What Can I Give Him?
1. In The Bleak Mid-Winter
As we finished up the devotionals on "The Lord Is My Shepherd" I thought about all the things my Good Shepherd does for me. He gave His life for me! With the colder weather I have started thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas. My mind carried me to the song, "In The Bleak Mid-Winter". It was written by Christina Rossetti and first published in 1872. The last stanza begins, "What can I give Him, Poor as I am?" That is my inspiration for this series, as we ask the question, "What can I give Him?"
In The Bleak Mid-Winter
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan;
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
Our God, heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain,
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty —
Jesus Christ.
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am? —
If I were a Shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man
I would know my part, —
Oh, what can I give Him, —
I will give my heart.
2. What Can I Give Him, Poor As I Am?
Christina Rossetti's words may have been written so long ago, but they speak to me today.
"What can I give Him, Poor as I am?"
What do I have that I can give to the Lord and Creator of all? David prayed, "Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy." (Psalm 86:1) And just like David, I am poor and needy. I was born into a sin cursed world, lost and helpless, in need of salvation. There is not enough wealth in the world to buy our salvation, because all the world is His. "Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is." (Deuteronomy 10:14) I can't work for my salvation. The work has already been done. Jesus paid it all, on an old rugged cross. He was without sin, and yet He chose to die for my sin. I have nothing that I can repay the price He paid for me. "What can I give Him, Poor as I am?" I believe we have to come to this point in our lives, that we have nothing and can do nothing to deserve God's gift of salvation. It is truly a gift of His amazing love!
3. "If I Were A Shepherd I Would Bring A Lamb"
The next line in our poem is, "If I were a Shepherd I would bring a lamb". A lamb was the sacrificial offering to the Lord... but, I am no shepherd. God's people in the Old Testament were under the law and they were required to bring sacrifices to pay for their sins. In the New Testament, Jesus became the Lamb, and offered Himself, once and for all, and deserves all our praise! We are not under the law, but we are under grace, and we don't have to bring a sacrificial offering to pay for our sins. Praise the Lord!
"11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;
12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." (Revelation 5:11-13)
4. "If I Were A Wise Man I Would Know My Part"
The Wise Men brought their gifts of worship to Baby Jesus, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and I am sure they were very precious and valuable to Mary and Joseph. We are now in the month of November and I have started thinking about Christmas. I enjoy giving gifts to others, but I want them to be special and I have problems finding the right gifts. We are looking at the poem by Christina Rossetti, "In The Bleak Mid-Winter" and looking at the last stanza, "What can I give Him, Poor as I am?... If I were a Wise Man I would know my part". We can shop for our loved ones, but where can we find the perfect gift for our Lord? How can we know what to give the One who gave His life for us? James 1:5 tells us, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Let's seek that wisdom that comes from God above, and look into His Word and see what we can give to our Lord. Jesus told His followers, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" (Matthew 7:7) I believe the scriptures will show us several things we can give, and will help us to know our part.
5. "Oh, What Can I Give Him, I Will Give My Heart"
Our poem, "In The Bleak Mid-Winter" ends, "Oh, what can I give Him, I will give my heart." Over the next few days, I want to look at a few things that we can give to the Lord, and it begins with our heart. Just believing in the Christmas story will not save a person. Romans 10:9-10 tells us, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." We also read in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." And Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment of all is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. That is the greatest thing we can give to the One who gave His all for us.
"36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment." (Matthew 22:36-38)
6. I Give Him My Love
After we give the Lord our heart, we give Him our love. We touched on this a little yesterday with the greatest commandment. " Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." (Matthew 22:37) How could we not love the One who loved us so much that He gave His life for us? "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) "We love him, because he first loved us." (I John 4:19) God loves us with an everlasting love and nothing can separate us from His love.
"35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?..
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35, 38-39)
In the letter to the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:4 John writes, "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." Let's not leave our first love, and take God's salvation for granted. But let us love Him with all our heart, and all our soul, and all our mind. And we can express our love to Christ, by showing love to others.
