April 25, 2024

Thanks and Praise

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Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; 
His love endures forever.
Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.”

Psalms 118:1-2

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Sunday night at church our pastor was speaking on the Book of Acts. During the sermon, Pastor Allen said “God spoke everything into existence, except man.  Man, He breathed life into.”

and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground—then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.  And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Genesis 2:6-8

Think about that…God cared enough about us that He actually created the first man—every limb, each eye, the nose, all of the insides—God’s hands created, molded, refined, designed.  And then He breathed His spirit into the man…His Holy Spirit…the life-giving breath.

If God cared enough about the details of forming and making man, then how much more will He care about you and me?  During this holiday season, we tend to think of things we are thankful for, such as our homes, jobs, and children. We should, but we should also pause and meditate on how God has watched His creation grow and evolve over the centuries.

We are created to tell others about His great love for you and me. How He created the world; created a man and a woman to start the human race; gave them a job to do; gave them boundaries and consequences of not following His direction.  Sound like us? (It sounds like me.)  Our carnal (sin) nature, tells us we don’t have to follow God’s rules anymore.  Because when Jesus came to earth He fulfilled the Law and we do not have to abide by it.  Except, the only thing is, if we don’t know what the Law says, then how are we going to know what we need to do to get the blessing and not receive the curse?

As we go through the holiday season, remember to thank God for all that we have.  We are nothing without Him and His grace, mercy, and forgiveness.  God loves each of us without reservation. We are the ones who put ourselves on the fence and, at times, choose not to believe how much He loves us, so completely and totally.

The LORD is my Strength and my Shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.
Psalm 28:7

I will praise the name of God with song,
And shall magnify Him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 69:30