Day 3: Gratitude focus – Someone over the age of 60 who has been an example to me
Quality or name of God – My Shield
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Ideas for demonstrating gratitude to the person of focus today:
» – Call or send an email to your focus recipient today. Tell them you are calling/writing for no other reason than to thank them for their example to you. Tell them briefly about how that example has impacted your life. (ex. “Your love for your husband/wife is an example to my husband and me of what a great marriage looks like.”)
»$ – Sit down sometime today and write a thank you note or letter to your person of focus. Include an example of how you are trying to impact others in the same way. Send it through the mail to arrive early next week!
$ – Using a picture of yourself, your family, or of you with the gratitude recipient, give this individual a framed picture along with a note of thanks. In your note, tell them that you want them to be reminded of their impact on your life. Prepare it today and either stick it in the mail on Monday or to give it to them personally next time you see them.
» = free »$ = minimal cost $ = cost involved
“Get around people who have something of value to share with you. Their impact will continue to have a significant effect on your life long after they have departed.” (Jim Rohn)
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I had hoped there was some deep, earth-shattering definition for the word “shield” found in Psalm 3:3. There is! It means…drum roll, please…shield. That’s it? Yes, but what an “earth-shattering” truth is found in that thought!
Psalm 3:3 states: “But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.” (NLT) Though we do not use physical armor today, we have all seen pictures of ancient battles when the warriors carried large shields to protect them from the darts (spears) their enemies would throw—often in the form of flaming arrows. This shield was especially helpful for guarding the area of the heart and the organs that are vital for life.
As I read this verse, my mind immediately went to Ephesians 6:16: “…take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (NIV) Under divine inspiration, the author of these words reminds us that while we may not have literal spears coming at us, we do have “the flaming arrows of the evil one” trying to extinguish the very heart of the life we live for Christ.
Yet we don’t have to fear, nor should we focus on those darts of temptation. Instead, we should boldly hold the shield of faith. The Lord Himself is a shield around us, so we don’t have to hang our heads in defeat! We can hold our heads high, thanking Him for the victory that is ours!
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Additional reading (for reading through the Psalms in 30 days):
Psalm 3, 33, 63, 93, 123
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[Loving reminder: Set your clocks back one hour tonight!]
It’s only day three, but I’m already seeing a change in my focus! Are you? If so, feel free to post a comment and share something God is teaching you by focusing on Him and on your gratitude for others!