Grateful and Thankful 12, Timely Tidbits of Truth, The Lord is Your…

This post will conclude our "Grateful and Thankful" series. We pray that it has encouraged you and that you found yourself being grateful and thankful for all that God has done for you.

Next week we will begin a new series on "The Names of Jesus" to remind us of all that He was meant to be, and all that He is for us still!

Grace and peace,

Marina

Grateful and Thankful 12, Timely Tidbits of Truth, The Lord is Your…
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

The Lord is your...
Provider: You are complete.
Teacher: You are instructed.
Shelter: You are covered.
Rock: You are secure.
Victory: You are triumphant.
Shepherd: You are cared for.
Captain: You are protected.
Encourager: You are built up.
Salvation: You are whole.
Rest: You are comforted.
Confidence: You are assured.
Father: You are family.
Deliverer: You are free.

Prayer:

-Marina Bromley

Thank you, Lord, for being all that I need! I am so grateful and thankful for the many ways you provide for me, encourage me, engage with me. You are my everything! In Jesus's name, amen.

#gratefulandthankful #timelytidbitsoftruth #thelordisyour #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo and prayer by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Grateful and Thankful 11, Eight Reasons To Be Thankful

Grateful and Thankful 11, Eight Reasons To Be Thankful
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Dear Friends,
Many of us set aside the fourth Thursday in November to celebrate the holiday "Thanksgiving". Roy wrote the devotional post below with the hope that it might be shared at Thanksgiving tables across the United States. We recognize that many of our readers are not in the U.S., and wouldn’t be acknowledging this holiday, yet we ALL can celebrate God’s goodness, His mercy and kindness that He extends to us, no matter where we live. May this devotion be a blessing to you, whether read aloud at a table shared with friends and loved ones, or as a quiet prayer whispered alone. We all have so many things to be thankful for, every day of the year.
Blessings of grace and peace,
Marina, for all of us at Meeting in the Meadow

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name (Psalm 100:4).

T-Truth:
God’s truth. True truth. Absolute truth! Truth that provides the foundation to build your life upon.

H-Hope:
God’s kingdom. Vast. Unshakable. Almighty. Not wishful thinking. Genuine. Certain. Secure. Ruled by Him who reigns forever and ever.

A-Abundance:
God’s generosity. Never depleted. Not rationed. Bountiful. Overflowing. Your cup running over.

N-Nearness:
God’s presence. With you. Helping. Never leaving or forsaking. Surrounding you. The source of your joy.

K-Kindness:
God’s compassion. A Father’s heart. Never cruel, mean or indifferent. Caring. Concerned. Gracious.

F-Faithfulness:
God’s character. Unfailing. Consistent. Dependable. He will never ignore you. You will never be forgotten.

U-Uniqueness:
God’s greatness. Without rival. Omnipotent. There is no other god. Perfect. Complete. All you need!

L-Love:
God’s beauty. Holy love. Undefiled. Not capricious. Matchless. Indescribable. Everlasting. Poured out upon you through His Son.

Prayer
-Marina Bromley

Father God, you have given so much to me, and my "Thank You" seems so small, but it needs to be said...so thank you. (Feel free to be specific in thanking God for the things you are grateful for.) In Jesus's name, amen.

#gratefulandthankful #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo and prayer by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Grateful and Thankful 10, My Morning Prayer, The Humble Place

Grateful and Thankful 10, My Morning Prayer, The Humble Place
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

For thus says the high and lofty One—He Who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, but with him also who is of a thoroughly penitent and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the thoroughly penitent [bruised with sorrow for sin] (Isaiah 57:15 AMP).

We need to travel the lowly path and seek the humble place before God. We cannot take the high place of pride, the exalted place of self-significance, the lofty place of personal achievements, the arrogant place of personal goodness, or the haughty place of self-sufficiency.

