Because Thank You Isn’t Enough

There’s a little sign that sits on the desk in my home office.

It says just one word, “Grateful.”

There’s not much to it really – I bought the little piece of wood at Hobby Lobby, and then simply painted it.

Artistic-wise, not much of a masterpiece, right?

But, the meaning of the word “grateful” for me is far more precious than I can describe.

I am so thankful to God for sending us His Son Jesus, and I’m so grateful for His work in me.

Looking back, I remembered I wrote a poem about gratitude to God several years ago.

Thank You isn't enough Through the good times and all of the challenges we face in this life, God has a purpose for them, even though we don’t always understand the “whys”.

Paul addressed the following verse to the Romans, but like all of Scripture, it carries God’s message through the generations.

God is Sovereign.

His character never changes.

Through our beginning as babies in the womb, through our end (and of course everything in between), God has a purpose for our lives and for our good.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. – Romans 8:28, (NASB).¹

For all that God has done for us, it seems that a simple thank you isn’t enough.

That’s why when I heard Tasha Layton’s song, “Thank You Isn’t Enough,” bells started going off.

Okay, I have to share this one!

It’s hard to pick a favorite verse in the song, but here’s mine:

Got a resurrection story
One I gotta tell
How Jesus changed my life
And I’m still overwhelmed – Song lyrics, “Thank You Isn’t Enough.”¹

What an amazing song to remind us of God’s faithfulness.

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²Song lyrics to “Thank You Isn’t Enough” featuring The Choir Room, courtesy of AZLyrics.com.

Rise and Shine: It’s a New Day!

Every morning there’s this reassuring thought that comes to my mind: It’s a new day.

It’s a simple little phrase, but it’s based on a passage from the Bible.

²¹I recall this to my mind,
Therefore I wait.
²²The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end,
For His compassions do not fail.
²³They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3: 21-23, (NASB).

As the first morning light filters through the window shades, I find it encouraging to think that, no matter what’s happened the day before, each new day offers hope and potential.

God is sovereign, and He is the Author of all of our tomorrows.

In fact, He’s already there.

Of course with the Bible, it’s important to read the entire chapter, but I wanted to point out why this particular passage in Lamentations struck a chord with me.

When you consider what the prophet Jeremiah had witnessed in the city of Jerusalem, you realize that his words in that passage are an incredible expression of faith.

Jerusalem and Judah had ignored all prophetic warnings, terribly sinned against God and, as a Righteous Judge, God allowed the Babylonians to destroy it.

What kinds of sins?

Idolatry was a big one.

Our Sovereign God shares His throne with no one.

People nowadays like to forget this, but there are consequences for sin and rebellion.

How would we feel if we saw our own cities destroyed right now?

Can you imagine?

It would mean that everywhere we looked, we would see destruction. What we knew yesterday as “home” has burned to the ground.

No wonder the prophet grieved.

It’s a New Day: Hope Renewed

Did you know that Lamentations is considered one of the saddest books in the Bible?

That being said, those verses above are filled with so much assurance.

God is great and He is faithful.

His compassions never fail.

Look at verse 21 again:

“I recall this to my mind,
Therefore I wait.”

That is an incredible example of faith.

What did Jeremiah do?

He waited and remembered God’s faithfulness and past blessings.

He knew that, in God’s timing, He will “wipe away every tear.”

We can rest in that promise too.

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Our Exceptional God

The Oldest Man in the Bible – Get Ready for a Shock!

Did you know that the oldest person in the Bible was a man named Methuselah?

How old you might ask?

You may want to sit down.

Methuselah was 969 years old – making him the oldest man in the Bible.

969!

Right there in Genesis 5:27 . . .

So all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died. – Genesis 5:27, (NASB).¹

How could he be that old?

I think of all the anti-aging creams I have bought in the past. 🙂

Even if they did actually work, there’s no way I would ever want to live to be 969 years old!

He was the great-great-great-great-great-grandson of Adam and the grandfather of Noah. He was likely a godly man to have been blessed by God with such a long lifespan. – gotquestions.org.²

These very long and mysterious lifespans seems to defy explanation.

However, the following consideration (there are quite a few) makes a lot of sense to me.

Over time, as a result of sin, the human genetic code became increasingly corrupted, and human beings became more and more susceptible to death and disease (emphasis mine). This would also have resulted in drastically reduced lifespans. – gotquestions.org.³

the timeless truths of the Bible

The Oldest Man in the Bible – Trust God’s Word

The unimaginable power and divine nature of God will accomplish His plan for humanity no matter how inexplicable it seems to us.

This side of heaven we don’t completely understand the long lifespans of some of the patriarchs in the Bible.

Even so, we can have complete confidence in the timeless truths in God’s Word because the Bible is God-breathed.

I’m sure the debates about this and other divine mysteries will continue.

Sadly, they’re often fueled, not by curiosity seekers, but ultimately by an Adversary who wants to disprove the Bible by any means necessary.

Whether sin corrupted the long lifespans of the past, or perhaps another interpretation, the bottom line is that God is sovereign and we can trust Him.

He remains the Final Authority and His Word is infallible.

⁸“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
⁹“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:8-9, (NASB).⁴

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²Quotation from gotquestions.org from “Why did the people in Genesis live such long lives”? n.d., para. 4. Web. Accessed March 20, 2025. Retrieved from oldest man in the Bible.

³Quotation from gotquestions.org from “Why did the people in Genesis live such long lives”? n.d., para. 4. Web. Accessed March 20, 2025. Retrieved from long lives in the Bible.

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Wondering What’s Next, America?

Considering the ever-rising political tensions dividing our country over the past four years, this stressful time in our nation’s history will only continue.

The divide between political parties seems even bigger than before – no doubt with the help of the mainstream news media.

