First and always, I am thankful for God's love, even (especially) when I don't deserve it, which is most of the time. I am also thankful for the way He works in my life every single day, which is a manifestation of His love. In the past few months, He has changed the entire focus of my existence from seeking success in the workplace to cherishing a much simpler life focused on the relationships He created and continues to bless. I'm thankful that He has shown me the value of spending quiet, meaningful time, first with Him and then with the people He has placed in my life.
Today in Job 38-41, I read God's incredible description of how he manages creation on a daily basis. It's not his nature to just "fix it and forget it." His careful, constant watch over both animals and man is ongoing. My favorite passage today was God's description of the horse in Chapter 39: "Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane? Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting? He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray. He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword."
As I read this, my first reaction--as a horse lover myself--was to love God's love for horses, but then I realized God's power of suggestion and the symbolism of His words. As humans, with the capacity to know God's strength and the ability to understand that He is our protector, we should be as fearless as the horse and ready to mirror God's love and strength as we "charge into the fray" of the world each day. God might even be implying that if we take the time to consider Job's plight and God's power, our fears are somewhat silly.
Overwhelmed by God's power and majesty, Job replied, "I am unworthy -- how can I reply to you?" I totally get it, Job. I am unworthy. We are all unworthy. But thankfully, God doesn't see us that way. In God's eyes, we are His creation, His treasures. His love for us can't be measured in human terms. He wants to walk with us, live with us, give us the desires of our heart. He knows our names; he knows our children's names. He wants us to know we can trust Him with everything we have.
As part of this gratitude challenge, I will write about the people who give my life meaning, but today...and every day...I am thankful for God, our loving provider, the author and finisher of our faith.