7. I Give Him My Worship
Next, in our list of what we can give to the Lord is worship. God's Word tells us to worship the Lord. "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker." (Psalm 95:6) "O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth." (Psalm 96:9) God also warns us not to worship any other god. "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:" (Exodus 34:14) The Wise Men traveled a great distance to worship the Christ Child. "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11) They "fell down, and worshipped him." One day every knee will bow in worship to our Lord. Even those who curse His name, will one day fall down before Him and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
"9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11)
8. I Can Give Him My Trust
We can be sailing along, and everything is going smoothly, when suddenly a rough wave comes along and we find ourselves in the midst of a storm. Things happen in our lives that knock us off our feet and we don't understand how we can be standing one moment, and be on the floor, the next. Even when we know what happened, it is hard to deal with the consequences that unfold. What's done is done, and we can't go back and fix the past, so what can we do? We can put our trust in the Lord. I was reading in Numbers yesterday and came to the verse, "And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." (Numbers 21:4) "The soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way." A few verses later we read, "And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in Oboth." (Numbers 21:10) Even when we are not really going through great trials we can still get discouraged with the drudgery of daily living. Sometimes we have to just put our trust in the Lord and go forward. I was texting with my sister Linda yesterday and told her I was having a stressful day and she encouraged me with a very beautiful voice text of her singing, "In The Valley He Restoreth My Soul". I hope these words can encourage you today to keep giving your trust to the Lord, and keep looking forward.
"In The Valley He Restoreth My Soul" by Dottie Rambo
When I'm low in spirit I cry Lord lift me up
I want to go higher with Thee
But the Lord Knows I can't live on a mountain
so He picked out a valley for me
Chorus
He leads me beside still waters
somewhere in the valley below
He draws me aside
to be tested and tried
but in the valley He restoreth my soul
It's dark as a dungeon
and the sun seldom shines
And I question Lord why must this be
Then He tells me there's strength in my sorrow
and there's victory in trials for me
9. I Give Him Praise
I am still reading in the book of Numbers and today as I read of all the sacrifices the Children of Israel had to make, it made me glad that Jesus offered Himself as my sacrifice. I don't have to take a little lamb to church and make an offering to the Lord. But there is a sacrifice listed in the New Testament that we can give to our Lord. "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Hebrews 13:15) I looked up the meaning of sacrifice and in addition to offering an animal, I found that it can mean "an act of offering to a deity something precious" (Merriam-Webster) and "to give up something that is valuable to you" (Cambridge English). Taking this in context with our verse, we see that our praise is precious and valuable. We should be careful to whom we give our praise. Are we praising sports stars, or actors and people for their talents, even though their lives are in contrast to the things of God? Are we praising movies and songs and television shows that push against God's Holy Word? The writer of Hebrews tells us to "offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually..." God is the only One who deserves our praise. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)
10. Can We Give Him Our Troubles?
If I was making a Christmas list of what to give to those I love, I would not think of giving my troubles to anybody. But, can we give our troubles to the Lord? Peter tells us that we can cast our cares to the Lord. "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (I Peter 5:7) When I am worried about something, I pray about it, but then I try to help the Lord fix my troubles. When I was reading this verse in my Bible, the Lord showed me the verse before it... "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, ..." I need to humble myself before God in order to let Him have my troubles. I need to trust Him and have faith that He can, and will, take care of the troubles that I see. Only then will I truly give those troubles to the Lord and be free of the worry and stress they bring. In the gospel of John, Jesus tells us twice in the 14th chapter not to be troubled. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me... Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:1 & 27) Job had more trouble in one day that most of us face in a lifetime. He said, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble." (Job 14:1) But, in his trouble he also said, "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10) He had faith in the Lord. "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:" (Job 19:25) As we face the troubles in our lives we can give our troubles to the Lord by keeping our faith and trust in Him. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (Psalm 46:1)
11. I Can Give Him My Time
I turned on facebook and learned that a man we used to go to church with had died. Then, when I was at Walmart, I saw a friend who told me that he had been found sitting at the table with his Sunday School quarterly. We don't know what we will be doing when it is our time to go, but we can be sure that if the Lord tarries His coming, our time to go will surely come. We also don't know how much time we have left. Every morning that we wake up, we are given the gift of time. I want my time to count for the Lord. I don't know anyone who will come to the end of life and have regrets about spending too much time with the Lord. More than likely we will regret that we didn't do enough for the Lord, that we didn't pray enough, or read our Bible enough, or spend more time being kind to others. I think it would be a special crossing to be walking and talking with the Lord, and then know that I had crossed over into glory to be with my Savior forever. We read in Genesis 5:24, "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." Enoch was walking with God and he just walked right into heaven. The next six weeks will be my busiest time of the year. But, I am making the decision now, not to neglect my time with my wonderful Lord. He is the reason I celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, and He deserves my praise, and my time.
