Thank You Lord - Happy Thanksgiving 11/20/13
Thank You Lord
A couple of days ago, I read a Scripture that caused me once again to realize who God is and what He has done for me and how much He loves me. Before I share the Scripture with you, it became clear to me that familiarity breeds contempt. Just as Jesus said, a prophet is not honored in his home, I realized how my familiarity with Jesus and things of God have caused me to be in contempt and to devalue who He is to me and what He has done for me. The same is true for all my other relationships and may be true in yours too.
I read “3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” Philippians 2. As I meditated on this scripture, I realized that I am in no way in complete or even near partial obedience of putting others first. I said to myself, Lord I cannot do this and have no power to do so. It is contrary to my human nature. Then I read further on the chapter, and Jesus was saying I have done that for you.
“5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross”.
My sense of inadequacy was more pronounced even as I read Ephesians 5: “25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church”.
I asked, how did Christ love the church? Christ died for the Church. I am not even sure I am willing to die for myself what more die for another. I complained and said, Lord, I cannot do this and He reminded me, “I already did that for you even while you were in your sinful life”. Lord, how can you first love me while I am no good and of no use to you? My human love only responds or reciprocates to others’ love to me but your love to me is not reciprocal. You have just loved me and you were not responding to my love to you before you loved me. Lord, it is too wonderful for me to comprehend. God is LOVE (1 John 4:8), the Scripture declares. God, you are not just loving me; but You are LOVE.
I was also reminded of the Scripture in Revelation 2 to the church at Ephesus on how we become too busy and quickly, we forget our first love and become too familiar which leads us to contempt. “2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works” (Revelation 2:2-5). Lord, you are my “first love” and likewise those you have placed in my life. I thank you that you said “left” and not “lost”. “Left” means I can go back but “lost’ means I cannot go back to revive it. I cannot lose your love for me which is forever.
Lord thank you for loving me even when I do not have the capacity to love you and others in my life. Lord, forgive me for taking your love for granted because of familiarity and busyness. Lord also forgive me for taking for granted those you have placed in my life – my wife, children, extended family, my local church, my neighbors, and my co-workers. I thank you Lord for them. Lord, forgive me for taking for granted the things you have given me – my job, food, housing and shelter and transportation. Lord, I thank you for these and many more you have granted me.
Lord, I return to you today, “my first love”. Help me to do the things I did at the beginning in my relationship with you – the excitement and joy of knowing that you loved me and that you have counted me righteous because of your sacrifice on the cross for me; the quality time I spent in your Word and in prayer with you; the joy of getting together with other Christians and loving them; and the excitement of telling people about your saving grace.
Lord, help me also to “remember” and “to do” the things I did in the beginning in loving my wife, my children and the other relationships in my life.
Lord, I thank you and I am ever grateful for your love for me. Thank you forever forgiving me all my sins. Lord, continue to equip me by the power of your Holy Spirit to love you and love others you have placed in my life.
Thank you, UD, my dear wife for all you are to me. I love you. Thank you Jonathan and Grace – you are both a gift from God. Thank you my brother and/or my sister – you are a blessing to me. I appreciate you and thank God for you. (Maybe, like me, you need to specifically thank God and some people for things we have taken for granted).
If Jesus is not your Lord and your God, He can be so for you even right now. Ask Him to be and receive by faith the gift of salvation for He died also for your sins and mine. You cannot try enough by good works to please God and to be saved from going to hell. Trust in Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross for you. You are forgiven forever and reconciled to God. Thank God for forgiving all your sins forever.
Happy Thanksgiving! Let’s enjoy the food and company God has granted us. Amen.
A couple of days ago, I read a Scripture that caused me once again to realize who God is and what He has done for me and how much He loves me. Before I share the Scripture with you, it became clear to me that familiarity breeds contempt. Just as Jesus said, a prophet is not honored in his home, I realized how my familiarity with Jesus and things of God have caused me to be in contempt and to devalue who He is to me and what He has done for me. The same is true for all my other relationships and may be true in yours too.
I read “3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” Philippians 2. As I meditated on this scripture, I realized that I am in no way in complete or even near partial obedience of putting others first. I said to myself, Lord I cannot do this and have no power to do so. It is contrary to my human nature. Then I read further on the chapter, and Jesus was saying I have done that for you.
“5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross”.
My sense of inadequacy was more pronounced even as I read Ephesians 5: “25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church”.
I asked, how did Christ love the church? Christ died for the Church. I am not even sure I am willing to die for myself what more die for another. I complained and said, Lord, I cannot do this and He reminded me, “I already did that for you even while you were in your sinful life”. Lord, how can you first love me while I am no good and of no use to you? My human love only responds or reciprocates to others’ love to me but your love to me is not reciprocal. You have just loved me and you were not responding to my love to you before you loved me. Lord, it is too wonderful for me to comprehend. God is LOVE (1 John 4:8), the Scripture declares. God, you are not just loving me; but You are LOVE.
I was also reminded of the Scripture in Revelation 2 to the church at Ephesus on how we become too busy and quickly, we forget our first love and become too familiar which leads us to contempt. “2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works” (Revelation 2:2-5). Lord, you are my “first love” and likewise those you have placed in my life. I thank you that you said “left” and not “lost”. “Left” means I can go back but “lost’ means I cannot go back to revive it. I cannot lose your love for me which is forever.
Lord thank you for loving me even when I do not have the capacity to love you and others in my life. Lord, forgive me for taking your love for granted because of familiarity and busyness. Lord also forgive me for taking for granted those you have placed in my life – my wife, children, extended family, my local church, my neighbors, and my co-workers. I thank you Lord for them. Lord, forgive me for taking for granted the things you have given me – my job, food, housing and shelter and transportation. Lord, I thank you for these and many more you have granted me.
Lord, I return to you today, “my first love”. Help me to do the things I did at the beginning in my relationship with you – the excitement and joy of knowing that you loved me and that you have counted me righteous because of your sacrifice on the cross for me; the quality time I spent in your Word and in prayer with you; the joy of getting together with other Christians and loving them; and the excitement of telling people about your saving grace.
Lord, help me also to “remember” and “to do” the things I did in the beginning in loving my wife, my children and the other relationships in my life.
Lord, I thank you and I am ever grateful for your love for me. Thank you forever forgiving me all my sins. Lord, continue to equip me by the power of your Holy Spirit to love you and love others you have placed in my life.
Thank you, UD, my dear wife for all you are to me. I love you. Thank you Jonathan and Grace – you are both a gift from God. Thank you my brother and/or my sister – you are a blessing to me. I appreciate you and thank God for you. (Maybe, like me, you need to specifically thank God and some people for things we have taken for granted).
If Jesus is not your Lord and your God, He can be so for you even right now. Ask Him to be and receive by faith the gift of salvation for He died also for your sins and mine. You cannot try enough by good works to please God and to be saved from going to hell. Trust in Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross for you. You are forgiven forever and reconciled to God. Thank God for forgiving all your sins forever.
Happy Thanksgiving! Let’s enjoy the food and company God has granted us. Amen.
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