Just some early morning thoughts from me to you…
“I raise my hands, bow my head…I believe.”
Brooks and Dunn (See song link at the end)“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4: 6-7 (NIV)“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”
Psalm 107: 1 (NLT)“Always be joyful. Always keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 (TLB)
It’s been a long year.
And I suspect for many of us, all that has been going on this year has tended to paint our mood for a lot of our days.
Here we are in this Thanksgiving week, heading toward the most distinctive of American holiday seasons. Ours is a country which was firmly founded upon an unwavering reliance upon and a commitment to God.
A season where we embrace a spirit of thankfulness, peace and goodwill.
Yet the burdens we carry prevent us from finding that spirit of thankfulness and peace we long to embrace.
A mountain of uncertainty looming outside our front door causes anxiety which lingers even in the best of times. Finances are tight. Our career is not as stable as before.
A child is having a tough go of it. A relationship has ended. An unexpected illness hangs as a dark cloud over the days ahead.
A season which calls for a spirit of thankfulness, peace, and goodwill is being overwhelmed by adversity.
A season calling us to remember and look for the overarching faithfulness and presence of God is coming up short. A season calling us once again to believe in the God who is over all, sees us, cares, and loves us, needs a bit of a lift.
Many years ago, God sent a much-needed reminder in the form of a note from our elder Granddaughter, Hannah, then seven. At the time, I was struggling with life, and she sensed it.
I’m not sure what God had in mind the other day, as I unexpectedly found the note, again.
The envelope was decorated with shamrocks, containing her note inside adorned with four hearts—blue, orange, purple and green—containing the following words—
“Can we eat thanksgivening food tegeter? I hope we can.
I can’t wait to see you next time I do.” (Spelling uncorrected)
God has continued to use both of our granddaughters, Hannah and Ellie, as His Divine messengers when needing a reminder of His presence, love, and concern, and of the blessings in our lives He provides, for which we can be thankful.
And most importantly God uses them, in their love for me, to point me to Him.
Reminding me, in that way, and so many others, that I can believe and be assured of His never-ending presence and love for me—both here and for eternity.
And, as He does that for me, He does that for you.
So, that no matter what we face, what we’ve done, and in all those moments when we lack faith, and hope in tomorrow, He will remind us we can always believe that He is there, He cares, and He will be with us in the steps we face in our journey on this earth, and in the next eternal journey with Him.
Country western singing group Brooks and Dunn wrote a song entitled “Believe,” which they and Jelly Roll, sang at the recent 2024 Country Music Association Awards Show, sharing about the God we can believe—
“…I can’t quote the Book, the chapter or the verse.
You can’t tell me it all ends in a slow ride in a hearse.
You know I’m more and more convinced,
The longer that I live, Yeah, this can’t be.
No, this can’t be. No, this can’t be all there is.
When I raise my hands, bow my head,
I’m finding more and more truth in the words written in red.
They tell me that there’s more to life than just what I can see.
I believe. I believe. I believe…”
It’s been a long year. But now it’s Thanksgiving.
A time to look around, to see all the blessings from God in our lives, and to be thankful.
But even more, a time to raise our hands, bow our heads, and with thankfulness—
Believe in our God.
In His Name–Scott
Enjoy this powerful presentation by Brooks (Piano) and Dunn (Vocals), joined by Jelly Roll, of the song “Believe” sung at the Country Music Association Awards show November 20, 2024.
