Fresh insight into a familiar verse

“Rejoice always,  pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18, NIV

If you are like me, then you’ve read or heard these verses many times. It was not until this past Sunday, however, that it hit me as to what this verse was NOT saying regarding how our daily lives should look like.

Give thanks. God is expecting His children to have and express a heart of contagious gratitude, regardless of circumstance. Experiences good or bad, big or small, important or nearly negligible- through them all we are called to be appreciatively aware of all of the good things God has done, is doing, and will do, for us and for others. This is a life seeing a “glass half full” because in Christ, there is no lack of any good thing.

After all, who wants to put up with an incessantly grumbling, griping, complaining, sour, pouting, pessimistic person? You and I sure don’t. God doesn’t either; He gets tired of it all! Those type of people bring everyone down. But a grateful life lifts people up, spreading sunshine and warming those around them.

Pray without ceasing. Do you enjoy the silent treatment? Well, neither does God. He wants to have a relationship with you more than you and I can imagine. As such, He delights when you commune with Him by listening to His Word and promptings through the Holy Spirit and communicating back to Him through prayer, song, and other meditation and worship.

He also wishes it to be a regular thing, not just a few times a week when you recalled some good thing and actually said “thank you” to Him. Or being a bank teller whom you never see except when you want something. You and I don’t like those kinds of people; why would God be more appreciative? Instead, He desires and delights when our souls seek Him day and night, when we hunger and thirst after Him “like a deer that panteth for water.”

Being in communion with Him is the core. It is a fount that enables gratitude and joy to bubble over. I think it no accident that Paul placed prayer at the center of his encouragement to the Thessalonians.

Express joy. On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it clear that our light is to shine to others. No one turns on a lamp in their house and immediately covers it up- that’d be pointless! Likewise with joy. It is not something that we get the pleasure of experiencing ourselves, it is also something that naturally shares itself.

Ingratitude

It is so easy to complain and not express thanks, is it not? Even for things we had nothing to do with? A case in point would be Jonah and the plant. Was Jonah right to be happy when the plant rose up and gave him shade and then sad when it died? Yes. The plant did give him free, unlooked for comfort from the hot middle-eastern sun. But did he have any right to complain or grumble? No.

First off, he didn’t plant, tend, protect, or otherwise do anything one way or the other for the plant. He was passive. So no grounds here.

Second, it was his CHOICE to sit out in the hot sun to hopefully watch Nineveh burn. He made no preparations, took no shelter, etc. He chose to face the heat.

Yet aren’t you, I, and others too much like Jonah sometimes? We enjoy something for free and then grumble, pout, or even curse when it’s gone. We willingly put ourselves in bad spots and then again, have a bad attitude when something goes wrong or when some gracious event or thing doesn’t last as long as we’d like. All too human.

Prayer for the nation-Day 9

Day 9:

Today, let us give thanks and praise to God for His blessings on our country and His grace and mercy towards it. It is not perfect (spiritually, morally, ethically, decision-wise) and its spiritual sins are many, but nonetheless God has shown it MANY blessings from before its founding, during its founding, and since its founding to the present day.

Thank Him for His blessings on this nation, which include but are not limited to:

• Living in relative safety from external and internal threats
• Financial & materialistic blessing
• Relative freedom to worship and serve God, think and do whatever we like
• Opportunities to overcome financial, physical, social and other barriers
• Opportunities to do, try, and become many things
• Blessings on developed infrastructure so that we have safe water, access to food, convenient travel, electricity, internet and the like
• Diversity in cultures, food and perspectives that make up something that is not part of the original culture but something one and unique America
• Large numbers of Godly people; we are not alone
• Freedom from most persecutions and death for the sake of Christ (though we must always be ready and willing, if God allows such things to occur)
• Ability to learn about, visit, and minister to so many other countries and bless them and be blessed by them
• Freedom from working 24/7. America’s culture is NOT the best with true rest, but neither does it push long work hours 7 days a week, 365 days a year
• Forgiveness, restoration and patience through many of its sins and failures, usually with a chance of further forgiveness and restoration (though this won’t last forever)

 

Praise God! (repost)

This is a repost, but I think it’s still a deserving message of thanksgiving and hope. Times are tough, but in Christ, we have victory (2 Corinthians 2:14)!

God has been so good to me, blessing me without measure and leading me into exciting directions! He’s at work in my life, and I am thankful for all that He’s done and continues to do. He’s strengthened me during tough times and helped me to get through them. He opens doors of opportunity and guides me through them. In short, His grace overflows in my life; I have gotten way more than I could ever deserve. Thank you, Lord Jesus!

This just calls for some songs of praise:

Praise God!

God has been so good to me, blessing me without measure and leading me into exciting directions! He’s at work in my life, and I am thankful for all that He’s done and continues to do. He’s strengthened me during tough times and helped me to get through them. He opens doors of opportunity and guides me through them. In short, His grace overflows in my life; I have gotten way more than I could ever deserve. Thank you, Lord Jesus!

This just calls for some songs of praise:

and

What would George do?

…And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions — to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually — to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed.

This is a portion from George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation. I know that Thanksgiving is over, but I think it’s important to note a few things.

First, the call to petition God to pardon our national and other transgressions. In my devotions for the mast several months, I’ve been going through the major prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. One of the marking traits of these books are the continual words of judgement on many of the nations in that day. God was tired of all of their wicked deeds, and promised certain doom to them.

Looking back at our country, America has been immeasurably blessed, from the time of the first Pilgrims to now. Yet during that whole time, America as a country has accumulated a lot of dirt. Inconceivable national debt. Support of murder (abortion). Acceptance of immoral lifestyles (pre-marital relationships, homosexuality, etc.) and tolerances of all sorts of sin. Mistakes of its citizens and elected leaders in dealing with certain issues. I could go on, and I’m sure you could too.

The point is, once you read the issues God denounces the nations in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, it’s scary to find similar parallels to the present day circumstances. This is why it is ever so important to remember to continually pray for this country, that God would forgive our sins and mistakes and continue to allow us to exist as a semi-free and sovereign nation, with no further loss of freedom.

Second, Washington challenges us to ask God to help us “perform our… duties properly and punctually.” Amen! May God give each of us the strength, focus, and grace to do our jobs in an efficient and pleasing manner. Let us be industrious, and provide food for our families and strengthen our economy.

Third, let us join Washington in praying that our “national government [would be] a blessing to all the people,.. a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed.” Freedom isn’t free, and it’s frequently abused and sneakily taken away. Moreover, it is good to pray that our leaders will make “wise, just and constitutional laws.” Too often, modern laws are thick stacks of paper which no one has read fully or really knows all that’s in them. Too often modern laws are made to make people “feel good” on the inside and win elections, while totally ignoring their constitutionality and the spirit of the founding fathers who drafted the constitution.

Finally, it is always good to take Scripture to heart:

First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

As citizens of our earthly countries, it is our duty to keep our respective country in prayer. And let us look forward to that one final Country, the Country were all things will be set right.

This Thanksgiving…

This Thanksgiving, let us not forget to express our gratitude and thanksgiving for all that Christ has done in our lives. He has blessed each and everyone of us so much, far more than each of us ever deserves.

May you have a gracious Thanksgiving!

For those who guide me

I am so thankful and grateful for those wise people in my life who guide me, give me sound advice, and support and encourage me along in life. Without them, how lost and troubled I would be!

Lord, thank you for all of the wise and experienced people that you have placed in my life. May I listen to their counsel and gain some of their wisdom myself.  To You be all the glory, Amen.

Transformer

Lord, I thank You that You transform our lives, and turn our wretchedness into a glorious representation of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!