“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 

The world we live in is full of noise and distraction. I feel it is urgent that we learn how to “Be still and know…” I long for each of us to know how to be still before the Lord and soak up His presence. I am convinced that it is the most important thing, the most beneficial. The earth is groaning for the revealing of the sons and daughters. We need sons and daughters who are fully alive and immersed in God’s love, which means we need to learn to live in His presence! 

Soaking prayer is being still in the Presence of God. Although the body is at rest, the heart longs and yearns for the Lord. Soaking prayer is far from being passive. It is a dynamic thing to wait on Him with great expectation within. We may be sitting comfortably or lying down, but our heart is wide open, sensitive to the leading of the Spirit, ready to receive from the Father. 

The heart is a container before God. The deeper we long for Him, the more we receive of Him. Let yours be an empty vessel ready to be filled with His fullness. 

How do we soak?

There are practical steps that we can follow when soaking. Whether alone or with a group, the following steps are valuable:

1. Create a peaceful place.

Finding a place that is set up to be conducive and offers some kind of privacy and silence is the first practical starting point. It could be a particular area in your house, office, or living room, free from distractions. You can have soft music playing in the background. This could help get you into the flow and focus on Him. However, there are some people who would prefer complete silence. Choose what works best for you.

2. Quiet Down – Psalm 62:5 says, “My soul waits in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.”

Quiet down your heart and mind. This is not emptying your mind but filling it with longing and desires for God. The best way for me to focus and quiet down is to express my need and longing for Him. Sometimes I whisper a prayer, “Oh Father, I miss You, I thirst for You..” As I go deeper in my longings, I sense the Spirit of God taking over my thoughts and guiding me deeper into His Presence. 

Quieting our hearts may not come automatically. But much like the way we develop our physical muscles, our spiritual muscles need constant exercise. Doing this again and again makes it easier.

3. Focus – Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in his temple.”

Beauty in this verse means God’s delightfulness–His goodness. By the Holy Spirit, we gaze at the beauty (delightfulness) of the Father. This is an important point; setting our eyes on an angry face is hard. 

Let me say that again–It is hard to set our eyes on an angry face. 

Whenever we come to Him, we see His face shining with joy and love toward us. To gaze is to look intently and steadily. Remembering His loving kindness helps us to focus on His nearness. We become aware of His desire to be with us, His children. 

Let your heart understand that HE delights in you, and He is filled with joy and anticipation to be with you! As you look intently upon one facet of His character, for example, goodness, He comes and saturates your whole being with a clear sense and awareness that He indeed is good. 

Then you come to a state where you could really say you have tasted and seen His immeasurable goodness to you! Goodness will become alive inside of you! This experience is far deeper than any sermon or study of the Bible. This is what revelation is all about. 

What you focus on will be magnified within you.

Like David seeing the universe, the stars, and the moon, in one of his meditations (Psalm 8), he came to realize the greatness of God, His glory, and His majesty. At that very moment, he came to a clear understanding of man’s value before the eyes of God. 

The Almighty God has crowned him with glory and majesty and made him the ruler of His creation. David did not receive this revelation through mere study or scientific observation of God’s universe but through an experience of God’s presence and character displayed in His works and he was amazed!

Focusing on the Lord also means having an expectant heart for Him to come, much like a watchman waiting for the breaking of dawn. We focus our whole being with a deep sense of anticipation and excitement. We pay close attention in our spirit for whatever God has for us. The moment God shows up, we are ready to plunge into His presence and not let go of Him. 

To focus on Him is to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. There will be times you will sense that your emotions, desires, joy and peace are being awakened as you allow Him to guide you deeper into the Presence of God. All these are the inner workings of the Holy Spirit. His Word becomes a living experience to us. 

4. Longing and Seeking – Psalm 84:1-2 says, “How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord! My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.” 

Deep calls unto deep, the psalmist wrote. Our hearts have the capacity to go deeper in desiring His Presence. David likened his yearning for God to a desert longing for water; let our hearts also desire God. The deeper we go in our desires and longings, the more depth He creates inside of us. The Spirit of God is our Teacher. He is the ‘paraclete,’ the one Who walks alongside us. He will lead us deeper into the realms of the Father’s Presence as we allow our hearts to be passionate in pursuing Him.

