In Isaiah, the prophet offers praise for deliverance.
He begins by acknowledging the wonderful things God has done.
Isaiah 25:1 (NRSVue) - Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
In his letter to the Hebrews, Paul calls upon his readers to persevere.
Hebrews 10:23 (NRSVue) - Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.
These are excellent reminders for me as I write this on Thanksgiving Day,
Overall, it has been a successful year for me.
But with success, it is all too easy to take all the credit.
It is easy to overlook the role God has played.
But I must never forget two important things.
All good things come from God, including success.
I also must remember that God planned this all along.
God is ever faithful.
Also, when things were not going so well, God was still there for me.
He never stopped loving me.
He always encouraged me.
He used the trying times to draw me closer to Him.
So, I have much to be thankful for.
But gratitude in and of itself is insufficient.
In reflection, I realize that something will be required of me.
Where I am on my journey is simply part of His bigger plan.
Admittedly, I do not fully comprehend that plan yet.
But I know He will reveal it to me according to His timing, not mine.
For the moment, I will acknowledge that my success this year comes directly from God.
I will also acknowledge that this is part of His plan rather than my effort.
I will also recognize His continual fidelity and His love.
Therefore, I approach God in humility and gratitude.
James 1:17 (NRSVue) - Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
Look for me at faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com on Friday, December
5, 2025.
I will be back here on Friday, December 12, 2025
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