Seeing God's Purpose Through a Thankful Heart
A grateful heart has perfect - "line of sight"- to God's purpose for your life. This idea - at first ... might seem a difficult mountain to climb - as in - "how do I get there from here" -
If you allow - let's go on a little hike up that slope together. Course ... when I say perfect - "line of sight" - I mean - there's nothing hindering your view. No obstacles -
When we first moved into our family home over 30 years ago - we had a wonderful (unobstructed) view of the horizon. We could see for miles - clear to Connecticut. Each year our place - became the spot for family and friends to gather and watch the amazing fireworks display across the Valley - from Kingston to Newburgh - all the way out - yes clear to Connecticut! It was pretty amazing to see the sky light up celebrating the Birth of Our Nation! Yet over the years - as time went by - the young trees - in our front yard - grew - and our "view" became blocked - we just couldn't see what we'd first seen - soon - we stopped trying - everyone else too. Isn't that like life? When our once "grateful heart" - gets obstructed - we lose the view we once had of God's great beauty - His ultimate plan and purpose for our lives. OK - you still with me? Hope so - this gets better.
Here's my point - I believe that practicing an "attitude of gratitude" - taking quiet time by yourself - to "take a meeting" and an "inventory" with God and review the things that He has given you - to count your blessings ... (yes all the things - even those you didn't want) meditating - on them and letting Holy Spirit show you the purpose for them in your life. -Our disappointments many times - are God's appointments. Rejection - His protection. Our messes - can be turned into messages - for someone else struggling through the same.
Thinking this way - cuts through the noise and topples some of those branches of bitterness obstructing God's beautiful view of your life. When we cultivate an attitude of gratitude, we gain back—a clear line of sight—to what God is shaping in us and calling us toward. He is uncluttering our heart - allowing us to focus in on the present moment and see the people God has placed in our path - not stepping over or around them - as the Rich man - who passed by Lazarus each day at his gate.
Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, "we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
These works weren't just suggested—they were predetermined, already decided by a God who sees the full picture of our lives. Yet how often do we miss His divine purpose because we're too focused on our own plans?
Romans 8:28 promises that "all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
Notice it says His purpose, not ours. His plan is always better than anything we could ever devise. Without gratitude, we become perpetually dissatisfied, forever chasing our own ambitions while stepping over and around the divine appointments God places at our gates. We can become so focused on what we lack (or what we think we need - to be fulfilled) that we miss out on opportunities to give, to serve, and to witness God's kingdom - to a soul in need. When we're stuck in the past—wrestling with regrets, nursing bitterness, or mourning what we've lost—we miss everyday moments. Kind of like Adam Sandler in the movie Click - fast-forwarding past what he thought were the "boring parts" of his life - only to discover - he'd missed out on some of life's most important.
We can become better, not bitter, but only when we choose gratitude over grievance.
A Miracle at the Post Office
I've had a few - what I consider to be God's divine appointments in my life - but last weeks unplanned stop at the post office for me was one of God's most striking reminders that He sees and hears everything! A chance encounter with a disheveled stranger asking for a ride. In that split-second decision, prompted by the Holy Spirit's gentle "yes," an ordinary moment became extraordinary. The stranger—a man who had just lost his wife, was recovering from hip surgery, and facing eviction—received not just a ride to pick up his prescription, but was blessed by two extra bags of Thanksgiving groceries from Hope Church that - I'd just happened to have had in my car - placed there in a prayer to God - to put someone in my path - I could bless them with. This kind soul later told me - "I wouldn't have had a Thanksgiving," if I hadn't run into you. I told Him God was the author of this story and his too. That God hadn't forgotten and He saw his struggles - He is with you! But here's an interesting fact - a beautiful mystery at that: the giver was more grateful and blessed I think - than the receiver. Heaven touched earth that day - and God showed up in a post office parking lot. It's what happens when we pray: "Lord, put somebody in my path today that I can speak to, that I can minister to, that I can bless." When we pray this prayer, we must be careful—because God will answer it. He will orchestrate divine appointments that reveal His very real presence in our lives. Real - Fireworks!
The Prayer of Contentment Proverbs 30:8-9 says - "Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God."