5. Respond to God – Psalm 34:8 says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”

God’s presence comes in waves. Be sensitive to the flow of the Holy Spirit within you. Watch out for impressions rising within your heart as the Spirit of God leads you deeper. What I like about soaking is this: it is never boring!

It is unpredictable yet exciting, to say the least, it is a journey!  As our hearts and thoughts focus on Him, our whole being responds to Him–our emotions, desires, creativity, passion, faith, and dreams are awakened. Joy, peace, and love also fill our hearts. 

As you go deeper into His Presence, the Lord also reveals His heart to you. The Lord comes to us in different measures, tones and modes. He may come in a quiet whisper. Or He will paint a picture in your mind that would startle you or trigger thoughts and emotions that would release joy unspeakable. At other times you will see His face, or the heavenly realms, or angels. Sometimes He overwhelms you with His love, flowing like a liquid fire into your being, consuming fears, doubts, limitations, rejections, and shame, and making you free. Praise God!

There will be times you will feel deep peace, or His glory will come like a weighty substance that covers your entire body. Your senses become so sensitive in His Presence. 

It is true; you are more alive in His Presence. 

Selah!

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Check out my YouTube channel here for free resources!

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What started as a chapel service on a seemingly typical Sunday at Asbury University has taken a turn as what appears to be a sovereign move of God. Thousands of people are traveling from near and far to experience the tangible presence of God and witness an outpouring of love on Gen Z. Some characteristics reported of what’s happening is mass repentance and a manifest presence of God. The gatherings are multigenerational in nature and people are being refreshed. The gatherings have been going on for days now and there seems to be no end in sight. 

For years believers everywhere have prayed and prophesied that another Jesus Movement is coming and that there will be a billion soul harvest as the coming of Jesus draws near. Could this move of God be what we have been waiting and praying for? Reports are being shared from all over the world. It is very evident that God is present in a very special way. The Spirit of God is showing up in unusual ways in churches and college campuses. Hunger is growing as revival fire is spreading.

This week in our masterclass, a student asked a very important question. We give the students an opportunity to submit questions beforehand while my spiritual son Paul Yadao and I answer. 

The student asked, “Can you please talk about the Asbury Revival and how we can support or bring it to where we are?”

Paul shared about his own revival experience in the Philippines when he was a young adult in college. He recalls that the movement started similarly to what’s currently taking place in Asbury. They were a bunch of unassuming college students on a campus who were rebellious in nature. They began crying out for revival and reading books on revival until God broke through and transformed the hearts of the students. They were no longer radical, rebellious, or anti-government. The students became tender and God-fearing. They would have passionate prayer meetings daily from 5:30 AM until 7 AM.  It lasted for 7 years. When the Father sovereignly steps in like this “…God is preparing the Bride,” exhorted Paul. “A dying church cannot win a dying world. Revival must happen to the church first as God is giving us right alignment and shifting our priorities.”

What’s happening in Asbury is connected with what’s happening in the lives of youth and young adults all around the world. We see a generation that is creative yet distracted, anxious and fearful of their futures. 

In moves like this when the Spirit of God is poured out, God will usually bring a culture that is contrary to societal norms. Intensity will replace apathy and where there’s a lack of hunger, God will pour out His Spirit on youth.

If you have a chance to be exposed to this type of environment, please go. To steward and engage with what the Lord is doing requires humility and sacrifice. You can honor what God is doing and ask Him at the same time to come and be very present where you are. The Father longs to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. Gather with people and pray. I want to urge you to honor the fire. In the Kingdom, we receive freely from what we honor.

We are continuing to pray for the tsunami wave of God’s love to wash over all nations and people groups. Let us receive His love, become love and release love until everyone hears the beautiful name of Jesus. He will have a radiant and spotless bride that has been ravished by His love. The love awakening is upon us! 

My book “The Love Awakening” will equip you to release the supernatural love of Papa God and walk in the baptism of love!

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” Genesis 3:15 NASB

The Father promised us that love would win. What a sobering thought.

His method was offspring. A seed. A seed? Yes. A seed because from a seed comes a family. This is so significant. From the beginning of time, the center of the Kingdom has been family (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). 