Even so, none of this is a surprise to our Heavenly Father.

God is sovereign and in control over all things.

God’s plan for our country will follow the course that He has already set forth – and that includes the election results.

God will bless or curse this nation according to the choices we make. Let us get up, get out, and make our voices heard. Let us fervently pray for the Lord’s mercy to be upon us! May He graciously provide leaders—men and women—whose hearts are aligned with His. – Jack Hibbs, Senior Pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills and a nationally syndicated TV & Radio host. ¹

What’s Next, America? Share His Message

What’s next, America?

Is there anything that we can do?

Yes . . . PRAY.

We need a spiritual awakening in our nation.

However, at the same time, we must recognize that our ultimate citizenship is in Heaven (see Phil 3:20-21).

Our mission as Christians is to reach the world for Christ.

In other words, as this pastor clearly explains:

To care enough about the people in this life to make sure that they join us in the next. – Pastor Greg Laurie, Bible teacher and author.²

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¹Pastor Jack Hibbs quotation, courtesy of Real Life with Jack Hibbs, “Get Up, Get Out, and Stand,” 21 October, 2024, para. 6. Web. Copyright © 2024 Pastor Jack Hibbs. All rights reserved. Accessed October 25, 2024. Retrieved from https://jackhibbs.com/get-up-get-out-and-stand/

Our Exceptional God

“God Is Sovereign” Meaning

April 4, 2023 Gracie

What Does It Mean to Say That God is Sovereign?

A Bible teacher I am not, but to answer the question of God’s Sovereignty, we can first take a look at its definition.

According to dictionary.com, the word “Sovereign” means “supreme power or authority.” (Dictionary.com, n.d.)¹

I believe that secular definition is a pretty good description, but our ultimate authority on this is the Word of God.

Let’s take a look. This is from a Psalm of David.

²⁴ The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains,
The world, and those who live in it.
²For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
³Who may ascend onto the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place? – Psalm 24:1-3, (NASB).²

The first line of Psalm 24 is pretty clear, isn’t it?

The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains . . .

God is Sovereign and Controls Everything

God is in control of everything. As a divine attribute of His Sovereignty, nothing can stop Him from His intended purposes.

As sinful humans, we don’t like not being in control.

It’s interesting that when God does not “intervene” (by human standards) in a crisis situation, some will question His power and majesty.

Do you remember that outrageous 2015 headline, “God isn’t fixing this” which also referenced prayer as “meaningless platitudes”?

How sad is it that people actually still think that way.

Here’s the truth:

God has the ability to do anything, to take action and intervene in any situation, but He often chooses to act indirectly or to allow certain things for reasons of His own. His will is furthered in any case. God’s “sovereignty” means that He is absolute in authority and unrestricted in His supremacy. Everything that happens is, at the very least, the result of God’s permissive will. This holds true even if certain specific things are not what He would prefer. The right of God to allow mankind’s free choices is just as necessary for true sovereignty as His ability to enact His will, wherever and however He chooses. – Got Questions website.³

The fact is we live in a sinful world, and we will suffer.

Whether it’s illness, or persecution, or anything else.

The Bible warns us about the sufferings we will experience in this life.

If God is Sovereign, Then Why Won’t He Stop Evil?

God’s sovereignty in a sinful world is a tough topic for many people.

The importance of God “allowing” actions as part of His sovereignty cannot be overstated. God’s causing the basis for an act to occur does not mean He is a responsible moral agent for the act. The moral responsibility for intentionally evil acts falls on those who commit the acts themselves. – Got Questions website.⁴

We won’t understand the concept of sovereignty perfectly. As the Bible says, His ways are not our ways.

Simply put, as our Creator, the world belongs to God so it’s His to do with as He wishes.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

If God is Sovereign, Then Why Pray?

God’s Sovereignty is exactly the reason we should pray. He sees and hears our every cry.

We are talking to the One who created the heavens and the earth and the One who created you and me.

We should be falling on our knees in reverence and praise.

Trusting in God’s Sovereignty helps give us more peace about a situation.

Why?

Because it takes the pressure off of us in a lot of ways.

We can rest in the peace that God is in control no matter what is going on.

And, as Christians, we have nothing to fear.

He loves us in every sense of the word.

We were created by Him and for Him and God wants us with Him for eternity.

Our modern day sufferings are just for a little while.

Because we know the end of “His Story” (the Bible) we have all the reason to praise Him, to have great faith through the storm.

This is one of the many reasons that we can delight in God.

As prophesied in the Bible, we will have tough days ahead, but stay strong.

Dear friends in Christ, Jesus our Lord and Savior is coming back someday!

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¹ Sovereign. (n.d.). In Dictionary.com. Retrieved from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/sovereign

³Quotation from gotquestions.org, from “What does it mean that God is sovereign? n.d., para. 6. Web. Accessed March 31, 2023. God’s Sovereignty.

⁴Quotation from go Sovereigntytions.org, from “Is God sovereign over death? n.d., para. 7. Web. Accessed March 31, 2023. https://www.gotquestions.org/is-God-sovereign-over-death.html

Our Exceptional God

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Tag: God is sovereign

Thank You Isn’t Enough

Because Thank You Isn’t Enough

It’s A New Day

Rise and Shine: It’s a New Day!

It’s a New Day: Hope Renewed

Oldest Man in the Bible

The Oldest Man in the Bible – Get Ready for a Shock!

The Oldest Man in the Bible – Trust God’s Word

“God Is Sovereign” Meaning

What Does It Mean to Say That God is Sovereign?

God is Sovereign and Controls Everything

If God is Sovereign, Then Why Won’t He Stop Evil?

If God is Sovereign, Then Why Pray?