This is the prayer of someone who understands that contentment—not complacency, but genuine satisfaction with God's provision—is the sweet spot where we can best serve His purposes. It's where we stop striving and start thriving in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. You Cannot Outgive God. You cannot outgive the Giver. When we give freely—of our time, our talents - compassion, and treasures -His love transformed into ministry—God pours back into us abundantly. As Philippians 4:19 promises, "God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Gratitude Forged on the Anvil of Adversity
Viktor Frankl, a Nazi concentration camp survivor, wrote: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances." Our attitude is our choice. We can choose gratitude or we can choose "woe is me." And here's the paradox: gratitude needs resistance on which to form. That resistance is adversity. The trials we prefer to avoid are the very things that produce the grateful heart God seeks in us. The person who has everything and faces no troubles often sees life as their own achievement. But when you have just enough, gratitude has room to grow. Writing from a Roman prison, chained and facing possible execution, Paul penned these words: "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound... I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:11-13). Paul wasn't a prisoner of Rome—he was a prisoner of Christ. His circumstances became the very means through which he showed others the grace of God.
With a grateful heart, content in whatever - came his way, Paul discovered the secret: contentment can only be learned in the context of what Christ has already done for us.
Gratitude is forged on the anvil of adversity. The cultivation of the tree called gratitude bears the fruit of contentment. And in contentment, we step boldly into God's divine purpose for our lives. We could no longer see the world's fireworks - the kids have grown - we've moved away - in pursuit of God's ever unfolding plan and purpose for our lives - and I wouldn't change a thing! Life should be an exciting adventure in the Lord - Go for it!
To see it? - Is to realize what Christ has already done for us - and that takes Gratitude! You see - a grateful heart really does have perfect - "line of sight" to God's purpose for your life.
If you're still reading this - I hope you enjoyed the hike! Leave me a comment if you like! Let me know how your journey of gratitude is going!
Your Divine Appointment Awaits
In this season of Thanksgiving - take time to notice those around you. Pray in the moment ... ask the next question: "Lord, what would you have me do?" "What could I do? - and then - if God asks, "Who will go for us?"—may your answer always be, "Send me."
"Don't forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels" (Hebrews 13:2).
Who knows —you may just change a life - and interestingly ... that life - may be your own.
Blessings - Pastor Bob
A grateful heart has perfect - "line of sight"- to God's purpose for your life. This idea - at first ... might seem a difficult mountain to climb - as in - "how do I get there from here" -
If you allow - let's go on a little hike up that slope together. Course ... when I say perfect - "line of sight" - I mean - there's nothing hindering your view. No obstacles -
When we first moved into our family home over 30 years ago - we had a wonderful (unobstructed) view of the horizon. We could see for miles - clear to Connecticut. Each year our place - became the spot for family and friends to gather and watch the amazing fireworks display across the Valley - from Kingston to Newburgh - all the way out - yes clear to Connecticut! It was pretty amazing to see the sky light up celebrating the Birth of Our Nation! Yet over the years - as time went by - the young trees - in our front yard - grew - and our "view" became blocked - we just couldn't see what we'd first seen - soon - we stopped trying - everyone else too. Isn't that like life? When our once "grateful heart" - gets obstructed - we lose the view we once had of God's great beauty - His ultimate plan and purpose for our lives. OK - you still with me? Hope so - this gets better.
Here's my point - I believe that practicing an "attitude of gratitude" - taking quiet time by yourself - to "take a meeting" and an "inventory" with God and review the things that He has given you - to count your blessings ... (yes all the things - even those you didn't want) meditating - on them and letting Holy Spirit show you the purpose for them in your life. -Our disappointments many times - are God's appointments. Rejection - His protection. Our messes - can be turned into messages - for someone else struggling through the same.
Thinking this way - cuts through the noise and topples some of those branches of bitterness obstructing God's beautiful view of your life. When we cultivate an attitude of gratitude, we gain back—a clear line of sight—to what God is shaping in us and calling us toward. He is uncluttering our heart - allowing us to focus in on the present moment and see the people God has placed in our path - not stepping over or around them - as the Rich man - who passed by Lazarus each day at his gate.
Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, "we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
These works weren't just suggested—they were predetermined, already decided by a God who sees the full picture of our lives. Yet how often do we miss His divine purpose because we're too focused on our own plans?
Romans 8:28 promises that "all things work together for good to those who love the Lord, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
Notice it says His purpose, not ours. His plan is always better than anything we could ever devise. Without gratitude, we become perpetually dissatisfied, forever chasing our own ambitions while stepping over and around the divine appointments God places at our gates. We can become so focused on what we lack (or what we think we need - to be fulfilled) that we miss out on opportunities to give, to serve, and to witness God's kingdom - to a soul in need. When we're stuck in the past—wrestling with regrets, nursing bitterness, or mourning what we've lost—we miss everyday moments. Kind of like Adam Sandler in the movie Click - fast-forwarding past what he thought were the "boring parts" of his life - only to discover - he'd missed out on some of life's most important.