God’s grace works within our lives to strip us and reduce us, to mold us and shape us, to conform us into His image and to transform us into His likeness. God must reveal to us our true needs, and cause us to see how truly dependent we are upon Him. God does this, not to leave us empty, but to fill us with His true riches found in Jesus Christ; not to leave us downcast, but to be our glory and the lifter of our heads; not to make our lives miserable, but to bring to us the fullness of His joy; not to make our lives meaningless, but to work within us His eternal purpose.

Don’t be discouraged today if you sense God’s hand doing its sanctifying work in your life. If He is trimming your wick, it is only to make your light shine brighter; if He is shaping your vessel on His potter’s wheel, it is only to increase your capacity for Him; if He is allowing you to be pressed within His caring hands, it is only to release the flow of the sweet wine of His Spirit.

Humble yourself under His mighty hand, His sure hand, His firm hand, His caring hand, and as you do, allow this prayer to be upon your lips:

“Father, work in me what I cannot work; do in me what I cannot do; be in me what I cannot be; live through me what I cannot live—for I know it is through You, and You alone, that my life will be to the praise of Your glory. In Jesus's name, amen."

#gratefulandthankful #mymorningprayer #thehumbleplace #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Grateful and Thankful 9, Timely Tidbits of Truth, Changeless

Grateful and Thankful 9, Timely Tidbits of Truth, Changeless
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

I am the Lord, I do not change (Malachi 3:6 AMP).

God never changes. He doesn’t need to. He is perfect—without flaw, error, inconsistency, mistake, or poor judgment. He doesn’t have good moods and bad moods. His goodness, purity, holiness, and character are eternal.

God Doesn’t Need to Change—
He has never been unjust.
He has never been untrue.
He has never been unwise.
He has never been unaware.
He has never been unloving.
He has never been unreliable.
He has never been unrighteous.
Because God is eternally changeless He is eternally faithful.

My Morning Prayer
-Marina Bromley

Thank you, God, for being the only consistent thing in my life. I need more of you today, and every day. I'm grateful that you have shown up over and over again, even in the midst of my distractions and attitudes. You are steadfast and true, so please help me to be more like you! In Jesus's name, amen.

#gratefulandthankful #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin #Malachi3 #changeless #dependable

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo and prayer by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Grateful and Thankful 8, Jesus’ Outstretched Hand

Grateful and Thankful 8, Jesus’ Outstretched Hand
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

And He (Jesus) put forth His hand, and touched him (Matthew 5:13 NKJV).

He reaches out to the sick and brings healing.
He reaches out to the hungry and provides bread.
He reaches out to the guilty and extends mercy.
He reaches out to the repentant and brings forgiveness.
He reaches out to the lepers and makes them clean.
He reaches out to the fearful and gives them peace.
He reaches out to the broken hearted and binds their wounds.
He reaches out to the sorrowful and gives them comfort.
He reaches out to the discouraged and gives them hope.
He reaches out to the weak and makes them strong.
He reaches out to those in despair and places their feet upon the rock of His salvation.
He reaches out to the humble and gives them grace.
He reaches out to the childlike and draws them close to His heart.
He reaches out to all who follow Him and gives them His blessing.

My Morning Prayer
-Marina Bromley

My dearest Father God, thank you for continually reaching out to me and to those I love...even those who don't yet know you as I do. Father, please continue to touch our hearts, changing us to be more like you. I ask that we will remember the times you have so gently reached out to us with comfort and hope, with strength and grace. Please draw us close to your heart, that we might feel your nearness and hear your heartbeat. Pour out your unending supply of Peace over us. In Jesus's name, amen.

#gratefulandthankful #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin #Matthew5 #hardships #Godreachesout

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo and prayer by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Grateful and Thankful 7, My Morning Prayer, The Desires of the Heart

Grateful and Thankful 7, My Morning Prayer, The Desires of the Heart

-Roy Lessin and Marina Bromley

The Desires of the Heart
-Roy Lessin

“God carries in His heart the fulfillment to all the desires He has placed within yours.”
-Unknown

Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass…rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him
(Psalm 37:3-7).

