Dear FIT & RSB Family,
For the month of November we will be diving deep into three words: Thankful, Grateful and Blessed. And the FIT team is excited for the week of Nov. 17-23. We are planning a special week to honor all of our fabulous members. 🧡
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!”
Psalm 107:1
Devotional: A Thankful Heart
What does a thankful heart look like in real life? Pastor John Claypool once shared the story of visiting two women in the hospital—both elderly, both facing serious health issues.
One woman focused only on her discomforts: the food, the sheets, the noise. The other, however, radiated gratitude. She was thankful for daily clean sheets, new faces coming through the door, and even said, “Eating isn’t easy—I only have two teeth left—but I thank the Lord, they hit!”
Her spirit reminds us that gratitude changes everything. It transforms hardship into hope and complaint into contentment. A thankful heart doesn’t ignore pain—it just sees God’s hand even there.
🌿 Thanks in Everything
Corrie Ten Boom’s story in The Hiding Place offers another glimpse of gratitude in hard times. In a Nazi concentration camp, she and her sister Betsy gave thanks even for the fleas in their overcrowded barracks—only to discover those very fleas kept the guards away, allowing them to hold Bible studies freely.
Like Corrie, we can learn that thankfulness opens the door to peace, even when life feels unbearable.
đź“– Scriptures
- 1 Chronicles 16:34 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”
- Psalm 95:2 – “Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.”
- Psalm 100:4-5 – “Enter His gates with thanksgiving… His faithfulness continues through all generations.”
- 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
- Philippians 4:4-7 – “By prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God… and the peace of God will guard your hearts.”
- Psalm 103:2 – “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
- Colossians 3:15 – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts… and be thankful.”
- James 1:17 – “Every good and perfect gift is from above.”
- Psalm 118:24 – “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
🎶 Songs for a Thankful Heart
Thank You Lord — Chris Tomlin ft. Thomas Rhett & Florida Georgia Line
Gratitude — Brandon Lake
Give Thanks — Don Moen and Others
✨ Quotes to Reflect On
“Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings.” Unknown
“It’s not happiness that brings us gratitude, but gratitude that brings us happiness.” Unknown
“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayers.” – Maya Angelou
🌻 Reflection
This month, let’s live with a heart of gratitude—thankful for what is, hopeful for what’s to come, and aware of the blessings in every breath.
