All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms
because we are united with Christ.
Even before he made the world,
God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family
by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.
This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.
So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
He is so rich in kindness and grace
that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
He has showered his kindness on us,
along with all wisdom and understanding.
Ephesians 1:3-8 NLT
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It’s so easy in life for us to receive blessings,
many of them almost uncounted,
and have things happen in our lives that can help change our lives,
improve our lives, and bring the Spirit into our lives.
But we sometimes take them for granted.
How grateful we should be for the blessings
that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings into our hearts and souls.
I would remind all of you that if we’re ever going
to show gratitude properly to our Heavenly Father,
we should do it with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength –
because it was He who gave us life and breath.
David B. Haight