Category: Gratitude

“How much more beautiful is the earth because you’re upon it…a righteous, glowing star. Happy Thanksgiving!”

I wrote this text message with a specific friend in mind, but soon I was copying and pasting it to several dear friends.

Normally, I would give God thanks for my family (my husband children, parents, siblings, grandparents and other members), for the things He’s blessed me with throughout the year, for daily grace, mercy, favor and his kind thoughtful intentions toward me and my husband and my children. Words would truly fail me to describe just how thankful I am for my family…the 3 most precious people in the all the world to my heart. The 3 people who douse my soul in a bath of golden joy more brilliant than the sun. They are a constant Spring birdsong in my heart, raising continual thanks to my Heavenly Father.

As for the saints (godly people) who are in the land, They are the majestic and the noble and the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. -Psalm 16:3 AMP

This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for the saints upon the earth.

Lately I’ve been developing a deepening appreciation and love for the church and the individual members that make it up. I’ve been blown away, almost to the point of awe at how valuable, amazing and priceless every son and daughter of God truly is. I have thanked the Lord for his presence through his people in this world. I have considered that there is nothing more beautiful or valuable on earth than a recreated human being who has been transformed from the nature of Adam, to the nature of Christ.

What in the world could be more radiant than a person with God inside of them by the Holy Spirit?

“You are the salt of the earth…you are the light of the world…”- Jesus in Matthew 5:13-16.

God’s people are earth’s hope. We are a foretaste of heaven to the lost and dying. We are royal priests, kings and queens and a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9), we are living tabernacles (1 Corinthians 6:19), we are the salt and light of the world. We are the hands and feet of Jesus, (1 Corinthians 12:27) and God works through us to appeal to the world. We are his ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21). We are ambassadors for Christ, his representatives (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Weeks ago, I was driving home with a full heart after meeting with two dear friends (they are featured in the head photo). As I drove, I thanked and praised God! I was full of glorious joy because of the saints who dispensed the sweet fragrance and mighty power of his Presence. I thanked Him profusely for his people upon the earth because of how incredibly rich their lives are. Inside of them are the rivers of life (John 7:38), inside of them is all the wealth and treasures of the kingdom of heaven (Ephesians 1:3), inside of them is the Person of Jesus Christ and his Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17), inside of them is them is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Inside of them is the virtue for every healing miracle and every truth that brings freedom (Mark 3:15, 1 John 2:20). Inside of them is the authority and power to cast out demons and set the captives free (Luke 10:19).

As I gave him praise, I almost cried. It was dark outside and the sky was sheeted with the blackness of the night, but the ground was lit from the lights of the city. Each store bulb, street lamp, and house light illuminated the earth like aureate-gold stars. I imagined, from Heaven’s perspective, this must be how the saints look on the earth. Have you ever seen a satellite photo of the earth at night? Entire continents are speckled with clusters of twinkling lights as eye-catching and glistening as bioluminescent algae. Every single light represents a sign of life. While, our eyes are drawn only to see the invention of man (the electric bulbs) through these satellite photos… God’s eyes see into the spiritual realm. Each believer shines like these lights. From an ethereal perspective, we look like the lights on the earth.

I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of the highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm! -Ephesians 1:19-20 TPT

My friends and I sat in a small diner where we talked for nearly 4 hours about our adventures with God, his goodness in our lives and the ways we’ve experienced his amazing love. The tangible presence of God was so strong in the diner that several times, we all laughed, cried, and sat in silence as we savored his holy company. These saints are probably the most radiant stars/lights I have ever spiritually seen on the earth. Not because they are somehow more special than other children of God…but because they don’t hide their light under a bushel. Instead, they boldly and lovingly praise God through their actions and words and they share his light with others (Matthew 5:15). Their lives resemble Jesus in a way that naturally convicts and draws others to God. Not only are their personalities and character brimming with the love of God and the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), but their lives are full of the power of the Holy Spirit in miracles (1 Corinthians 12).

I want to mention some of the miracles we shared together. I hope these testimonies encourage your heart in the faith:

1. One of my friends shared how he prayed for a young girl who was hospitalized and near death to the natural eye. Her mother was on drugs when she was pregnant the young girl and now some of her organs were severely inoperative. My friend told me that as he approached the hospital where he knew God wanted him to be, the Lord told him that it would be done even before he entered. He said his wife had given him a spotless, white stuffed lamb for the little girl (a symbol of Jesus as our Passover sacrifice who paid for our healing and deliverance). As my friend opened the hospital door he said those in the room saw a cloud of the Lord’s presence appear and the little girl’s skin went from a ghostly pale color to her regular color as God touched her body with his healing power. My friend prayed over her and instead of being life-flighted to another hospital, like she was supposed to be, she was released from the hospital with a clean bill of health. My friend shared that over the years, he has learned not to rely on his personal goodness or work-righteousness but to simply trust in Jesus and his finished work and to receive the grace of God when it comes to healing.
2. My other friend told of when she prayed for one of her in-laws who was suffering from demonic oppression that manifested itself in schizophrenia. She said this family member had been lying in bed for days with no motivation and little hope. She said they wouldn’t even clean themselves. When my friend found out what was going on, she said she experienced the righteous anger of the Lord against the enemy. She went into the room where this family member was, and commanded the evil spirit to leave and declared the life of God. Her in-law received freedom and the enemy left!
3. One of my friends told me how he used to minister to motorcycle gang members who would come around his house. He had small children then and so he felt lead to talk to the gang members to make sure they knew he was a father who would protect his children should anyone of them get any ideas. One thing lead to another and soon several gang members received physical healing. After experiencing God, they would bring people they knew who needed healing to my friend. One of them brought his girlfriend who was suffering from stage 4 cancer. As my friend ministered to her and told her of the great love of God for her through Jesus, she wept. Before this, she had felt worthless due to abuses and trauma in her past. My friend prayed over her and she was miraculously healed of cancer! One of the gang members he had prayed for, received Jesus into his heart and turned from a life of violence and sin and later became a marriage and family therapist. My friend told me for a long time he battled to overcome feelings of guilt and condemnation. It was only until he began to receive the unconditional love and grace of God through the gift of faith-righteousness that, he was able to walk more truly in the freedom Christ came to give us. He said when praying for others, he often bring sup the love and grace and God because he’s found many people struggle with secret feeling of unworthiness and condemnation. Once people are able to see that healing is by grace, because of the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus, that some people open up to freely receive.

There are so many more stories I can share but I hope these 3 stories uplifted your heart and encouraged your faith in God.

You have resurrection power in you as a son or daughter of God.

You have the authority of the name of Jesus at your disposal.

You are truly a priceless treasure on this planet, a bright light, and a home for the presence, salvation, love, and grace of God.

I pray you realize how valuable you are.

I am grateful for you this Thanksgiving!

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. -2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

Some of the most faith-building messages that I’ve heard on our identity in Christ and God’s will to heal us are (I don’t any rights to these videos):

1. Andrew Wommack on common stumbling stones to healing. To watch, click here.
2. E.W Kenyon on Jesus the Healer. To watch, click here.
3. Art Thomas on Be Healed. To watch, click here.