The desires of Psalm 37 are born out of a relationship with God—His desires will be those of the Spirit and will have an eternal purpose.
He is the only one who can fulfill the desires He has placed within us—He doesn’t say to us, “I have placed My desires within you, now it’s up to you, go out and make them happen.”

He places His desires in us as a result of our delighting in Him—we will desire what He desires, delight in what He delights in, and rejoice over the things He rejoices over.

He wants us to trust in His faithfulness to fulfill those desires.

Don’t give up on any desire that God has placed within you.

What should you do as you wait upon Him to fulfill those desires? Do not attempt to strive, manipulate, or struggle in yourself to fulfill them. God has promised you that He will give you the desires of your heart; God has said that He will bring it to pass.

As you wait, rest and wait patiently for Him. There is no benefit in pressing or pushing, but rather be at peace, knowing that God’s timing is always perfect and His ways are not our ways.

My Morning Prayer
-Marina Bromley

Lord God, I am so grateful and thankful for your place and presence in my life. I know that your promises are true and that you are dependable to fulfill your will in my life. Help me, Lord, to trust your plans over my own, and to see that your timing for my life is perfect. I don't need to struggle to see my dreams come true, and I can trust you with those plans and my heart! Let your will be done in my life, as I surrender my own will so yours can come into fruition. Thank you for loving me so completely! In Jesus's name, amen.

#prayer #mymorningprayer #psalm37 #gratefulandthankful #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo and prayer by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Grateful and Thankful 6, Timely Tidbits of Truth, God’s Will is Not by Chance

Grateful and Thankful 6, Timely Tidbits of Truth, God’s Will is Not by Chance
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Lo, I come to do thy will, O God (Hebrews 10:9 KJV).

“Chance” and “luck” do not sit on the throne of heaven, but a loving, personal Creator does. Life is not a gamble and fate does not guide your destiny. God did not bring you into this world to live without a purpose, to exist without a reason, or function without meaning. He loves you, cares about you, and wants you to know Him and do His will.

Prayer
-Marina Bromley

Lord God, I am so grateful and thankful that you are not a god of wishes, or spells, or chance. I am blessed to know that you are a real, kind, and loving God, and that you have purpose and a plan for my life. I love that you created me with intention (flaws and all) and that you will perfect me as I walk with you. Have your way with me, Lord! Change me to be more like you! In Jesus's name, amen.

#gratefulandthankful #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin #Psalm46 #hardships

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo and prayer by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Grateful and Thankful 5, Hardships Working for the Good

Grateful and Thankful 5, Hardships Working for the Good
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Are you going through difficult days?
Are you being pruned by the Vinedresser?
Do you sense the discipline of your loving Heavenly Father’s hand?
Have you been persecuted for the sake of righteousness?

These and many other things are experienced our lives as we follow the Lord in a walk of faith and obedience…
Wheat is crushed before it is turned to bread.
Incense is cast upon the fire before the fragrance within is set free.
Soil feels the blade of the plow before the seed is planted.
Pressure is applied before the diamond can be formed.
Irritants are added before pearls are created.
Gold is refined before it can be become pure.
Wine is poured out from vessel to vessel before its taste can be sweet.
Vines are pruned before there can be much fruit.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1 NIV).

Prayer
-Marina Bromley

Thank you, Father God, for your presence in these times where I find myself troubled. I know that the inconveniences of my life are small in comparison to what Jesus faced leading to the cross, but I know that you understand how heavy these things are to me, in my humanity. Please cover me with your peace and help me to feel your purpose in my day to day difficulties. I know that you are growing me, creating something good and beautiful in me through every bad situation. I am so grateful and thankful for your place in my life, and I willingly come underneath your covering. In Jesus's name, amen.

#gratefulandthankful #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin #Psalm46 #hardships

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo and prayer by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Grateful and Thankful 4, My Morning Prayer, The Mountain

Grateful and Thankful 4, My Morning Prayer, The Mountain
-Roy Lessin and Marina Bromley

The Mountain
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge (Psalm 18:2 AMP).
 
