“Praise be to you, Lord,
the God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.”
1 Chronicles 29:10-13
Category: Thankful
Rejoice!
No matter what this day holds, no matter what or whom we encounter, no matter the circumstances, the surprises, the joys or the hurts, our righteous God is the creator of this day. He has already been here, He knows what it holds, and He has made provision for us through it all. Let us keep that awareness in our hearts as we walk through today (and tomorrow…), holding His hand, praising and trusting Him as we go.
Thank you, Father, for your great, great love towards us!
A Sacrifice of Praise
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.
Psalm 107:21-22
No matter our condition or circumstances in life, we have all been given the opportunity be children of the Father of Heaven and Earth through His Son, Jesus Christ. In and through Him we are given access to the very throne room of God. We have been given favor by the Almighty King, the God who owns the cattle on a thousands hills. We have the heart of the God who is the source of all love, the God who has poured out His cornucopia of unlimited blessings on all who turn to Him in faith. He has lavished on us every good thing in faith, joy, peace and His very life which will carry us on forever.
And for that and so much more, we have the privilege of offering up to Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
May you be filled to overflowing with the full knowledge of the blessing you’ve received in Him and offer up to our Father a sacrifice of great praise!
Happy Thanksgiving,
Thankful Thursday – Forgiven
“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.’
Jesus answered him, ‘Simon, I have something to tell you.’
‘Tell me, teacher,’ he said.
‘Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?’
Simon replied, ‘I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.’
‘You have judged correctly,’ Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.’
Then Jesus said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.'” Luke 7:36-48
Nothing gets by Jesus, right? The Pharisee thought he was talking to himself, but Jesus knew what was in his heart: judgement. Legalism never leaves room for love.
He knew what was in the woman’s heart, too: repentance. She came face to face with the Son of God. His glory and grace, in contrast to her sins, brought her to her knees in repentance and humility so much that it spilled out into her actions without a care what people thought. She worshipped Him with all she had.
I’ve been forgiven for much, too. I’ve been called a fanatic for my faith, and by someone who called himself a Christian. But I don’t care. Christ was fanatical about His love for me as He allowed Himself to be arrested, “tried”, and crucified, all for my sins. My only argument with my critic is that I’m not fanatical enough. Christ gave me His life. Is my all too much to give in return? Never.
In His Grace,
