Have you ever held a grudge? I’m sorry to say, I have. It made me feel as if I was in some type of bondage. That’s why I don’t like that word grudge. It even sounds like something awful; something gross that has come to take over. Please don’t let it invade your soul. Let go of that old grudge and be free. Try saying it very slowly – gggrrruuuddddggggeeee; a one syllable word that sounds like urge, judge or shrug. I just don’t like that word – grudge. I don’t appreciate what it means… to continually hold ill feeling against; and I definitely didn’t like the way it had made me feel.

Are you aware a grudge can leave you feeling cold, isolated, and alone? Why would I ever want to hold on to an old grudge, again? It can never comfort like a true friend. It never encourages hugs; but will bug you the wrong way. It steals joy, peace, and contentment, and never leads to repentance. It shrugs that which allows you to be free – forgiveness. So, I urge you to stay away, avoid, resist, and dismiss that spirit of an old grudge. It is a dangerous self-inflicted foe that will leave you on the sidelines, wondering which way to go.

I will keep on thanking God for the freedom to forgive.  By Hertistine Washington/keeponthanking.com.

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD” ( Leviticus 19:18 ESV).

Have you ever dared to think, what God’s doing? Well, I don’t know. Neither does anyone. No one can penetrate His mind. “His thoughts are not our thoughts; His ways are not our ways.” But one thing we can be confident, that God is working things out according to the purpose and plan He intended. Rest in Him. Don’t worry, pray. God is up to something.

What is God doing? I don’t know. Neither does anyone. He has a reason for the pain, hurt trials, uncertainty, even the victories that we are experiencing. God never wastes His time on us… or anything. Be encouraged, He has a divine plan and is working it in view of eternity. Let us trust Him.

“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, ” (Ephesians 1:11 ESV).

I will keep on thanking You for knowing there is a divine purpose for what we’re going through in life. Please Lord, help us to maintain our faithfulness during uncertain times in Jesus name, amen. By Hertistine Washington/keeponthanking.com.

Thank God we’re not in jail, but if we’re honest, we may have broken a few laws during our lifetime. On a small scale, we may have taken paper clips, pens, or other small items from work that really didn’t belong to us. That’s call stealing. So glad we know better now. However, on a larger scale, people that break the laws are usually caught and put in jail. For when laws are broken, the penalty incurred lets us know we were not at liberty to perform such acts. Simply put, there are consequences for breaking laws; laws of man and laws of God.

Still, are you aware there are some things we can do that’s not against the law; no matter how much we do them? God’s law (His Word) tells us there are no laws against love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, nor self-control. Isn’t it good to know we can demonstrate as much of these as we want without breaking any laws? Although some have been put in jail for such causes, God has no law against them. Can you name anyone who “broke” one of those laws and were incarcerated? The answer is a resounding no. However, we can name at least one who not only was jailed, but died for enforcing all of these. His name is Jesus.

I will keep on thanking God that He broke no laws to win my salvation.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatian 5:22 ESV).  By Hertistine Washington/keeponthanking.com

Needless to say our hearts breaks for the suffering found in the world today. So much suffering! We must pray for all. Yet, the Bible encourages us as Christians suffering is inevitable, unavoidable, and sure to happen. For the child of God, do you know there are benefits or blessings produced when we suffer for the sake of Christ? The Scripture says, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” (1Peter 5:10 KJV). Wow, look what we gain! Like a song says, “Trouble Don’t Last Always.” Lord, we thank You that we’re growing in perfection and becoming more firm in our faith. Through suffering, You are also developing strength in us for Your glory. And oh, how we praise You for settling our spirits that we can rest assured You have everything in control.

“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin” (1Peter: 4:1)

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Roman 8:18 KJV).

Dear Lord, help us to trust in You in our sufferings. Help us to patiently wait on you with the joy in knowing You are there, and will never leave us.

I will keep on thanking God for suffering and dying for me.  By Hertistine Washington/keeponthanking.com

“Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17 ESV).

Thank you Lord that we can acknowledge, it is You, Lord, the maker of heaven and earth and all that is within. We are thankful that it is You who controls the stars and universe by your great power and by your outstretched arm! And what a strong and long arm You have, O Lord! It reaches beyond the highest mountain. It reaches further than the deepest sea. It reaches all over, and it reaches you and me! Thank you Lord, it is You that’s holding and keeping us; that there is no distance too far, no problem too hard; no depth too low; no mountain too high that’s beyond your reach.

Dear Lord, we pray to be aware and to know that no matter the woman or man,  it is You working Your divine plan throughout this vast land. Help us to lift our minds in knowing it is You, in Jesus name, amen.

I will keep on thanking God that we are always within His reach. By Hertistine Washington/keeponthanking.com.

