Sometimes we have to be content with small blessings.”
–Elmer Kelton (The Pumpkin Rollers)
“Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre!”
“Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre!”
–Psalm 147:7 (ESV)
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“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
–Thomas Ken
As I was sitting around the campfire yesterday, pondering on what to write, the words of the above hymn kept flowing through my mind. Simple song, yet the words are full of meaning. “Praise!” WOW, what a meaningful word and often used in a trivial way. We give praise far too often to mediocre individuals and events. But then, perhaps the person voicing the praise is one of those mentioned in Proverbs, and I’m not speaking of the person of wisdom.
The Oxford Dictionary isn’t much help–“the expression of approval or admiration for someone or something.” It doesn’t really do God honor and justice. God is worthy of praise. It refers to lifting Him up in our mind; an action and purpose of the will. We have to will ourselves to praise God. Someone said this about praise, “It is the joyful recounting of what God has done for us. Praise and Thanksgiving go hand in hand… Praise is the acknowledgment of all the wonderful, righteous deeds of God.”
One of the most important aspects of praise is that of thanking God for His blessings in our lives. We could spend hours discussing all that He has done from us from our first breath to where we are currently in life. Oh, some may scoff at this and say that God has never done anything for them, but they think too small. Breath, gravity, the systems of physics and the body–the natural world declares His wonder and without them life could not exist. I wonder, and I include myself, if we have ever thanked God for gravity. I’m sure Sir Isaac did, but imagine life without it.
Thank Him for His creation, thank Him for the starry sky and the wonders of the heavens. Thank Him that He is your heavenly Father and He cares for you. Thank Him for the Son, Jesus Christ, and what He has done for man to bring him back in relationship to God by offering Him redemption. Thank Him for the promise of the Holy Spirit who is sent to guide us into all truth. With each of these we could spend hours thanking God and there have been countless books written about theology.
One more thought–as you sit down to partake of the bounty that will be set before you on Thanksgiving, use it as an opportunity to thank God for the “blessed hope.” One day we will be at the great supper in heaven united once again with loved ones and friends. Talk about fellowship and feasting, but I would implore you now to thank God of what is to come. The words of Revelation 19:9 end thusly, “These are the true words of God.” (NIV)
This will be the last Echo until December. Take time this Thanksgiving season to be thankful for all that God has blessed you with. Take time to ponder, not merely voice words. In closing this morning‘s note I leave you with Psalm 113:1-3 (NIV), and perhaps it wouldn’t be too far wrong after you read it the first time, to read it again substituting “praise” with “thanks.”
1 — Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
2 — Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore.
3 — From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets the name of the LORD is to be praised.
——————————-
“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
–Thomas Ken
As I was sitting around the campfire yesterday, pondering on what to write, the words of the above hymn kept flowing through my mind. Simple song, yet the words are full of meaning. “Praise!” WOW, what a meaningful word and often used in a trivial way. We give praise far too often to mediocre individuals and events. But then, perhaps the person voicing the praise is one of those mentioned in Proverbs, and I’m not speaking of the person of wisdom.
The Oxford Dictionary isn’t much help–“the expression of approval or admiration for someone or something.” It doesn’t really do God honor and justice. God is worthy of praise. It refers to lifting Him up in our mind; an action and purpose of the will. We have to will ourselves to praise God. Someone said this about praise, “It is the joyful recounting of what God has done for us. Praise and Thanksgiving go hand in hand… Praise is the acknowledgment of all the wonderful, righteous deeds of God.”
One of the most important aspects of praise is that of thanking God for His blessings in our lives. We could spend hours discussing all that He has done from us from our first breath to where we are currently in life. Oh, some may scoff at this and say that God has never done anything for them, but they think too small. Breath, gravity, the systems of physics and the body–the natural world declares His wonder and without them life could not exist. I wonder, and I include myself, if we have ever thanked God for gravity. I’m sure Sir Isaac did, but imagine life without it.
Thank Him for His creation, thank Him for the starry sky and the wonders of the heavens. Thank Him that He is your heavenly Father and He cares for you. Thank Him for the Son, Jesus Christ, and what He has done for man to bring him back in relationship to God by offering Him redemption. Thank Him for the promise of the Holy Spirit who is sent to guide us into all truth. With each of these we could spend hours thanking God and there have been countless books written about theology.
One more thought–as you sit down to partake of the bounty that will be set before you on Thanksgiving, use it as an opportunity to thank God for the “blessed hope.” One day we will be at the great supper in heaven united once again with loved ones and friends. Talk about fellowship and feasting, but I would implore you now to thank God of what is to come. The words of Revelation 19:9 end thusly, “These are the true words of God.” (NIV)
This will be the last Echo until December. Take time this Thanksgiving season to be thankful for all that God has blessed you with. Take time to ponder, not merely voice words. In closing this morning‘s note I leave you with Psalm 113:1-3 (NIV), and perhaps it wouldn’t be too far wrong after you read it the first time, to read it again substituting “praise” with “thanks.”
1 — Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
2 — Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore.
3 — From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets the name of the LORD is to be praised.