12. Give God The Glory
There is a song that is very special to me. I could not find who wrote the song when I searched online, but it really speaks to my heart. Our encouraging words today are to give God the glory. "Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." (Psalm 29:1-2) I am nothing without my Lord and Savior.
"Give Him The Glory"
Do you remember when, you were drowning in the sea of sin
Going down for the last time, when you called upon His name
He reached down his nailed scarred hand, and He lifted you out
So remember where you were back then and thank Him for where you are now.
Chorus:
Give Him the Glory for what He's done in your heart
He took you from sin and strife and gave a new start
He took your broken life and made you complete
So take off those crowns of Glory and cast them at the Saviour's feet
Do you remember when with all your heart you longed to serve Him
But you didn't think that Jesus could use someone like you
But look how He's used your life, since He brought you out
So remember where you were back then and thank him for where you are now!
13. Giving Our Talents To The Lord
In the Bible the word "talents" can mean money, but today I want to look at giving our talents, as giving of our gifts that the Lord has blessed us with. Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25 which in part reads...
"14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25:14-21)
Although in this passage "talents" refers to money, I believe that we can also see the parallel of giving our gifted talents to the Lord. A great Bible example of someone who gave her talents to the Lord is Tabitha, or Dorcas. "Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did." (Acts 9:36) Dorcas was sick and died. "Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them." (Acts 9:39) Peter prayed and God raised her up and Peter presented her to the widows alive. She used her talents of sewing, or weaving, to make coats and garments for these people and God used her to be a blessing to others. I want to encourage you today to use your talents and gifts for the Lord. It may be singing, cooking, or being a help to others. In the parable above, the one who only received one talent buried it in the ground, and it was taken from him. You may feel like you only have one talent, or that your talent is too small to be used by God. God can take what you give and use it when you give it for His glory. Don't hide your talents.
14. Giving Our Tithes And Offerings To The Lord
Pastor Tripp's text was Psalm 50 on Wednesday night and I want to look at a few of those verses.
"10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." (Psalm 50:10-12)
God doesn't need our tithes and offerings, because He created and owns it all. "Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is." (Deuteronomy 10:14) But, it pleases the Lord when we give back to Him. And we really should because everything we have, came from Him. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17) My favorite verse on giving an offering to the Lord is Malachi 3:10. "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." God has proven this promise to me over and over and He continues to bless me and provide all my needs. Jesus taught His followers to give. "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38)
15. Giving Our Obedience To Our God
I am so thankful that we are under grace and not under the law. And I am thankful that when God saves us He cleanses all our sin. Jesus forgives us, but that does not mean that we are free to go against His Word. King Saul was ruling over God's chosen people, but he was still required to obey the Word of God. "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." (I Samuel 15:22) "To obey is better than sacrifice..." We may make sacrifices in order to give to the Lord, but we are still commanded to obey. We can find this requirement in the New Testament as well. Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) I close with this nice illustration from the book of James.
"22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:22-25)
16. Giving Thanks For God's Love And His Saving Grace
As we start looking forward to Thanksgiving, I want to finish our "What Can I Give Him?" devotionals on giving thanks to the Lord. God has been so good to me. He has blessed me in so many ways, but most of all I am thankful for His great love and saving grace. He loved me so much that He gave His Son to die for me. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) I was lost with no way to merit God's favor. I had nothing to offer God, for all things are His. I had no righteousness in myself, "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6) God, in His great love, reached down to where I was and gave His Son, the precious Lamb of God, to be my sacrifice. So today, first and foremost, I am thankful for the love of God. "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" (Ephesians 2:4-8) “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” (II Corinthians 9:15)
17. Giving Thanks For A Goodly Heritage
Today I want to go back as far as I can remember and thank God for a goodly heritage. God let me be born in America, a country founded on Christian principles. He let me be born to Christian parents. I am thankful for a Dad and Mom who took me to church and taught me how to pray. I heard them pray, and saw them read the Bible. I lived in a house filled with love and saw how that love extended to others in the way they helped people. They brought me up in the right paths, and God saved me at an early age. I can say with the Psalmist, "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." (Psalm 16:6) When we are born we can't choose our face, our place, or our race, but we can choose God's grace and be born again. I am thankful and blessed!