We can become better, not bitter, but only when we choose gratitude over grievance.
A Miracle at the Post Office
I've had a few - what I consider to be God's divine appointments in my life - but last weeks unplanned stop at the post office for me was one of God's most striking reminders that He sees and hears everything! A chance encounter with a disheveled stranger asking for a ride. In that split-second decision, prompted by the Holy Spirit's gentle "yes," an ordinary moment became extraordinary. The stranger—a man who had just lost his wife, was recovering from hip surgery, and facing eviction—received not just a ride to pick up his prescription, but was blessed by two extra bags of Thanksgiving groceries from Hope Church that - I'd just happened to have had in my car - placed there in a prayer to God - to put someone in my path - I could bless them with. This kind soul later told me - "I wouldn't have had a Thanksgiving," if I hadn't run into you. I told Him God was the author of this story and his too. That God hadn't forgotten and He saw his struggles - He is with you! But here's an interesting fact - a beautiful mystery at that: the giver was more grateful and blessed I think - than the receiver. Heaven touched earth that day - and God showed up in a post office parking lot. It's what happens when we pray: "Lord, put somebody in my path today that I can speak to, that I can minister to, that I can bless." When we pray this prayer, we must be careful—because God will answer it. He will orchestrate divine appointments that reveal His very real presence in our lives. Real - Fireworks!
The Prayer of Contentment Proverbs 30:8-9 says - "Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God."
This is the prayer of someone who understands that contentment—not complacency, but genuine satisfaction with God's provision—is the sweet spot where we can best serve His purposes. It's where we stop striving and start thriving in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. You Cannot Outgive God. You cannot outgive the Giver. When we give freely—of our time, our talents - compassion, and treasures -His love transformed into ministry—God pours back into us abundantly. As Philippians 4:19 promises, "God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
Gratitude Forged on the Anvil of Adversity
Viktor Frankl, a Nazi concentration camp survivor, wrote: "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances." Our attitude is our choice. We can choose gratitude or we can choose "woe is me." And here's the paradox: gratitude needs resistance on which to form. That resistance is adversity. The trials we prefer to avoid are the very things that produce the grateful heart God seeks in us. The person who has everything and faces no troubles often sees life as their own achievement. But when you have just enough, gratitude has room to grow. Writing from a Roman prison, chained and facing possible execution, Paul penned these words: "I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound... I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:11-13). Paul wasn't a prisoner of Rome—he was a prisoner of Christ. His circumstances became the very means through which he showed others the grace of God.
With a grateful heart, content in whatever - came his way, Paul discovered the secret: contentment can only be learned in the context of what Christ has already done for us.
Gratitude is forged on the anvil of adversity. The cultivation of the tree called gratitude bears the fruit of contentment. And in contentment, we step boldly into God's divine purpose for our lives. We could no longer see the world's fireworks - the kids have grown - we've moved away - in pursuit of God's ever unfolding plan and purpose for our lives - and I wouldn't change a thing! Life should be an exciting adventure in the Lord - Go for it!
To see it? - Is to realize what Christ has already done for us - and that takes Gratitude! You see - a grateful heart really does have perfect - "line of sight" to God's purpose for your life.
If you're still reading this - I hope you enjoyed the hike! Leave me a comment if you like! Let me know how your journey of gratitude is going!
Your Divine Appointment Awaits
In this season of Thanksgiving - take time to notice those around you. Pray in the moment ... ask the next question: "Lord, what would you have me do?" "What could I do? - and then - if God asks, "Who will go for us?"—may your answer always be, "Send me."
"Don't forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels" (Hebrews 13:2).
Who knows —you may just change a life - and interestingly ... that life - may be your own.
Blessings - Pastor Bob
Posted in Gratitude
HOPE Blog ... Pastor Bob DeFelice
Sometimes random - sometimes not - some things I think - measured against scripture.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
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1 Comment
Wow thank you! Written with purposeful encouragement. This is Hope..with a journey into the future that is drawing the reader into a wonderful encounter on the horizon. Kind of like “the journey awaits” …just step off and go! Nice way of saying stretch out …I hear a lot not to look back but there is wisdom is looking back and reminding yourself that God provides!