Perhaps, with all that is going on in the world and our individual lives, we lose sight of the significance of what Jesus accomplished on the Cross and what He wants to continue through us. Follow me for a moment. 

A seed has within it the ability to reproduce after its kind. Jesus came to the Earth, lived a holy, joy-filled life in communion with the Father, and died a criminal’s death. He was resurrected from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father. Before Jesus left the earth, he made a promise to us. We were to receive “another” who was better. The question is not what is this “other” but WHO? The other that came was not only the Comforter but the very Spirit of Christ.

Jesus was planted as a seed from the perfect family of love into the Earth and one of the reasons was so that we could be born again in His likeness. This is formed within us through the precious Holy Spirit, which Jesus said could not come if He didn’t leave. (John 16:7) Jesus’ expression as the seed of love gave us the opportunity to die and to be raised to new life so that we could experience unbroken communion with the holy Trinity. Not only that, Jesus’ blood cleanses our conscience from the guilt of the law and establishes us as righteous in God’s eyes. This is what the SEED, the Lamb of God, has done. 

Now, we have been born again as children of light with the seed of love within us. Abba has given us, His beloved, Jesus within us. Forever. He has triumphed over sin, as He said, nothing would ever separate us from His love. (Romans 8:31-39)

What does one become with the seed of love germinating in their hearts? Love.

And love MUST express itself.

Love is alive in you today. He’s expressing Himself as He conforms you into the image of love and this love must flow from within you as you fellowship with Jesus.

Who has Love opened your eyes to? Where is He wanting to express Himself through you? Love has already won and everyday He wins in you and through you.You can read more about the “Seeds of Love” and other transforming stories in my book, “The Love Awakening.” The Father has prepared a tsunami of love that will overcome the earth and all the nations will experience Him. He loves this world and we will see a mass repentance take place. His love must be expressed; we will see a love awakening. 

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1: 4-5

Who are you? 

It can be the most daunting question.

You start to answer with an explanation about your job. “Okay that’s what you do but who are you?”  Your stomach drops and you begin to describe your relationships—a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, a friend, an athlete, an artist, a singer, a writer, etc.

“But who ARE you?”

With a deep sigh, you confess, “I don’t know who I am.”

Ah, finally we can start. 

It takes humility AND courage to begin this journey. It takes willingness, persistence, and resilience to dig deeper and deeper in order to capture the very clarity of who you are.

This is so that you can see yourself the way that Papa God sees you and discover what you were born for. You will find your place at the Father’s table among the 7.8 billion people in this world. 

The world has been labeling you your whole life, trying to fit you into a box and even labeling you by your sin.  But faith has given you a new name!

One of my favorite authors, John Eldredge, said, “I dare say we have heard a bit about original sin, but not nearly enough about original glory, which comes before sin and is deeper to our nature. We were crowned with glory and honor.” What he’s describing here is what if your starting place was glory and not sin? 

Imagine yourself living your life, knowing the uniqueness and the rarity of you, living a lifestyle of glory in everything that you do and everything that you say and people seeing who God is because you reflect His image.

When you realize how valuable you are, you add value to everybody else everywhere you go! You are an amazing miracle that the world around you is waiting to see revealed. How does it feel to imagine walking into a room full of confidence, head held high, because you know your value?

But beloved, many voices will try to tell who you are. And your circumstances will try to inform you of who God is. 

It is crucial that you carve out time to attune your ears to your Father. In order to know your value, you need to spend time asking the Father how he sees you and listen. 

Listen to your Father sing over you. Listen to the conversation the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are having about you, about how much they love you, what they adore about you, and what they like about you. They are a healthy family. Listening in on their conversations about you is not scary because they are not speaking ill of you, betraying you, or cutting you down behind your back. 

When we are talking about God, the word “God” is the word “Elohim”. It’s a plural word. So Genesis 1 says “In the beginning, God…” In the beginning, there was a Father, there was a Son and there was a Holy Spirit. In the beginning, there was a family and they had this brilliant idea to make man in their image. 

God is love and his love is the very super glue that you find in the beginning. You see the way that the Father loves the Son, the Son loves the Spirit, the Spirit loves the Son and the Son loves the Father. They are totally one. 

You will find from the division that you feel, perhaps in your mind or in your heart, it is going to be changed when you realize that at the family table, in the beginning, you were there.

