Ordinary Time

Pause

Satisfied

Thriving

Filled Full

Abundant

Goodness

Pure Joy

More Than Enough

You Won’t Lack a Thing

These words, pulled from our readings for this week, describe life as God intended. A life overflowing with all the good things God longs to give us.

This week of Thanksgiving, let’s open our eyes to notice what God has given us, open our hands to receive God’s blessing, open our hearts to receive God’s love, and open our arms to share God’s abundance with others.

Listen

God of Zion, to you even silence is praise. Promises made to you are kept— you listen to prayer— and all living things come to you. When wrongdoings become too much for me, you forgive our sins. How happy is the one you choose to bring close, the one who lives in your courtyards! We are filled full by the goodness of your house, by the holiness of your temple.

Psalm 65:1-4

Think

Living a life of abundance is not merely about the physical things God provides. There are all sorts of intangibles God provides that are just as essential to a life of abundance. The Psalmist touches on these in Psalm 65. Eugene Peterson in The Message translation says, “Silence is praise to you; and also obedience. You hear the prayer in it all.” So prayer isn’t merely me bowing my head and closing my eyes and praying through a prayer list; God actively listens and interprets silences and my actions! I have never thought about prayer that way and I find it liberating and exciting!

When we approach God carrying heavy loads of guilt and sin, God gets rid of it all! That in and of itself ushers in abundant life. The Psalmist says that God chooses to draw us close, and then we are filled and satisfied with good things.

Spending time in God’s presence is something money can’t buy and hard work can’t earn. It is the core of abundant life.

Ann Whitfield Carter

Pray

Thank you for the abundance that comes from spending time in your presence, God. In my silence and in my action today, may my life be a prayer to you. Draw me close, O God. Fill and satisfy me with good things. Amen.

Go

Notice all you have been given and thank the Giver.

Notice God at work and thank the Giver.

Notice God beside you and thank the Giver.

Notice God inside you and thank the Giver.

Notice God in others and thank the Giver.

Notice God in nature and thank the Giver.

Notice the need around you, open your arms to share, and thank the Giver.

Notice.

Just look around where you are right now.

And thank the Giver.