Friday, November 23, 2007

TIME 4 THANKSGIVING
Psalm 92

When should we give thanks? Why should we give thanks? Do we give thanks even when we don’t feel thankful, our hearts void of gratitude?

The answer is an emphatic "Yes!" ESPECIALLY when we don’t feel like it!

Everybody has times of feeling low. Everybody has troubles in their lives. Everybody gets angry when things are not going well. Frustrations, anxieties, despair are all part of the human condition. Giving thanks to God is the cure for these unhappy situations.
Counting your blessings and giving God thanks for things He has done in your life does many good things. First, God is pleased when you acknowledge His goodness. He is glorified when we honor Him with thanks. He desires to shower blessings on His children who adore Him. "Be thankful for the least gift, so you will be ready to receive greater." Thomas a Kempis. (Paraphrased here.)

This act of thanksgiving refreshes our relationship with our Father and refocuses our minds onto blessings rather than problems. The Bible is full is reasons to thank God. It’s the right thing to do, so we’re obedient when giving Him thanks and praise.
It is an act of worship. Check out the first two verses of Psalms 98, 100, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107.

By doing this, we’re acknowledging His deliverance, provision, protection and guidance. We are forgiven from all our sins. We accept God’s gifts. We live safely in His care. He guides our ways to our best good.
After all, God created us, redeemed us, and continues to provide for our every need. It only makes perfect sense to thank and praise our sovereign, omniscient, omnipotent Father!

Take Home Nugget

Psalm 92 provides us a theme that’s easy to remember and follow. Verses 1-2 says, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto His name. O Most High! Thank Him for His loving kindness in the morning, His faithfulness every night." (Paraphrased here.)

This is what I do. It sets the stage for my daytime with cheer and my nighttime with sweet slumber. Maybe it will work for you, too.

By starting with thanks and praise each day,
My heart is full of gladness.
Trials arise, only to be held at bay;
God separates me from sadness.
J.D. Griffith
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What an honor it is to meet you!
My background is a life time of worship, but seriously following Jesus came with age. Spiritual maturity is a leap of faith. Sometimes we don’t know what we’re missing until living on the edge of God’s leading. My life of self sufficiency ended abruptly when losing my job as an analytical chemist after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Now living on the edge of God’s leading has become a way of life that I wouldn’t trade for anything else.
Surrendering one’s will to the Lord can be scary. Why did I wait so long to do it? Diving into an intimate relation with the sovereign God of creation is the most secure position in the universe. Will you share your experience with me? Will you let me give you my testimony? May I introduce you to the Jesus I know?