Three Nails Thursday
A Song (Hymns) I listened to this week.
I so enjoyed the Hymn Sunday this past week at Southern Illinois Worship Center. I have listened to the worship service over and over (I’ve attached a video of a few of them below). I felt that it was a significant lead-up to this week of thanksgiving. The Hymns always make me thankful for the heritage that I, along with many of you, have in the Church of Jesus Christ. I also was grateful that so many new believers were introduced to the doctrines of the Gospel that came through the Hymns. Indeed, I am a fan of the new songs, and I equally believe that they root and ground us in the truth of God. However, the older I get, the events of the past four years of my life cause a greater appreciation for yesteryear.
On this Thanksgiving Day, I am grateful that I know who Jesus is, that I believe in Him and on Him. I’m thankful for the Old Rugged Cross and that this world is not my home. Further, I am grateful that I am not alone and that Jesus Christ has never left us, never will forsake us, and is with us.
Take a moment and reflect on the goodness of God in your life.
What are you grateful for?
A Scripture that challenged me.
Romans 1:21-25 NLT
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
There is a grave danger that happens when we aren’t thankful to God. We are in grave danger when we refuse to acknowledge God. People know there is a God but choose to ignore, stamp out, and ultimately try to extinguish this reality. Admitting that God indeed does exist, then I must surrender and submit to Him. Our flesh doesn’t want to acknowledge God; that way, we aren’t required to live as he desires for us to live. Sin causes us to suppress the truth that God exists; we head further into chaos and confusion by suppressing that truth. When we acknowledge God, are thankful to Him, we walk humbly and holy before Him.
On this day, I acknowledge that He is God and I am not. I understand that His ways are higher than my ways. His thoughts are greater than mine. He knows things that I do not know and sees what I cannot see; therefore, I will trust His ways and be thankful that He watches over me.
Be thankful for whatever he sends your way, for He has a plan (Jeremiah 29:11) for you.
A quote that made me think.
“Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: It must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.” —William Faulkner.
Gratitude and thankfulness must be developed from the raw resources that you find. In other words, you have to look for it and then determine that you ill be thankful, produce gratitude. Once gratitude is produced, then discharge it, say it, express it, and live it. Gratitude is always the right attitude.
