A Thankful Heart

I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. (Psalm 138:1-3)(ESV)

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that this posting finds you and your family well. As we gather with family and friends for the holidays, we need to realize how precious our time with them is, and we need to be thankful for our families and the other ways that God has blessed our lives.

When I think of God's steadfast love and His never-ending faithfulness, my heart is filled with praise. Just to think of God's goodness, how He answers when we call on Him and how His presence is always with us, His children, is enough to put you in a worshipful frame of mind.

One of the very first praise choruses that I recall singing as a teenager is "Give Thanks" by Henry Smith. Read the lyrics as you think again about what He's done for you and about what He's sacrificed for you:

Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.
Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.
And now let the weak say "I am strong", let the poor say, "I am rich
because of what the Lord has done for us."
And now let the weak say "I am strong", let the poor say, "I am rich
because of what the Lord has done for us."
Give thanks, give thanks.

Psalm 107:1(NLT)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

God is I AM

God replied, "I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, 'I AM has sent me to you. '" 
(Exodus 3:14)(NLT)

When Moses asked God whom he should say sent him to the Hebrews, he surely was not prepared for the answer. "I AM" (usually rendered "the LORD") is a simple yet profound name expressing God's character. As he emphasized his unchanging nature, the Lord also recalled his covenant, for he identified himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When Jesus referred to himself as "I am" (John 8:58), he was identifying himself with the Lord as well.

O LORD, we worship you, the great "I AM." We thank you for revealing yourself to your chosen people and for sending your Son to dwell among us. You are the God who was, who is, and who is to come. Praise be to your holy name. Amen.

Mere Christianity Quotes (p. 95-96)

Here is another short excerpt from the classic book by C. S. Lewis about what Christians believe, Mere Christianity. This passage has to deal with sexual morality:

Chastity is the most unpopular of the Christian virtues. There is no getting away from it; the Christian rule is, 'Either marriage, with complete faithfulness to your partner, or else total abstinence.' Now this is so difficult and so contrary to our instincts, that obviously either Christianity is wrong or our sexual  instinct, as it now is, has gone wrong. One or the other. Of course, being a Christian, I think it is the instinct which has gone wrong.

But I have other reasons for thinking so. The biological purpose of sex is children, just as the biological purpose of eating is to repair the body. Now if we eat whenever we feel inclined and just as much as we want, it is quite true most of us will eat too much: but not terrifically too much. One man may eat enough for two, but he does not eat enough for ten. The appetite goes a little beyond its biological purpose, but not enormously. But if a healthy young man indulged his sexual appetite whenever he felt inclined, and if each act produced a baby, then in ten years he might easily populate a small village. This appetite is in ludicrous and preposterous excess of its function.

The Lord is Clothed in Glory

But even as he said it, a bright cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him. Listen to him." The disciples were terrified and fell faced down on the ground. (Matthew 17:5-6)(NLT)

The three disciples who were privileged to travel up the mountain with Jesus witnessed an unforgettable sight that would transform their understanding of Christ. There they were given a glimpse of the future glory of God's Son. When they heard the voice of God, they immediately fell on their faces in terror. Jesus did not want his disciples to be afraid (17:7), but their gesture of reverence was very appropriate. How do we respond to revelations of the Lord's glory? In light of the disciples' example, let us maintain an attitude of humble worship before our Lord.

GLORIOUS LORD, we thank you for giving us small glimpses of your greatness. We worship you in reverence and wonder and ask your forgiveness for the times we have failed to recognize your true glory. May your glory be evident in our life to those around us. Amen.

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible-Tyndale House Publishers)