You have removed my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of loathing to them; I am shut up and cannot go out. Psalm 88:8
As I read Psalm 88, it seems to address in varying degrees our current situation. Due to the current pandemic, the world is more limited and isolated than usual. Not only that, but there seems to be a sense of mutual loathing between those with compromised health and those who are relatively healthy. The former fear that some do not take the guidelines seriously enough and may further compromise their fragile world while the latter may not appreciate the just how fragile some of our health situations are and deem those concerned as overly cautious. Admittedly, having been tested this week for Covid-19 following a rough respiratory infection, I’m somewhere in the middle of the scenario. I want us to be safe, but don’t want people cruelly criticizing others without knowing their stories…there are those who have legitimate reasons to be out and about. No matter what perspective one takes, we are for the most part, “shut up and cannot go out”.
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Sing praise to the
Lord, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. Psalm 30:4
Life with an
invisible illness can be tricky. There
are limitations which others cannot see that become frustrating. They are vexing because one cannot do the
things that they used to do or would like to do. They may be annoying to others as they expect
more than the illness allows one to deliver.
It’s a balance to be maintained as well as managing the illness
itself. But then, all trials present
limitations and hurdles that must be managed or overcome. In the fray, it’s easy to lose sight of the
blessings of life and to be thankful for them.
This holiday week, my illness has been pushed to the background to focus
on better things as I truly have a thankful heart.
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The greater your knowledge of the goodness and grace of God on your life, the more likely you are to praise Him in the storm.
Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Psalm 105:1
As it is Thanksgiving in the United States, please join me in refection upon Psalm 136 which is a beautiful model for being truly thankful. As this Psalm states, no matter what God is doing, His love for us is everlasting. It starts with who God is, moves through various things that He has done and finishes with how He is ever mindful of us.
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Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Colossians 3:12-14
Within the past couple of weeks there have been quite a few conversations to make plans for Thanksgiving. While the menu hasn’t varied too much from year to year, the people with whom we share the meal have varied greatly. Naturally, the core group has always been our immediate family. However, many years have regularly included extended family, friends and acquaintances. As I consider those with whom I have celebrated this holiday, I am reminded that I am most thankful for the people that God has chosen to weave in and out of my life. Their roles, the length of time in my life and the affection for them has varied greatly, but they have all had a purpose. As the saying reminds us, some people are a blessing while others are a lesson.
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Genuine thankfulness is an act of the heart’s affections, not an act of the lips’ muscles.
The greater your knowledge of the goodness and grace of God on your life, the more likely you are to praise Him in the storm.
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
Recently my wife and I attended church with my aunt and uncle. The service that they normally attend is more traditional and utilizes many hymns. On this particular Sunday, we sang “Fairest Lord Jesus”. It’s a beautiful hymn that both inspired praise and sent my mind racing in several directions about what it meant; whether those singing were engaged with message of the words; what does fair mean in this context; is the glory of Christ was still held above the glory of nature; and whether or not the nations, our nation, or even the body of Christ recognizes Christ as Lord.
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Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15
As we move from the celebration of Thanksgiving to the celebration of Christmas, I can think of no better way to conclude the series about thankfulness than to consider being thankful for the salvation provided by Christ our Lord. While there is much that can be, should be and has been said about this gift, I’d like to focus on the act of love, the ongoing gift and the benefit yet to be received.
One of the first verses we learn as Christians is John 3:16 and it is certainly a great passage to know for it speaks of the love that is the backdrop for this indescribable gift. The Father has done what He has never asked of any of us in that He has sacrificed His only son. However, to truly put it into perspective we need to also look to Romans 5:7-8.
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