Sunday, November 21, 2010

1 Chronicles 16:34; He Deserves Our Thanks

1 Chronicles 16:34 “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”

We have a lot of trouble really and honestly giving thanks for things. For the most part I think it is because we feel that we are owed it, that we deserve it and nothing could be farther from the truth. We are owed nothing, and we deserve nothing. All of us are fallen sinners, all of us have our own personal foibles and faults. We know that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) and that we really do not deserve the mercies and graces that God gives to us each day. We quote Romans 3:23 a lot, but how often do we continue on with the next verse? “and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” It was an undeserved gift, grace and mercy showered down on us event though we deserve the wages of sin, death. The world owes us nothing but pain and misery. Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha and founder of Buddhism  taught that all life is transient and suffering. Christ taught that life has permanence and can be lived in joy despite the trials and suffering we may receive at the hands of men. “Every good gift and every perfect ([a]free, large, full) gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of all [that gives] light, in [the shining of] Whom there can be no variation [rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [as in an eclipse].” (James 1:17 AMP)

We can look about us, at every aspect of our lives and see those good and perfect gifts that God has given us. We have a roof over our heads despite not building it, we have food to eat despite not growing it. We have jobs and employment, a source of income. We have health and maybe the worst we have to deal with right now is a winter cold while others in the world are dealing with Cholera, polio, and whooping cough. We have cars and bikes available to us for transportation while the majority of the world must walk. We had the chance for higher education, we have machines that wash our clothes and our dishes without us having to spend time. We have computers, cell phones, cd players, and game machines! We have a postal service that delivers mail in a timely manner, and does not open or steal from the packages,. We have public servants who are not blatantly corrupt. We have so very much in our lives to be thankful for. We are blessed! We are very blessed indeed!

As we approach Thanksgiving this year, lets start to think about things we can be thankful for. There is so much that we can be thankful for too, everything around is can be a reminder. We are not owed anything, we do not deserve anything, but we have it none the less. In actuality, We owe Him and He deserves our thanks!  His grace, His mercy, His love flows out over us- not just in our salvation, but in every aspect our lives! This week, lets think about all those blessings in our lives that God has given us, and lets give thanks for even the most basic of them!

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a memory,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

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