18. Giving Thanks For Family
I have three sisters, so there was always someone around to talk to when I was growing up. We have gone our separate ways, but we still keep in contact, and love each other dearly. In 1978, Michael and I were married and over the next few years we had five children. Now, they have all married and we have been blessed with eleven grandchildren. I am so thankful for my family. My life has changed since I had small children about me all the time. Now it is just Michael and me, and the house is usually quiet. But my love for my children has not diminished and is still as strong as it was when they were young. I don't know what stage of life you are in, or how much family you may have. But, now is a good time to give thanks for your family. If you have young children, give them all the love you can. Before you know it, they grow up and move on. If you still have your parents, be thankful, because one day they will be gone. Pray for your family. I am so thankful that God blessed me with a big family. Pastor Tripp preached from Colossians 1 Sunday night and that is my prayer for my family.
"9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:" (Colossians 1:9-12)
19. Giving Thanks For The Lord's Protection
Today I am thankful for God's protection on my life. I am thankful that the Lord watches over me and I feel safe in His arms. I do not know how people lay down and sleep at night if they don't know the Lord. Because of His loving protection, I have peace in my heart and can claim Romans 8:28-31. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"
20. Giving Thanks To God For My Home
We had to have the thermostat replaced for our furnace yesterday. Last month we had some plumbing repairs, and just a few months ago we had to get a new roof. Things like this bring unexpected costs, but I try not to complain because I am so thankful for my home. I have air conditioning during the hot days of summer, and heat in the cold winter months. I have running water and can take hot showers, cook my meals, and wash my dishes and clothes. I have a roof over my head, and now it is a metal roof and I can enjoy hearing the rain showers. These are all blessings to me and the money it takes for my home is worth it. I have a home where my family can come and visit with us, and the grandchildren can pull out toys to play with, that their parents played with, some thirty years ago. God has given me a good place to sleep and food in my cabinets and refrigerator. And God has given us the freedom to serve Him in our homes, and for that I am truly thankful! "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:15)
21. Giving Thanks For God's Holy Word
When I was in high school a preacher came to our church and challenged everyone to read the Bible through, from Genesis to Revelation, during the next year. I was starting a new school year and decided to take my Bible to school and read during home room, our lunch time, and whenever I had extra time. It became common for my classmates to ask me questions about the Bible, but they were usually questions that I could not answer as a young teen. Like, "Who were the sons of God that married the daughters of men in Genesis 6?" or "Did the witch really bring Samuel back for King Saul in I Samuel 28?" While I was reading yesterday God brought me to Deuteronomy 29:29, "The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law." Moses wrote this. The same Moses who the Lord spoke with "face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." (Exodus 33:11) If Moses talked with God and he admitted that there are "secret things" that belong to God, then we don't need to put our focus on things which God has not shown us, but read and meditate on that which God has revealed to us through His Word. Today I give thanks for God's Holy Word. God can speak to us through His Word just as clearly as He spoke to Moses on the mountain.
