My guest writer today is Nike Chillemi.  Like me, she writes Christian fiction, always suspenseful with some romance thrown in.  I’ve read several of her books and they always keep me turning those pages until the story’s finished. She calls herself the crime fictionista! Don’t you love that title? Anyway…you can learn more about her at http://www.nikechillemi.wordpress.com.

Thanks, Nike for this devotion.

Be Thankful by Nike Chillemi

In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 [NASB]

They say Thanksgiving is the most widely celebrated holiday in America. Even as America becomes more and more secular, the notion that we should give thanks still resonates. It is widely reported that we are a nation of people who are personally the most generous on the earth. Whenever in the world there is a disaster, Americans are known for digging deep into their pockets and giving.

As a lifestyle, what thanksgiving is about is gratitude. It’s developing an attitude of gratitude. We can be thankful or regretful. We have to choose what our life will be about. Developing a spirit of thankfulness will bless us and those around us. Regretfulness is a bitter pill that will poison our lives. The fruit of a thankful spirit can produce: calmness, delight, satisfaction, contentment, and pleasure.

As believers we look to God’s Word and we find the word ‘thanksgiving’ appears sixty-nine times in the Bible. In addition to that one word, the Psalms are filled with words of gratitude and appreciation of God’s goodness, as are other parts of the Bible.

God is new in our lives every day and His goodness is new as well. If there’s been a rough patch, don’t get bitter and stay bitter. Look to God to have a better plan, a new idea in store. “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new.” ~ Isaiah 43: 19-20 {NASB].

Count on God to have a good plan. “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not calamity, to give you a future and a hope.” ~ Jeremiah 29: 11 [NASB]