Photo by Raychan on Unsplash
 

Several weeks later my boss commented that no one had thanked her for the activity or chance to win the lottery. I could understand why they had not thanked her. I think my coworkers were as unexcited about the Easter egg hunt as I was.

Today, as I remember the incident again, I feel a bit of remorse at not saying thank you. My boss, as best she could, had tried to do something fun and special for her staff. And although we may not have appreciated the activity, we could have at least thanked her for her efforts to do something nice for us.

Incomprehensible Love

Easter is just a few days away. On Good Friday Jesus died on the cross to be the perfect sacrifice no sinner could ever offer. His sacrificial act allowed each of us to be forgiven, redeemed, and restored to relationship with our Heavenly Father. When we stop to consider the magnitude of the sacrifice of God our Father and Jesus – of our Father giving up His Son, and the God Son coming to earth to pay the price for us – their love is incomprehensible.

Today, it can be easy to take Jesus’ sacrifice for granted. Too often a lifetime of familiarity with the Easter story means we rejoice in Jesus’ victorious resurrection and overlook His all-encompassing sacrifice. If there is one thing we should be thankful for, it is Jesus’ death on the cross. When we place our faith in Jesus, that one act gives us life when death was a certainty, restores our relationship with our Heavenly Father, allows us to be called His sons and daughters, permits God’s grace and mercy to flow through our lives, allows us to experience His many blessings, and means we not only experience life abundantly here on earth but also enjoy eternal life with Him.

We may have fallen into taking Jesus’ sacrifice for granted, but it is not too late to be thankful. Psalm 100:4 reminds us to “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.”

Every Reason to be Thankful

At the foot of the cross, we have everything to be thankful for. Even in the midst of the trials, pain, and suffering we experience as well as in everyday life, there is still much to be thankful for if our eyes are open and our hearts attuned to God’s heart. God Himself walks with us through our trials, ministers to us in our pain, and redeems our suffering.

Unlike the opportunity to express gratitude my coworkers and I missed, we now have the opportunity to express our gratitude to Jesus for the cross. Through the cross, Jesus carried the weight of human sin and depravity on His shoulders so that we might receive life. At the cross we can lay pain, trial, suffering, difficulty, hate, anger, bitterness, unresolved conflict, disappointment, and frustration, knowing that God’s justice and mercy will see us through. This Easter, remember the cross and remember to thank Christ for dying for us, and our Father for sacrificing His only Son so that our relationship with Him might be restored.

ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN LIVING SERIES

The Christian Living Bible Study Series is designed to assist readers in their relationship with God, help them understand difficult passages, shed new light on familiar verses, and gain an appreciation for statements made within the confines of ancient cultural practices. Through these books, readers not only learn about the life and work of Jesus Christ, but also personally experience the love, grace, mercy, and redemption offered by the Father through the sacrifice of His Son. Learning more about the history and purpose of each verse will enable readers to grow in wisdom and knowledge.

 

                           

                                             

ABOUT TRINA BRESSER MATOUS

Trina has a Masters of Arts in Christian Ministry from Ashland Theological Seminary and is a passionate Bible teacher and writer. For over 20 years, she has shared Biblical truths in compelling and memorable ways as a Bible study leader and a member of the Restorative Prayer Team at her church. Her trip through Turkey visiting historic sites including Istanbul, Ephesus, Cappadocia, Haran and Antioch, as well as two trips to Israel’s holy sites bring reality to Trina’s teaching and writing. Additionally, Trina is an avid birder, loves to cook, travel, work in her garden, and knit.

Links

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Trina-Bresser-Matous/e/B00MTYTAD8

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas

            https://www.shoplpc.com/product/pauls-letters-to-the-early-church/

            https://www.shoplpc.com/product/birth-of-the-church/

            https://www.shoplpc.com/product/the-epistles-of-james-peter-and-jude/

Website

            https://www.TrinaBresserMatous.com

FaceBook:

            https://www.facebook.com/TrinaWrites

 

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