When you are entering into this beautiful dance of love; when you love you the way that Papa God loves you, just as He did in the beginning, you’ll see that honor is what love looks like. The way the Father honors the Son and the Son honors the Spirit; the Spirit honors the Son, and the Son honors the Father. That’s how the Father also honors you. It’s actually what you are in glory.

Before sin came in, before there was any shame, before there was any guilt, before there was anything, there was this perfect love. You were formed in that perfect love and part of the journey to identity is for you to gain clarity about the original intention of what Papa God has for you.

Who are you?

“Give us today our daily bread…” – Jesus in Matthew 6:11 and Luke 11:3 –

Every December I like to take time to reflect on the previous year; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Before the year’s sunset, I review moments so that they become my memory stones.

I look back so that I can remember the goodness and faithfulness of God and the kindness of people. After reflecting, I create a gratitude list so that I can step into the New Year with a thankful heart and not carry the troubles of yesterday with me into today.

As I reflect over the year, I sense the word for 2023 is “fresh daily bread.” How can we receive fresh bread daily? This is exactly what Jesus talks about in Matthew 6:11 and in Luke 11.

In Luke 11:1, the disciples ask, “Jesus, teach us how to pray…” In the following verses, Jesus teaches about praying to our Heavenly Father, for His Kingdom and will, and finally for fresh daily bread.

Everything that Jesus needed on a daily basis first came from his heavenly Father.

In other words, the secret to Jesus’ life is that he received something from his heavenly Father every day in order to give and pour it out to others around him.

This reminds me of the story of Elisha and the widow with olive oil. She cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” 

Her circumstances overwhelmed her. She was desperate and rightfully so. Her feelings were true but it wasn’t the truth.

2 Kings 4: 1-7 says, “Elisha asks her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” The widow responds, ” Then he said, “Go, borrow containers elsewhere for yourself, empty containers from all your neighbors—do not get too few. Then you shall come in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour into all these containers; and you shall set aside what is full.” So she left him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they began bringing the containers to her, and she poured the oil.  When the containers were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another container.” But he said to her, “There are no more containers.” Then the oil stopped. So she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”

She took the little she had, found empty vessels to pour into, and filled them to the brim. Miraculously, the oil did not run out. It only stopped as there were no more empty vessels. Imagine if she had found more empty vessels. Her own provision was found in providing for others.  

Whatever you are facing this coming year that feels impossible, I want to challenge you to do exactly what Jesus instructed his disciples to do in Matthew 6:11 and Luke 11. Ask your heavenly Father to give you what you need on a daily basis. Your needs and prayers should lead you into a place of total trust in God. And take what you have, even if only a mustard seed of faith, and what you have received from the Father and find people, empty vessels, to pour into. 

This is key to receiving your own oil. 

Take a moment to watch my latest podcast where I share more about vision for 2023 and receiving fresh daily bread from our Father in heaven. You can also listen to the episode on Charisma Podcast Network.

Proverbs 4 tells us to love wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:24 tells us that Jesus is the wisdom of God.

My favorite part of the Christmas story is about the three WISE men. I have always been inspired by how they looked and searched for Jesus for many years before his birth.

The wise men never stopped looking and searching for Jesus. And ultimately the Bible shares that they were filled with joy when they found him. They brought gifts and bowed down and worshipped him. 

It is wise to continue to search for and be overwhelmed by Jesus. Every moment of every day. God’s greatest gift is his love gift to humanity; Jesus Christ. The wise men brought extravagant gifts to Jesus. They recognized that Jesus was God’s love gift to humanity. 

The provision shared in John 3:16 is what Christmas is really all about! “God gave his only begotten son…” God gave a gift that can only be received. Not achieved.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

God offers the gift of his son as an act of sacrificial love. Later in the verse, Jesus ascribes everlasting life to “… whoever believes in me…” God’s great plan is for all of humanity to be immersed in his love, believe in Jesus, and live with the assurance of everlasting life that can only be found in his son. Love for all, assurance for all, provision for all. 

Many years ago, a prominent Muslim leader received this love gift. As he encountered the Father’s love, tears streamed down his face. He began to recognize a God who is love and who is good. After receiving this love gift, the Muslim leader was healed in his mind and body and received hope for a better future.