"11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it." (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)
22. God Is Great, God Is Good, Let Us Thank Him, For Our Food
Six months ago I was working in my garden. We had enough vegetables to eat and even enough to share, but we didn't have enough to can or freeze. And even though we worked hard in the garden and were disappointed that it didn't produce more, it was not a matter of starving through the winter like it could have been for our ancestors. I went to the grocery store today and bought fresh fruits and vegetables, a loaf of bread and food to put in the freezer. I learned the little blessing at a young age and taught it to my children, who are teaching it to their children. "God is great, God is good, Let us thank Him, For our food. By His hands, We are fed, Give us Lord, Our daily bread." Jesus gave thanks for the food when He fed the multitudes. We should follow His example and always thank God for our food. "And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people." (Mark 8:6)
23. Giving Thanks For My Church And Church Family
Today is the Lord's Day and I want to give thanks for my church. We have been going to Pine Grove Baptist Church in Archdale for over 32 years. I love the people there and they are my church family. Pastor Jack Tripp is such a great preacher and I am fed from God's Word continually. We don't have a large number, but our members have a large heart. God blesses us as we have the Youth Jubilee every July and we have seen souls saved and lives changed. " I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD." (Psalm 122:1)
24. Giving Thanks To The Lord For His Blessings
We had such a sweet worship service Sunday evening. Several people in the church stood and thanked the Lord for His blessings on their lives. I am so thankful for how the Lord has blessed me! He saved me some 50 years ago and He has been with me all through the years. He supplies my needs and so much more. He gives me peace in the time of trouble and strength when I am weak. The Holy Spirit leads me and guides me and speaks to me through God's Word. God has given me forgiveness from my sin and His love and mercy comforts me. I am so blessed! "I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me." (Psalm 13:6)
25. I Am Thankful For Communication And Prayer
Michael and I had to get new cell phones. His students tell him that 2001 called and they want their flip phones back, but we are happy with the simple flip phones. I don't want to be tied to a smart phone. I believe that some who are afraid they will miss something on their phone, are missing out on living. I am thankful for communication. I like to send cards to special people and will probably try to write my Christmas cards later this week. I also like that I can send texts or emails and they are delivered immediately. And I can pick up my phone and often speak to my friends and family members. But, the greatest communication I am thankful for is the gift of prayer. I can talk to God at any time and from any place. He is never too busy to hear my call. When I am listening to someone on the phone, I can't really listen to anyone else at the same time, but my God can hear me, and everyone else, and give each one His full attention. And the Holy Spirit can speak to me and guide me. "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." (Psalm 55:17)
26. I Am Thankful For The Birth Of God's Son
In four weeks it will be Christmas Day. I hear people complain about those who start celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving, but God's gift of His Son is the foundation of all my Thanksgiving. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." If God had not saved me I would have no reason to live, but I would live in constant fear of dying. I am celebrating the greatest gift to all, and I am thankful for God's precious gift! "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." (II Corinthians 9:15) If we can spend more time and energy on being thankful for God's gift of Christmas, maybe we will realize that Christmas is so much more than spending all our time, energy, and money on our preparations for the holiday. Celebrate the Son.
27. I Want To Be The One To Give Thanks
Thanksgiving Day is a time set aside to give thanks to our God. In the story of the ten lepers that Jesus healed in Luke 17, only one of the men returned to give thanks to Jesus. I don't know if even one in ten will take time to give thanks to God today. But, I want to be that one! And you can be that one! So, no matter how big the family you are with, or what food you have sitting before you, make sure you take time to give thanks to God. And, not just today, but have an attitude of gratitude everyday. Be like the one who took time to give thanks to the Lord.
"11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." (Luke 17:11-19)
28. I Am Thankful That Jesus Did Not Save Himself
Reading the book of Matthew reminds me of how thankful I am that Jesus did not save Himself. "And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head." (Matthew 27:29-30) Jesus could have lifted that reed high into the air and called for the angels to appear to that "religious" crowd. Not little cherub, baby angels like we see in paintings, but mighty warrior angels with their swords drawn. But, He allowed them take Him. He let them nail Him to the cross. He felt the pain and agony, and heard them mock Him.
"39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God." (Matthew 27:39-43)
Can you imagine the audacity of the priests and scribes as they yelled out, "He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him:..."? I am so thankful that God accepted His Son as the final sacrifice to save a lost sinner like me. Yes, the Son of God could have saved Himself... but He chose to die and save us instead. I could never thank Him enough.
29. I Am Thankful For My Home In Heaven
We just came through Thanksgiving and I really enjoyed my time with our family! When I know that my family, or other friends, are coming for a visit I like to prepare by cleaning my house, and having food in the house. Before Jesus left, He promised that He was going to prepare a place for us. "In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2&3) I am thankful that my Lord has a home in heaven for me. John describes heaven with streets of gold and gates of pearl in the book of Revelations. Thanksgiving reminds us of our friends and loved ones that have gone on to heaven. We can only imagine how wonderful it will be. We can look around us and see all of God’s creation, which he accomplished in only six days. Imagine the wonders and glory of heaven that Christ is preparing for us. And He has promised to come back and take us there with Him. We may not live in the biggest house down here on earth, but Christ is preparing a special place for us in heaven. And we can spend eternity giving thanks to our Lord and Savior.
