Praise and Thanksgiving

1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 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. 3 On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased. 4 All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5 and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Psalms 138:1-8 (ESV)

                This is a Psalm of David and it is written in order to give thanks to God. When I was reading it this morning I asked myself if I ever take time just to thank God for what he has done for me. The Thanksgiving season has come and gone and during that time most Americans remember to thank God for the blessings He has provided them. So are you thankful for the blessings you have received? King David was as we read the Psalms we see throughout them praise and thanksgiving to God for his ability to save and secure David and the people of Israeli. You know we serve that very same God but sometimes I believe we forget whom we serve. That is one of the reasons I love to read and recommend to individuals to go back and read the Old Testament. It is a testimony to the power, strength and love that a relationship with God provides. We must allow the wisdom found in those testimonies to strengthen our understanding of who we serve. You see Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets and all His power comes from the God we see in the Old Testament. God did not change His nature when He came to the world as a man He only changed the form in which he presented Himself. He came to experience His Creation so we could understand and be able to relate to Him better through Jesus His Son. As we enter the season of Christmas I ask you to take the time to be sure and remember to thank God for what you do have not what you want and may not have. God is strong enough and has delivered you till this day He will continue to deliver you loving you till the day He calls you Home and then on into eternity. Verse 8 of this Psalm brings a smile to my face, “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord endures forever. Do not forsake the works of your hands.”  It reminds me that God created me and you and every person on the planet in love with his very own hands. That makes each of us special and unique. If for no other reason we should and need to thank God. Have a blessed day.