God wants to give everyone this love gift. Specifically, God wants to give you this gift! It has changed my life and a million other lives. Will you receive it?

This Christmas, ask yourself, “Who can I bring God’s love gift to as a result of the savior’s birth?” 

Jesus is God’s love gift. 

As you gather with your family and friends this holiday season, how can you extravagantly represent God’s love that brings transformation to people? Remember to stay overwhelmed by Jesus and his love for you. And overwhelm your family with your love for them.

 

Much love, 

Leif Hetland

Keep watching the nations around you, and you will be astonished at what you see. I am going to do something that you will not believe when you hear about it. – Habakkuk 1:5

What does it look like to disciple nations? And what does a nation look like that’s been discipled properly? Perhaps systemic poverty would be gone. Perhaps people would live peaceful lives and live in abundance, and families would thrive in that culture.

It’s not a dream. It’s not a utopian society. It’s completely possible in a Kingdom culture, and it’s what God desires for the nations.

Often the greed of dictators or other corrupt leaders is predicated upon the lie that there isn’t enough for everyone. If I give you enough, then I won’t be able to live in abundance, and I won’t be happy. It’s one of the great lies of our day. We see it all over the world in politics, among warring tribes… even in the church sometimes.

But what does Kingdom culture look like? It comes from family. We teach others as a family and lead others into encounters with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Whatever your job may be, you live your life and impact your area of influence by bringing Heaven to earth.

 Cuba is Changing

One of the greatest examples I’ve seen of discipleship changing culture happened in Cuba. 21 years ago, a group of people in the persecuted church found an old VHS cassette tape of my teachings and reached out. When I first met them, I could feel the darkness of their society. They felt heavy and oppressed, living like orphans in secret under the heavy hand of communism.

Sometimes we feel like we’re living in darkness, and then we go to a truly dark place. It makes us thankful for where we live…

We taught the Cuban church for years about the Kingdom; taught them to adopt a Heavenly vision; see others through the eyes of Christ; and recognize who they are in Jesus. Their entire worldview shifted. It was amazing! Suddenly they’re saying, “Wow, there’s all this darkness; let’s bring in some light!” Suddenly they’re talking about what they’re for rather than what they’re against. Instead of blaming the government because we don’t have this and that, let’s do something about it.

And they did. They cleaned up the streets, gave away basic necessities, and shared the good news of the Gospel. It’s bringing transformation.

Out of their abundance, they even let the communist government borrow their chairs for one of their events. Our worldview used to be us vs. them, but now it’s about loving every area of society. They’re starting to influence the nation rather than being influenced by it. They’re capturing the heart of their good Father. And there’s some of the most extravagant worship in Cuba now. It’s truly amazing.

So How Can You Disciple Nations?

It’s easy to see evil in the world today. From the atrocities of the past in Cuba, Rwanda, and Cambodia, to the current atrocities in Syria, Sudan, and Libya, believers are asking God to do something about it. But He has called US to do something. He said that all authority has been given to you. If that’s true, then how much authority has been given to the devil? He only has what we give him. And if we keep it, then he doesn’t have the authority to destroy nations.

Here’s the key: you only have authority over what you love. If you’re intimate with God and love other people as you love yourself—and as God loves them—then you’re unstoppable. We need a convergence of love, power, and wisdom. This propels us to take action; to do something rather than spending our time protesting and complaining.

We need reformation, because it transforms culture; and you need Kingdom culture to change anything on earth.

Hans Nielsen Hauge is one of Norway’s heroes who created Kingdom culture when it was the poorest country in Europe—such that people would eat tree bark to survive! While many were just surviving under the gospel of salvation, one man had an encounter with the Holy Spirit while plowing his fields. His worldview changed. He started to love his country and the people in it, which brought his authority.

Hans Nielsen Hauge started the concept behind the 7 spheres of influence. Now that his worldview changed, Father God opened his eyes to see solutions in every sphere of society where he only saw problems before. People can’t read and write? No problem, he thought. I can just ski across mountains to start reading plans in remote villages. And sure enough, he did just that, and even started a plan to ensure everyone could receive a Bible.

