Gratitude – Your Daily Encouragement

The Christmas Chronicles, Day 23

“This is insanity,” Yusif fumed.
“Wasn’t it enough that you have occupied our land?” he said out loud—as if to the emperor himself.

If you are just discovering the Christmas Chronicles today, you can go to the beginning by clicking here.

You can access Day 22 here.

It is shocking how often the Halls of Power accomplish God’s will—usually without their knowledge.

The Roman emperor, Augustus, had declared that a census was to be taken across his empire. This included all those living in the land of Israel as well.

Although Yusif and Maryam lived in the north, they were both descendants of King David, so they were required to make the 95-mile journey to their ancestral home in Bethlehem for this census.

“This is insanity,” Yusif fumed as they set out.

“Wasn’t it enough that you have occupied our land?” he said out loud—as if to the emperor himself. He had just begun the journey on foot with his betrothed from their village in Nazareth to the village of Bethlehem.

“Wasn’t it enough that you drown our people in taxes to pay for your soldiers, who oppress us?” he said again.

“Wasn’t it enough that you talk down to us, treat us like cattle, and despise us to our faces?” he vented. “Now I am forced to march my fiancé for days while she is in her 9^th month of pregnancy, to take part in this pagan census, so you can collect more taxes from us. What more do you want?”

During these moments, Maryam only looked down and remained silent. In truth, she was glad to be leaving the judgmental glances of others in Nazareth.

It was halfway into their journey that Yusif realized that his thoughts did nothing to help speed their journey. Because Maryam was so near to the end of her pregnancy, it became clear that the more he dwelt on his anger the less he was able to care for her—in fact, he realized his words and attitude were causing her distress.

He purposed at this point to turn from his speaking to the air. “Besides,” he thought, “why should I be angry at a man I will most likely never meet?” So, turning from his anger, he made it a point to be focused on helping Maryam arrive quickly to his ancestral village: Bethlehem. “This journey is wearing on her—I must be watchful for Maryam’s sake,” he thought.

When they arrived, they found the village was filled with travelers, clogging the streets and all available accommodations.

Yusif grimaced. “The census…” he muttered under his breath—then bit his tongue.

No sooner had they crossed the threshold of the village, did she began experiencing birth pangs. Yusif refocused on finding accommodations. Quickly.

The only shelter he was able to secure was in a cave—a place used for livestock. “Can this whole journey become any more insane?” he thought to himself.

He smiled at Maryam, “At least it will be a secure place for us to rest, out of the elements,” he said in his bravest tone of voice. Then he added, “It will only be a short stay here.”

She nodded, hopefully.

They cleared a space to spread out the bedding they had traveled with. And in this cave, with only livestock as witnesses, Maryam gave birth to her firstborn.

A son.

And they named him Jesus, as their messengers had instructed.

Today’s gift is from our family’s album project The Light of Christmas. Josiah, Sarah and Shannon sing O Holy Night.

o-holy-night Download

You can continue in Day 24 here.

The Christmas Chronicles is a 31-day series, written by Bill Herried.

Bill is a pastor in Tacoma, Washington and is married to the most extraordinary woman on the planet. Together they have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren. He has been the lead pastor at CenterPoint Christian Fellowship in Tacoma since 2006. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, and Master of Divinity from Corban University in Salem, Oregon—and he loves a good biryani.

Image by Tim Hill from Pixabay

The Christmas Chronicles, Day 14

Thank You

If you are just discovering the Christmas Chronicles today, you can go to the beginning by clicking here.

You can also access Day 13 here

Throughout the ages, the prophets continue to speak. Here is a description of Jesus’ crucifixion, written in 1,000 years before Jesus’ birth.

Psalm 22, A Psalm of David

¹ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
²   O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest…
⁶   But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
⁷   All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
⁸   “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
¹² Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
¹³   they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.
¹⁴   I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;
¹⁵   my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.
¹⁶   For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—
¹⁷   I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me;
¹⁸   they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
¹⁹   But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!

The reason Jesus came at the first Christmas, was to do for us what we could never do for ourselves. He came to deal with the deadly disease that afflicts our world: sin and death. He would give himself, paying the penalty for our wrong doing, making us right again with God.

That was why he came.

One of the most powerful pictures of Jesus’ death on the cross was detailed for us 1,000 years before He was born, in Psalm 22.

A thousand years before Jesus was born, King David describes what his offspring (Jesus, the Messiah) would endure on the cross.

As poetry it uses powerful imagery detailing crucifixion—which wouldn’t have been invented for hundreds of years after David’s death. But David describes in detail the kind of scorn, shame, and pain that are intrinsic to this method of execution.

I’ll detail just a short section in Psalm 22.

