As we embark upon this wonderful holiday season, it behooves us to enter it with a genuine heart of Thanksgiving.  No matter whether the past 10 months of this year have been filled with contentment or rocked with challenges, there is much to be thankful for.  It is oftentimes difficult for me to contain my emotions when I think of how good God has been.  Has everything been perfect, of course not and I would not expect it to be.  As I have matured over the years both naturally and spiritually, my understanding of being created in the image and likeness of God continues to evolve and is becoming ever so clear.

In light of the revelation that God created every emotion that we will experience, I asked myself does God experience those very same emotions.  Does God really feel what I feel?  My answer is a resounding YES!  There isn’t anything that will occur in our lives, that God did not allow first to happen through His son Jesus.   I believe that how we react and respond to circumstances in our everyday lives would be different if we viewed God from a different perspective.  Seeing God as this distant, invisible, supernatural Deity who cannot be touched by humans, depicts Him as one who is impassive or one who is void of passion.  If that be the case, then we negate the very heart of God.  And if we negate the heart of God we will never know the depth of His love.  Not only does He love us, but He cares about our every need and concern.

There are theologians and maybe some who will read this blog who choose to differ with me concerning God’s emotions.  So, for that reason, I will explain my position on the subject even further.  There are numerous biblical passages that speak of the “emotions” that God feels, and I will share a few with you.  It must be noted that when we express our emotions, those expressions tend to change us even if it is temporary.  However, unlike us, while God is affected by emotions, He never changes!  He remains steadfast and unmovable.   Ephesians 4: 30 admonishes us not to “grieve” the Holy Spirit.  The Lord’s “anger” was expressed in Deuteronomy 1: 37.  I Kings 3: 10 demonstrates that it is possible to “please” the Lord.  It is wonderful to learn in Zephaniah 3: 17 that the Lord our God will “rejoice” over us with “joy”, and “joy” over us with singing!  Are not those some of the very same emotions that we feel?

I implore you, not just during this time of Thanksgiving, to strive to constantly express your love to the Father for everything in your life both great and small, positive and negative.  To express genuine love, it requires a conscious awareness of even the smallest details in life.  Do I speak to God on a daily basis, and if I do how do I address Him?  Does God get quality time or just the leftovers?   Do I not only say “thank you”, but do I attempt to display a steady posture of gratitude?  Do I fully recognize that my actions have the ability to please God and cause Him to rejoice, but also have the potential to grieve Him and cause Him to become angry? 

Considering all that He has done for us, we should desire to station ourselves in the realm of giving Him glory.  Without a doubt I know that from Him you will receive appreciation for your gratitude.  How will God appreciate you?  He will continue to exceed your expectations, He will not only supply your basic needs, but your cup will run over with more than enough.  He will heal your diseases; His strength will be made perfect in your weakness; He will fight all your battles; and He will direct your path in order that all things will work for your good!

This Thanksgiving, bring a smile to God’s face and joy to His heart  —   be truly HAPPY for ALL GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU!

Source: First Lady Denise