Crystal G.H. Lowery: "Overflowing in Thanksgiving and Faith"

From the Desks of Steve Shultz and Julie A. Smith:

It is always a good time to GIVE THANKS unto the Lord.

On this day, especially, we come together with our loved ones to celebrate THANKSGIVING historically and thank God for His goodness...amen!

Crystal Lowery writes an excellent message about this as she shares on this subject matter:

As we enter into this Thanksgiving, let us not only enjoy the traditions of turkey, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie, but let us really press in and overflow with thanksgiving. Let us give God thanks for every blessing in our lives. Let us thank God for the blessings we are still believing for in faith. Let us remember that God is our only source and that none of these good things – the prosperity we enjoy and the harvest – are from our own works, but that our hands are blessed by God.

We couldn't say it any better than this!

From our family to yours...we pray you have an amazing Thanksgiving as we celebrate this day together. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)

In Christ,

Steve Shultz and Julie A. Smith, Co-Editors
Elijah List Publications

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The Foundation of Faith

One of the ways we can increase and even overflow in faith is by turning up the dial on thanksgiving and gratitude. Your faith can never be complete until it is accompanied and preceded by thanksgiving.

We know that Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." We can safely and confidently say that this is the definition of faith and the starting point in learning about and then applying faith. Faith is a foundation on which we build. If we do not have this solid foundation, our hopes for the future will never be brought into the present to become reality (the above ground structure).

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) goes on to tell us that "...without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." So, in order for us to please God, we have to have faith. As it reads in the verse, it is completely impossible to please God without it. "Impossible" means that there is a zero percent chance of that thing happening. Impossible is not probable or certain; the door has been shut and locked on that thing coming to pass.

So, faith is very important. We need it initially to just even believe and come to God. We need it to live out our purpose and destiny by pulling in hope to the present. Faith acts like the fishing rod, casting out a line with the hook and catching the promise as you reel it in – acting in faith. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)

We know that we were given a gift of faith from Jesus Himself when we gave our lives to Him, and that we live from His faith (Hebrews 10:38, TPT). We all have been given a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). If there was a faith room in Heaven (and there probably is), when you are born again, there would be someone picking up the measuring cup and scooping your measure of faith directly from the heart of Jesus, which He gives to each new Believer. He has enough to share and give everyone because He is limitless.

How to Grow Your Faith

How do you grow this faith? How do you increase it? One way is by giving thanks. It is no coincidence that we celebrate Thanksgiving in the fall of each year, just as the Pilgrims and Native Americans did on that First Thanksgiving. They celebrated a harvest. They had food and plenty. They had enough to share and celebrate for this time of celebration, but they had abundance to use throughout the harsh winter that was to come.

For all the hardships and trials that the Pilgrims endured in traveling to this new land in pursuit of freedom to worship God without the rules and dictates of a king – all the pressing forward to build safe homes; learning how to grow new crops to feed their families; living though disease that they had never been exposed to – these people were thankful for what they had. They were thankful for their blessings and counted each one. Not one was too small. They dedicated the harvest to the Lord and gave Him thanks, for He was the source.

As we enter into this Thanksgiving, let us not only enjoy the traditions of turkey, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie, but let us really press in and overflow with thanksgiving. Let us give God thanks for every blessing in our lives. Let us thank God for the blessings we are still believing for in faith. Let us remember that God is our only source and that none of these good things – the prosperity we enjoy and the harvest – are from our own works, but that our hands are blessed by God.

In Colossians 2:7 (KJV), Paul writes that we are to be "Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." This means that as we abound or overflow in our thanksgiving, we will also abound or overflow in faith. No one can claim to have strong faith when they have weak thanksgiving. Just like faith without works is dead (James 2:17, 20), you can be assured that your faith will be on life support if there is little thanksgiving.

The Cycle of Thanksgiving and Faith

Thanksgiving is such a powerful key as is connects to the strength of your faith. We give thanksgiving while still in faith, but we also give thanksgiving after receiving a faith promise. (Photo via Unsplash)

For example, if you have been believing for healing of your blood pressure, and after years of dealing with this and believing for healing, you finally experience healing, you will be so excited and so thankful. You will be so grateful that you don't suffer with something that can lead to other health problems. You will be so thankful you don't have to daily take medication and spend money paying for medication. You will be so happy you aren't periodically spending lots of time back and forth to your doctor's office. You will be a very grateful person. You will be so thankful to God and praise Him for your healing and the new life you've been given...and you will be telling everyone your story with an overflow of gratitude.

Thanksgiving and faith act like a cycle that continually increases and feeds on the other. You begin with giving thanks for the things you still have not seen but know, by faith, are yours. By faith, you pull those promises into the present. This creates gratitude and thanksgiving. And then you begin again with giving thanks for other promises that you are pulling in with faith.

The cycle of thanksgiving and faith is one of overflow and abundance. If you're in a negative cycle, step over into this positive one by starting with thanksgiving. Just begin by thanking God for the blessings you have right now.

Make this Thanksgiving the start of a new tradition of overflowing gratitude to God and watch your faith soar!

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Crystal G.H. Lowery
Based On Faith
Email: click here
Website: www.basedonfaith.org

Crystal G.H. Lowery is a Christian estate planning attorney and is the owner and founding attorney of Law Office of Crystal G.H. Lowery, LLC. Crystal is also an author as well as the founder of Based on Faith, an organization whose vision is to become an international resource that increases biblical knowledge of faith within the Body of Christ through comprehensive teaching, discussion of law, and the prophetic.

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