Thursday's SOAP - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

 ¹² Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. ¹³ Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

 ¹⁴ Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

 ¹⁵ See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

 ¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

 ¹⁹ Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Do not scoff at prophecies, ²¹ but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. ²² Stay away from every kind of evil.

 ²³ Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. ²⁴ God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.


S(cripture) - Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

O(bservation) - It's Thanksgiving Day - a day that should be normative according to Paul. God's will. ALWAYS be joyful. NEVER STOP praying. Be thankful IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

Seems pretty clear that Paul says we can take some time off. Maybe one day of thanks is enough?  (read with oozing satire)

Yesterday, we learned that God often provides His will on the fly - while we are in motion. We talked about God providing the big plan while we work on the "small stuff" - stuff like joy, prayer, and thanksgiving.

A(pplication) - Started your thanks list yet - people and such you are thankful for? Posted someplace where you can see it regularly like your fridge? This list can be a catalyst to prime your thanksgiving pump daily.  Give thanks in ALL circumstance. It's God's will, you know? A life of thanksgiving will change your life.

P(rayer) - Abba on this day of national thanks-giving, may I be prompted to pray and thank you continuously for ALL things. May I discover you want to bless me with good and discipline and grow me with the stuff that's not good. May we as Viners, live a life of thanksgiving in a day and age when there is much to pull us down. Teach us to soar. Amen.