Verse 16 starts out

¹⁶ For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; — Dogs, considered unclean by Jewish law, speaks of outsiders, non-Jews. These would be the Roman soldiers who carried out the crucifixion

they have pierced my hands and feet— While the Persians invented crucifixion (about 300-400 BC) the Romans perfected it. David says in 1,000 BC that his hands and his feet were pierced. A perfect description of crucifixion.

¹⁷ I can count all my bones— This is what Jesus experienced in real-time. Each sinew and part of the body is in incredible pain. The cross was such a heinous device of torment, they made up a word specifically for this anguish. This is ultimately how we got the English word, excruciating (which means “out of the cross”)
they stare and gloat over me; — There was a massive crowd that witnessed this, and Jesus was mocked by his enemies.

¹⁸ they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. —The eyewitnesses tell us what the soldiers did as Jesus was dying. The victims were crucified naked and their garments were taken. In this case the soldiers drew lots to decide who would get his clothes.

So, while we celebrate Advent, there is a deep sense of solemness as we reflect on what is happening—and what is to come. We know that this baby would be born to die. The manger lies in the shadow of the cross.

What else can we say to Him for this priceless gift, but “Thank you.”

You can access Day 15 here.

The Christmas Chronicles is a 31-day series, written by Bill Herried.

Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay

Happy Thanksgiving!!

hope it’s your best yet

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. —Psalm 106:1

Praying today that your Thanksgiving is filled with good food, great friends and a heart overflowing with gratitude.

Love you,
Pastor Bill

Bill Herried is a pastor at CenterPoint Church in Tacoma, Washington and is married to the most extraordinary woman on the planet. Together they have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren. He has been the lead pastor at CenterPoint Christian Fellowship in Tacoma since 2006. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, and Master of Divinity from Corban University in Salem, Oregon—and he loves a good biryani.

Image by Sabrina Ripke from Pixabay

Thank you Veterans!

we are grateful

The LORD is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. —Psalm 28:7

Thank you again, Christian Grandfather Magazine, for hosting another post from Your Daily Encouragement.

It is a celebration of Veterans and all they have done to keep us secure.

Thank You Veterans!

Here is the link to today’s post.

Blessings,
Pastor Bill

Image by Shonda Ranson from Pixabay

“Thank You Father.”

time for a workout?

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised. —Job 1:21

How many times have you been disappointed in a situation, only to find out it worked out much better than you could have planned?

How many times have you been angry with God in the moment, only to see His purposes later on?

And how many times has God kept us from calamity, or averted disaster without our knowledge?

God gives and He takes. But isn’t that what every good parent does?

The hardest thing to do is to thank God in the middle of our pain or disappointment.

But the best thing we can do is to thank him in that moment. This is the beginning of trust; the place of hope.

An attitude of gratitude positions your heart to see and cooperate with what your Heavenly Father is doing in your life. He has a bigger perspective and a longer view.

He knows your past. He knows your present, and He is well acquainted with your future. Thanking Him in the moment is an exercise of faith—and what you exercise gets stronger.

Now is a good time to strengthen your faith.

Love you,
Pastor Bill

Giving Thanks

every day

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever. —1 Chronicles 16:34

Thank you, Father, for your goodness to us. Every thing we receive in this life is a gift from your hand. We recognize that today.

Help me to see your gracious supply in everything I do today.

You are good and your love endures forever.

Amen

photo courtesy of youversion.com

Happy Memorial Day

remembering those who gave all

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. —John 15:13

There is an old saying among the American military that goes, “All gave some, some gave all.”

On Memorial Day we remember those who gave everything to serve us—it is a solemn recognition of gratitude for those who paid the ultimate so we could enjoy the liberties and securities that we have.

And while veterans and current service members may wave off any personal recognition on Memorial Day (Veteran’s Day is that time to recognize veterans), can I make a suggestion?

When you see someone in uniform (even a first responder), tell them how much you appreciate what they do. Tell them how grateful you are that they are there. Tell them that what they are doing is important, and thank them for doing what they do. It’s been my experience that these words of appreciation are rare.

I am a big proponent of expressing gratitude. There is something that happens inside of us when we utter words of thanks. This is why it is so important to look for opportunities to express words of appreciation.

One of the ways we can do that concretely, is to be grateful to those who are still with us—whether they are veterans or currently serving in the military. So, for example, if you see a group of soldiers around a table at lunch, thank them for what they do. If you see a person in uniform in line at the grocery store, thank them for being there.

Because when you show gratitude to those who serve, it encourages them in their work and it does at least two things inside of us.

First, a word of thanks warms the heart of the grateful. No wonder scripture constantly reminds us to have an attitude of gratitude. When we thank God and others for what they do, it softens and warms our heart. Never allow your heart to remain cold and hard because of ungratefulness. A thankless heart is a prison that is constructed by a life of unappreciated expectation. Free yourself from that prison with words of thanks to others.

