TGIF

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

On weekday mornings at the Canosa household we do family breakfast. On Mondays, we memorise something from the Bible. Tuesday-Thursday, it’s working through ‘Exploring the Bible Together’ by David Murray. On Fridays, we spend time giving thanks to God. It’s this practice that I want to zoom in on.

I’ve noticed (and am unsurprised) that our thanksgiving mainly lands on physical things. Beautiful world, food, shelter, friends and family. My guess is that we aren’t alone in this. It’s not that we shouldn’t be thankful for these things (we can and should). But as Ephesians 2 reminds us, we have received even greater gifts from God than these things. One of those gifts being, the gift of grace and faith.

Consider this for a moment. Why do you believe in Jesus? Why do you get to know God and see His glory? Why are you welcomed into the family of God and why will you inherit the blessings of eternal life with Him? Did you earn it? Were you entitled to these things? Were you even able to have faith without God’s giving it to you?

No! Faith is a gift. Greater even than food or shelter, friends or family. Let’s give thanks for God’s gracious and great gift of faith.

For Today:

• What do you usually give thanks for?
• What are some other things you should give thanks to God for?
• Reflect on and give thanks for the gift of faith today.

Pray:

• Praise the Father for the gracious gift of faith to His people. 
• Give thanks for Jesus, the object of our faith. 
• Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others see the gift of faith more clearly and give thanks for it.