Thankful

I looked across the room to my carry on bag near the door. My ride to the airport would be here in a few minutes. I breathed a prayer. God, I need wisdom. I'm afraid that I don't understand everything that is being asked of me.

This was my second trip out West but this time the project that I've been asked to join would be more intense. It required understanding my role in greater depth especially how it impacts the over all process that we were asked by managers, directors and AVPs to stream line.

The first day was a short meeting leaving the rest of the day open. I believe the Lord used a call from manager the day before to ask about a process that one of the teams was using and it proved successful. So I spent the entire afternoon speaking to key individuals, taking notes and reporting my findings back to the manager in New York.

The next day as we were mapping the process an entire task was devoted to the process I only learned last night. I was excited and think I may have surprised others in the room. I understood when the report was generated and the maker of the report. I explained how the process worked and what the expectations were of the claims examiner. I also warned of a defect in the process should there be a delayed response to the report.

At the end of the day I was so thankful to the Lord that He knew what I needed before walking into the meeting. He supplied what I prayed days ago for an answer I could not have anticipated.

And this was the lesson I felt the Lord speak to my heart. Be thankful. It was a call to come back to Him time and time again throughout the day and say to Him, "Thank you." We are instructed to present our requests with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6) not in a complaining attitude.

Of all the ten lepers only one came back to say thank you. How God's heart is moved when one turns around to look Him in the eyes to say, "I'm so grateful for all You have done." I believe that when we are thankful our faith is increased in a God who can do all things even in the most difficult and trying circumstances.

God will never fail to come through for His people.

So are we willing to offer Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving? Much of our promise of deliverance and freedom is hinged on lips of gratitude.

...the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying, "Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever." For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the LORD. (Jeremiah 33:11 NIV)