Years ago, I lived in Southern California, in the city of Glendora. A few miles behind our house stood a mountain. When you stepped outside our front door you couldn’t miss it! There were days, however, when you couldn’t see that mountain. It happened when big storms blew in, when the thick fog rolled in, or when the gray smog drifted into our neighborhood. On those days, you could stand in front of our house and have no indication that a mountain stood a few miles away.

Because I saw that mountain on clear days, I never doubted if it was there on stormy days, foggy days, or smoggy days. I knew, beyond a doubt, that once the storm, the fog, or the smog lifted, the mountain would still be there, unchanged. I never lost a night’s sleep worrying about that mountain. On the days I couldn’t see it, I never questioned if the mountain had moved.

The Bible tells us that Lord is our Rock (Psalm 18:2). I don’t know how big a Rock the Lord is, but I am confident that He is bigger than the mountain outside my old house in Glendora, or any other mountain. The Lord is our “huge” Rock, in whom we trust and take refuge.

You may be in a time when the storms of life, the fog of circumstances, or the smog of hardships have settled over your soul. In the darkness, you may be wondering what has happened to the Rock you beheld so vividly when the days were clear and His presence was unobstructed. Be assured, He has not moved, changed, or disappeared. The darkness is temporary, the Rock is eternal. The storm will pass, the fog will lift, the smog will blow away. Your Rock remains!

There is another important difference to remember…your Rock always sees you! The storm, the fog, and the smog create no visual obstacle for Him. He has His eye upon you, and you will never be out of His sight or His care.

My Morning Prayer
-Marina Bromley

Thank you, Lord, for being my mountain, strong and sure. Thank you for seeing me, no matter how buried I am in my troubles, and thank you for being with me always, no matter where else I am looking for relief. Help me to remember that you are here, with me, always. I love you and need your help every day. I am grateful for the difference you are making in my life. In Jesus's name, amen.

#prayer #mymorningprayer #psalm18 #gratefulandthankful #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo and prayer by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Grateful and Thankful 3, Timely Tidbits of Truth, As Only Your Father Could

Grateful and Thankful 3, Timely Tidbits of Truth, As Only Your Father Could

-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

The things your sight does not observe,
His eyes see clearly—
The things your thinking does not understand,
His mind knows fully—
The things your hands cannot grasp,
His grip holds firmly—
The things your strength cannot subdue
His power conquers completely—
The things your resources cannot fulfill
His riches meet abundantly—
The things your love cannot give
His heart gives endlessly!

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT).

Prayer

-Marina Bromley

Father God, thank you for all that you do for me...so much more than I could ever imagine or ask. Thank you for providing what I truly need, and for holding back on things that will take away my dependance on you. In this difficult season, please help me to be content in you—mind, body and spirit. I love you and need your love like I need every breath. In Jesus's name, amen.

#gratefulandthankful #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin #timelytidbitsoftruth

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo and prayer by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Grateful and Thankful 2, Greatness

Grateful and Thankful 2, Greatness
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children” (Matthew 19:14 NLT).

The kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God both celebrate greatness—the difference is found in how greatness is defined. While the steps on the world’s ladder of greatness go up—as in “climb the ladder of success”—the steps on the kingdom’s ladder of greatness go down. They don’t go down as in “darkness, bondage, fear, or defeat,” they go down as in “humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.”

When the disciples asked Jesus about who was greatest in the kingdom, Jesus didn’t direct them to the biggest one in the crowd but to the smallest, not to the most successful one but to the neediest, not to the one who had all the answers but to the one who needed to be shown the way. Greatness in the kingdom was identified as childlikeness (Matthew 18:1-5).