Second, it recognizes our dependence on those people God has placed in our lives. Did you know that in his goodness, God has placed others in your life? No one is an island. No one does it all on their own. He has placed others in our lives to recognize the value that these bring into our lives, and the value that we bring into their lives as well. It works both ways.

So today, on Memorial Day, recognize the sacrifice that so many have made—those who have paid the ultimate. Then this week, make it your plan to show gratitude to those who serve sacrificially by putting themselves in harm’s way for you. They need words of gratitude—just as much as we need to express them.

And Happy Memorial Day.

Image by Keturah Moller from Pixabay

The Power of Worship

it’s what you’re made for

Come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
For the LORD is a great God,
a great King above all gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
and the mightiest mountains.
The sea belongs to him, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land, too.
Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the LORD our maker,
for he is our God. —Psalm 95:1–7

One of the themes that comes up over and over in the Psalms is the invitation to worship.

Why is that? It is because we were created to worship.

There are a lot of activities that we have in our daily lives: hobbies, running errands, work obligations, etc. And these are all good, but we weren’t created for any of these.

But you were created to worship.

The opening pages of the book of Genesis describes how God created us in his image. He created us in his image to live in relationship to him. And as children of the King of the universe, we have the privilege of giving thanks to him for all he has done.

I’ve touched on this before, but we all know the difference that gratitude makes in our lives. We help train our kids to be thankful for gifts they have received from others, and it is life-changing!

Even research bears this out: it’s not just thoughts of gratitude that are life-altering, it is expressing gratitude that brings joy and contentment: writing that note; making that phone call. These expressions of gratitude change us.

In the same way, when we give thanks and praise to God for his goodness it changes us from the inside out.

And here is why this is so important: Worship is not just another activity we should stuff into a bloated schedule. When we express gratitude in worship, we are actually doing what we were made to do. But if this isn’t part of your weekly habit, you might feel the tension of fitting it into your schedule.

Here is the Key

We only have so many hours in our week. The key to living a life connected with God is setting aside the good, for the best. Most of our days are taken up by some kind of activity. The key to experiencing worship and time with God is setting aside those activities (even good things) that are not essential, to use our time for what is essential. Worshiping your heavenly Father with others is so important.

So, instead of thinking “I am so busy that I don’t have time to worship”, change your mindset to think “What do I need to do to remove non-essential activities from my schedule to make time for God?”

Jesus’ prescription: take a break

And can I be frank? The truth is, if you’re too busy to spend time with God, you’re faaaar busier than God ever intended you to be. And if Jesus were to speak to you directly, he would say the same: “Take the break from your busyness—and I’ll give you rest.” Take that important worship break, weekly, and you’ll find rest and refreshment in his presence.

Looking forward to worshiping with you this Sunday.

Love you, Pastor Bill

Image by Daniel Reche from Pixabay

The Gift of Peace

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” —John 14:27

While Jesus was with his disciples, they struggled to trust. Then, as he prepared to leave, they became anxious. So he gave them a gift: peace. The peace that comes with the presence of God. And he extends this gift to his followers even today.

But like every gift, it doesn’t become ours until we receive it.

This is a good time to take a moment to thank him for providing the gift of his salvation, for the gift of the Holy Spirit—who lives in us as we follow Jesus—and the peace of God that transcends all understanding.

This is the peace that will guard your heart and mind from every fear and anxiety as you walk with him.

Image by Michael Schwarzenberger from Pixabay

Published in Christian Grandfather Online Magazine!

ready to lift your perspective?

So privileged to have another article highlighted on the online Christian Grandfather Magazine. I love this post because it has the power to lift our perspective.

I love this post because it has the power to lift our perspective.

It’s called What’s Next? and actually applies to whatever stage of life you are in.

But if you start your days with these 3 powerful principles—and I’m telling you this from my heart—it will change your life.

I know we see a lot of hype in our daily lives, but this is not one of those.

If you put these 3 simple biblical principles to work, your spouse will thank you, your children will thank you, your grandchildren will thank you and you will be at peace with whatever comes into your life.

I love what CGM is doing here to encourage the next generation of influencers—that is you! This is so important, because as a parent or grandparent, you are influencing future generations.

So keep rockin’ it, parents and grandparents!

You can check out the post What’s Next? here.

Praying that you’ll experience God’s favor as you put these 3 simple principles to work.

Love you, Bill

Bill Herried is the lead pastor at CenterPoint Church in Tacoma, Washington and is married to the most extraordinary woman on the planet. Together they have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren. He has been the lead pastor at CenterPoint Christian Fellowship in Tacoma since 2006. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, and Master of Divinity from Corban University in Salem, Oregon—and he loves a good biryani.