Yesterday I had no idea I  would be sitting in the waiting room, waiting to hear word on a dear friend of mine. While I was there “waiting” I began noticing other people and how they were waiting in “the waiting room.” Have you ever paid attention to how others use their wait time? Perhaps you’ve found yourselves in the waiting room of a lawyer, court corridor, doctor’s office, or hospital, as I was; or somewhere waiting for a promotion, good news, or a situation to change. How did you wait? Honestly, sometimes I would only sit there waiting while others were on their cell phones, reading, tapping their feet, talking, watching the monitor, or even sleeping. I’m asking God to help me be more mindful as to how I wait.

Being observant of this, I’m suggesting while we’re in the waiting room of life, lets not waste our waiting. Time is precious. Use your wait time as an opportunity to be productive. Work while you wait, and watch for revelation. Especially when you’re waiting on the Lord, don’t just sit there. Whether you know it or not there is a lot you can do while in the waiting room. You can be prayerful, maintain a positive attitude, hope, strengthened your faith by reading God’s Word, or lend a helping hand by sharing a word of encouragement. Don’t just sit there and stare at the monitor, look to the Lord.

“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning (Psalm 130:5-6 ESV).

I will keep on thanking God for revealing to me ways to wait in Him. By Hertistine Washington/keeponthanking.com

In a classroom a student was being disruptive. The teacher quickly pointed at the student and said, “In the corner!” The Student immediately got up and stood in the corner. He knew He had been caught! While in grade school, did your teacher ever have you to stand in the corner? If so, (like me), you probably deserved  to be there. I’m sure you were a little embarrassed, and couldn’t wait to sit down and join the other students. Sometimes the punishment of standing in the corner could seem like forever.

Spiritually speaking, we don’t have to stand in the corner anymore. Jesus has come and taken our place “in the corner.” He took on our punishment of sin and made it possible for us to stand in the power of His Word. His Word will hold up. It will “stand” the test. It will “stand” forever. When we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we will no longer have to stand in the corner; just repent, sit down and learn of Him. In His Word, you can now stand forever, never needing to be cornered again.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. ( Isaiah 40:8 ESV).

I will keep on thanking God for the endurance and strength in His Word.  By Hertistine Washington/keeponthanking.com

Antidotes are very much needed in this life. Their purpose is to fight or kill that which could cause harm or even death to the body. They are used to maintain life. Although the world has discovered many antidotes, it is still seeking the antidote for other diseases. I thank God that Jesus is the universal antidote for whatever ails us. He is the spiritual and the physical remedy for that which tries to runs rampant in our body and lives. He is the cure all.

As one who has been bitten by a snake would require an antidote, so do those who have been affected by sin. God’s Word lets us know that we all were bitten by sin and in need of an antidote. Jesus was that antidote, and still is today. I pray we let His healing serum or love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, continue to penetrate our soul.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,” Psalms 103:2-3 ESV)

I will keep on thanking God for His physical and spiritual healing.  By Hertistine Washington/keeponthanking.com

“And the Lord said unto Moses. Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:” (Exodus 14:15 KJV).What a command! To go forward! I can imagine how the Israelites must have felt as they were pursued by the Egyptian army, with nothing facing them but the wide open sea! Afraid. Crying. Complaining. Throwing accusations toward Moses. My God, what were they to do?

When faced with seemingly no way out, I’m sure many of us have shouted from one time or the other, “Oh, Lord, what am I to do?” Yet and still, when the Israelites had gone as far as their physical eyes could see, God told Moses to tell them to go forward! Isn’t that just like our God? He’s not a God that turns back. He will not lead us to the shore and leave us hanging, with no way of escape. As He was with the Israelites to open a way through the Red Sea, so is He with us.

So as you continue to press your way forward in spite of not seeing a way out, look to Jesus. He has a way for you and me, as we face the turbulent seas of life. God says go forward and see His Salvation; His deliverance. Keep going. Don’t turn back. It’s no time to retreat. If we keep the faith, we will discover God has a way out for us. He is the way, the truth. and the life.

I will keep on thanking God for encouraging me to keep going forward in Him.  By Hertistine Washington/keeponthanking.com

(A poem expressing joy over one’s Salvation)

I saw you blossom along the way;

Baby steps, wider steps, then running in the process.

So proud of you my dear child,

Thanking God for His grace all the while.

God’s spoken Word has touched your soul!

His written Word, your heart overflows!

His Word goes deep; way deep beyond the surface,

Always revealing His love and never-ending mercy.

Continue to soar and bloom my flower,

As in God’s garden so many do;

Never to forget, your root lies in the Creator,

and He will see you through.

“I went down to the nut orchard to look at the blossoms of the valley, to see whether the vines had budded, whether the pomegranates were in bloom” (Song of Solomon 6:11 ESV).

“I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;” (Hosea 14:5 ESV).

I will keep on thanking God for the blossoming of new souls.  By Hertistine Washington/keeponthanking.com