One Thing

My plans for Thanksgiving Day changed.

The wonderful people who invited me to share the day with them encountered circumstances beyond their control.

They contacted me the day before and explained the situation to me.

I completely understood and told them so,

I told them not to worry about a thing and informed them that I would lift them up in prayer.

The moment I hung up the phone, I did just that.

Once I concluded that portion of my prayer I asked for His guidance in how I should spend Thanksgiving Day.

The answer came as no surprise as it was embedded in the name of the day.

I should spend my day simply giving thanks to God.

Although this should be simple, the difficulty lies in where to begin.

No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in we discover that we have so much for which to be thankful.

As I began to mentally prepare a list, my thoughts turned to a work by a man named John Amos Comenius who lived in the 1600’s.

Comenius was many things.

The world knows him as the father of modern education, but he was also an author, a theologian and many other things as well.

Unum Necessarium is but one of the books Comenius wrote.

The subject of this book is “the one thing necessary.”

Of all that we have or could have only one of them is completely necessary.

What is this one thing?

The one thing necessary is a relationship with God which is made possible through Jesus Christ.

Acts 16:31 (NIV) - They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

I will forever be grateful for the one thing necessary.

Being thankful in this will allow me to be grateful for everything else.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) - Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Of course that means I am grateful for you too.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, December 4, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, December 11, 2015

Still Waters

I learned something new the other day.

I learned that sheep will not drink from running water.

This immediately brought to mind Psalm 23.

Especially the second verse.

Psalm 23:2 (KJV) - He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Most people consider Psalm 23 to be simply a passage that provides comfort and a sense of peace.

It also provides a tremendous amount of truth.

Verse one sets the tone.

Psalm 23:1 (KJV) - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The Lord is the shepherd and as such He knows exactly what His sheep need.

Notice that He makes us lie down.

Left to our own devices we constantly find ways of staying busy.

The Lord knows we need rest as well so He makes us do just that.

A good shepherd also knows that his sheep will not drink from running water.

The Lord, being our shepherd, leads us beside still waters.

If we partake of this water, we will never thirst again.

John 4:14 (KJV) - But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

There is more.

Psalm 23:3 (KJV) - He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

The Lord restores our souls and leads us into righteousness not only for our sake, but also because this is who Hs is.

This is what He does.

There is still more.

Psalm 23:4 (KJV) - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Even the thought of death cannot frighten us, for we do not travel the path alone.

Psalm 23:6 (KJV) - Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The shepherd assures us that death is not the end, but merely a transition.

Psalm 23 provides us with comfort.

It also provides us with a tremendous amount of truth.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at http://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, November 20, 2015.

I’ll be back here on Friday, November 27, 2015