No marketplace? No problem! The Lord showed him how to start businesses in communities to boost the economy. Hans Nielsen Hauge believed that every Norwegian is valuable, which means you treat them with high value, and it changes them. He even wrote books that influenced the way people were thinking; books about morals, the judicial system, and responding in love. The country was influenced by his actions after he died. A constitution was written, a business school was constructed, and people lived with a new worldview that they mattered and could live in abundance.

Change your Worldview

Everything you’re thinking about comes from an idea, whether good, bad, or neutral. Every idea has a worldview attached to it, which causes you to view things through certain glasses. Worldviews also have spirits attached to them. The killing fields in Cambodia started with a worldview attached to communism. What if we kill all the educated people? Everyone who disagrees with us? So there’s no competition. This led to a horrific genocide.

But there’s nothing God can’t redeem. When people step in to disciple nations, with a love for Cambodia and its people… the environment changes.

God loves both the victims and the victimizers. The people responsible for the world’s greatest atrocities are victims themselves, bound by the devil and brainwashed by his lies. They, too, need to know the truth. If we don’t disciple them, the devil will do it.

I’ve been blessed to witness what happens when victimizers receive forgiveness from their Father and step into their identity. During my last visit to Cambodia, the victims and victimizers came together in worship, miracles broke out, and people were healed!

Step up and get out!

God wants nations to experience how loved they are by Him. Every nation exists for a reason, and has a redemptive gift—one that’s supposed to reflect Heaven on earth. We want nations to look how God intended from the beginning. So what needs to take place to change the future?

What does Kingdom culture look like in arts and media? When we’re dealing with addictions and poverty? It impacts and changes every issue we face today. When you love and disciple others, they start to love their country, and it starts a chain reaction. Do you hate your leaders? Or your country? Practice love so you will have the authority to influence the influencers. Practice love, power, and wisdom and change the nations.

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“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thess. 5:16-18 

When I read this verse, I wonder, is there any space of time we shouldn’t give thanks? Is there any moment when I should allow anguish to quench my gratitude? Should I express gratitude in an ideal situation? What is all? Well, all means all. This means when the family is doing well, the kids are behaving, job promotions arise, bonuses are given, as well as when loved ones receive heartbreaking diagnoses, or when disappointment and grief are knocking at our door. All circumstances. 

The letter was written to the beloved church in Thessalonica. Like much of the early church in the East, they were in the midst of persecution and were being encouraged by the Apostle Paul. They believed in the ways of Jesus and their belief made them a target for God’s presence. Jesus said this would happen to believers and yet, Paul admonishes them to make a conscious choice, that if their situation has any effect on them, it should be that they “Rejoice always…in all circumstances give thanks.”

Right now, the thought passes my mind. Our Savior, our beloved, in the true Hebraic way breaking bread to give thanks at the last supper. He knew what He was about to do. He understood the cup of suffering would not pass from Him. He also knew that we would be eternally joined to Him, yet He offered His thanks. Beautiful Jesus passes the bread to the ones who would leave him on this night of His betrayal. This was it. He’s sitting there with the one who would turn Him over to the Roman guard and yet, His pattern of thanksgiving did not escape Him at this moment. His commitment to His disciples and the feasts of memorial for how God rescued Israel during the Passover was not shaken. He was preparing a feast for us in the middle of His last feast before the Cross. He spent time with his friends and loved them until the end. He was making a glorious way for us. May we always remember where thanksgiving precedes us and may we be grateful for our God is with us in everything through the ever-present Holy Spirit and He has overcome the world. 

The psalmist pens “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (Psalm 100:4) We are instructed in our relationship with the Lord to remember thanksgiving. It’s our offering as we enter His presence. It’s a gift we bring into the presence of our King because He is good and His mercy endures forever! (Psalms 100:5)

Gratitude has a way of helping us focus on what really matters and connecting us to the ones we love. In Jewish culture, there is a practice called “Hakarat Hatov” which means recognizing the good. It is the Hebrew word for gratitude! When I am recognizing the good that I have experienced, it lifts my eyes above the natural and connects us with our Father. 

With all of the bad news we are presented with in society, I pray that you will find rest in Jesus and recall all of the goodness of God in your life, with your family and loved ones. From all of us at Leif Hetland Ministries, we wish you a happy and joyful Thanksgiving season.

 

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