As we look upon a little child we discover three characteristics that help us understand kingdom greatness:

• Humility- Humility is a disposition that says, “There is no greatness in me.” Little children are not concerned about their status, title, or how much they know. As kingdom people our prayer should be, “Lord, help me to be less so You can be more.”
• Dependency- Little children are dependent upon another to provide for them, guide them, protect them, and care for them. As kingdom people we are as dependent upon the Lord as a branch is upon the vine.
• Trust- Little children live in simplicity. Life isn’t complicated. They don’t live under a cloud of doubt. As kingdom people we live by faith, and our trust is fully in the Lord.

The song of the kingdom is not How Great I Am, it is How Great Thou Art. Kingdom greatness is found in God Himself—His is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever! Our greatness is found in having the childlike characteristics of humility, dependency, and trust in the Lord that allow us to discover His greatness.

Prayer

-Marina Bromley

Thank you, Lord, that you created me to be a child. Thank you Jesus, that you are dependable, trustworthy, and that your life on earth demonstrated greatness in humility. Help me to walk in these God-qualities in my day to day life, giving you all the glory. Help us to “humble ourselves under your mighty hand.” In Jesus's great and mighty name, amen.

#greatness #gratefulandthankful #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin #matthew19 #childlike 

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo and prayer by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Grateful and Thankful 1, My Morning Prayer, Reflections on Philippians 4:6-7

Grateful and Thankful 1, My Morning Prayer
Roy Lessin and Marina Bromley

Hello Friends!

This month we will turn our focus to "Grateful and Thankful" in our devotions. Although not all of you live in a place that celebrates Thanksgiving at the end of the month, we pray that this will help align our hearts with an attitude of "thanksgiving" in our hearts and minds. May you be encouraged and blessed!

Grace and peace,
-Marina

Reflections on Philippians 4:6-7
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT).

Anxiety—don’t carry it, walk with it, eat with it, live with it, or go to bed with it. Don’t entertain it, support it, encourage it—not in big things or little things, present things or future things, pressing things or perplexing things. It is a foe not a friend, a downer not an edifier, a binder not a freer. It will quickly introduce you to its close cousins, fret and fear. When anxiety knocks at the door of your heart or mind, be sure to renounce it, reject it, and refuse it any place.

Instead of being anxious about anything, you can begin to pray about everything. Prayer means that you have a God to go to and to talk to, who hears and answers prayer. Mix your prayers with thankfulness. Thanksgiving reflects an attitude of gratefulness to God for inviting you to come to Him, and it shows that you truly trust Him to take care of you, regardless of your circumstances.

As you pray and trust God to work, He will give you the assurance that He is in control. He will do this by giving you His peace. God doesn’t give you circumstantial peace, but His peace, a peace which remains constant and undisturbed through every circumstance.

God’s peace is His answer for anxiety. His peace will quiet you and calm you; it will minister health to your nerves and rest to your spirit. God’s peace is more powerful than anxiety, fear, or worry, and His peace will defeat any foe that tries to attack your heart and mind. At the heart of these attacks is an attempt to have you to turn your faith away from God and to focus instead on your needs and circumstances. God’s peace strengthens you from these attacks by giving you the assurance that God is for you and that no weapon formed against you will prosper.

Never turn away from God’s peace. Yield and surrender your heart and mind to His peace. Say, “Yes, Lord, I receive Your peace.” You do not need to understand why certain things are happening in order to have God’s peace. His peace transcends your understanding. God’s peace is the same peace that Jesus said He would give to you. It is a peace that the world cannot give you. His peace belongs to you because you belong to Him.

My Morning Prayer

-Marina Bromley

Yes, Lord, I receive your peace. I desire your peace. I NEED your peace! I do not need anxiety, stress, fear, faithlessness. I need more of YOU, God! Thank you for providing a place to lay down all the things that keep me from resting in your peace. Thank you for being available for me to lay down in your rest. Come Holy Spirit, and replace my weaknesses with your truth and strength. In Jesus's name, amen.

#prayer #mymorningprayer #philippians467 #gratefulandthankful #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow

©2025 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo and prayer by Marina Bromley. Used with permission, all rights reserved.