It is good to thank the Lord
Pastor Fry preached from Psalm 92 at our prayer meeting last night. The Psalm begins: "1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night" (Psalm 92:1-2). This was the text my pastor chose to emphasize. He spent a great deal of time reminding the congregation of what we ought to thank God for:
- Common grace upon our land - We live in a place where we have relative peace. As Christians, we do not worry about our safety when we meet to worship. In the work place, sure we get teased for our faith, yet we generally get along, and we accomplish great things together with the unregenerate.
- Life - Every breath, every beat of the heart is a gift from God. When we experience joy, this is from God. Even in our sorrows, things are not as bad as they could be if God removed His sovereign hand.
- Salvation from sin - The God of heaven and earth saved wretched sinners for the praise of His glory. We were dead but were made alive. We have bold access to the throne of grace. Our rightstanding before the Father is based on the righteousness of another, that of Jesus Christ, the Savior.
- God's faithfulness to His people - In all that we face through this life and the next, God remains faithful. For God, He is the Lord. He is the One who has predestined all things according to the good pleasure of His will. He has predestined the ends as well as the means to reach those ends. God is always watching and protecting His elect people.
My pastor asked a question that really struck me: Why is it good for us to thank the Lord? ... because He says so. It is God who determines what is good and right, and He has declared to us that we should thank Him. That's the obvious answer. But more than that, thanking God reminds us of His faithfulness and that He is near. Finally, thanking God glorifies God.
The believer should always give thanks. We ought to perceive the good things around us and thank God for them.
1 Thessalonians 5:18: "18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
*Puts away his lightsaber*
The Rusted One
posted by rustypth @ 3:45 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I love this post bro! Amen! I can totally relate to the passages of Scripture. Brent
Both Blue Like Jazz and Searching for God Knows What have not only strengthened my relationship with God, but also have inspired me to lead a more loving and Christ-like life. I understand how frustrating it can be when someone doesn't agree with your political views, but I don't think you should condemn Miller's work because of this.
Have you read CS Lewis' "Screwtape Letters?" It's very interesting how Satan can keep us from encouraging eachother from growing towards God. I agree with Miller when he says Satan is crafty. Be careful what battle you fight, because sin is deceptive and sometimes we start fighting our fellow Christians as oppose to the enemy.
I would love to hear your thoughts or further discuss these two books. Feel free to contact me at jlmorris@ksu.edu.
In Him,
Jessie
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