Giving Thanks at All times - Pt. 3

 

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5–6 ESV).

 

Faith and Logan are the inspiration for my devotionals this week; however, there have been many other experiences that God used to teach me the importance of gratitude. I continue with a few of the experiences with them in the hope that you will see clearly the incredible goodness of God also. The picture today is still in the NICU. They had not been released into the regular nursery yet. As is true with many newborns, they had actually lost a little weight and seemed even more fragile. While Brandy and Kyle held them as often as possible there was no way I would risk holding them. My fear of doing something wrong was too great for that! After two days of politely declining to hold them in the rocking chair, Brandy said, “Don, sit down in the rocker, you’re going to hold your grandchildren.” I was terrified. I sat down and she brought Logan and handed him to me. I rocked him for a bit and then she took him and replaced Logan with Faith in my arms. I cannot describe the great joy that washed over me. I knew God had done a great good for me. Grandpa was smitten!

 

The Bible calls us to be thankful for and content with everything we have. Our family, health, meals we can share with loved ones, and of course life itself— all are precious gifts from the Lord. But discontent, greed, or fears don’t allow us to fully appreciate and treasure the precious gifts of life. We don’t know what the future holds. We might have to go through difficult times, but as the children of God we are assured of his continuous love and care. The Lord himself is our helper in this perilous life.

 

I had no idea what the future would bring. However, God had been working in my life to allow me to do much more than just see them for those few days when they were born. But that’s a story for tomorrow! Today, would you acknowledge the grace of God and His great love for you, even when it appears so counter intuitive.

 

Giving Thanks in All Times - Pt. 2

 

David’s Song of Thanks. Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Israel his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones! (1 Chronicles 16:8–13 ESV).

 

God has continued to remind me through the years of how important it is to be thankful. That thankfulness should result in my willingness to share the goodness and grace God has shown to me with others. The picture I’ve attached is just two days after Faith and Logan were born. They were still in the NICU because of their weight and being six weeks premature. They certainly were little. Faith (on the left) weighed 4 lbs. 11 ounces; and, Logan (on the right) was a bit heavier at 5 lbs. 1 ounce. They looked so fragile in the basinet, yet I saw the strength of the grace of God surrounding them.

 

The doctors were encouraging, though there was one thing that they revealed to Kyle and Brandy that was concerning. Logan’s palm lines were unusual. Some believed that it may be an indicator of an illness that could affect his mental development. Standing at the basinet with Kyle, as he shared that news, he told me the only way it would not be a concern was if it was a genetic marker that was passed down from parents or grandparents. As he described the lines he told me that Logan’s did not separate in the middle of his palm, rather there was a line that went straight across the palm. He asked me if I knew of anyone in our family who might have had the same marker. I lifted my left-hand palm up to him and said, “You mean like this?” My palm line does not separate, and though people have thought many things about me, mental deficiency was never one of them! He sighed and said, “I never noticed that about your hand.” I said, “I guess Logan got a little of me from God.” And we both chuckled a bit. By the way, Logan’s mental ability is just fine. He will be graduating from Texas A&M in May with a 3.96 GPA. He is way better than his grandpa in that department!

 

The key is in the sharing of God’s good toward us. Being thankful is a witness. In our reading today, King David wanted to tell everyone how great God is! The occasion of bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem was no exception. David wanted everyone to join in the celebration of praise.

David’s psalm is long and rich. It sparks our praise for a wide variety of things: for God’s wonderful acts and his holy name (vv. 9-10); for God’s strength, “miracles, and the judgments he pronounced” (v. 12); that God “remembers his covenant forever” (v. 15); for God’s protection when his people were vulnerable (vv. 19-22); and, for that “splendor and majesty are before him, strength and joy are in his dwelling place” (v. 27). The families of all nations are then invited, even commanded, to give God “the glory due his name,” to bring an offering, and to worship him “in the splendor of his holiness.”

 

My question for you as we approach this season of Thanksgiving is what can you add to this rich list of thanksgiving? A thankful heart should be a testimony to the greatness of God!

 

 

Giving Thanks in All Times - Pt. 1

 

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:14–22 ESV).

 

God has a way of teaching me in the circumstances of my life. The picture I’ve attached is of my oldest grandchildren, Faith and Logan (they are fraternal twins). They will be 22 years old on Thanksgiving Day this year. The fact that they were born on Thanksgiving Day is the real story. Being twins makes their premature birth somewhat unusual, though there were many other things surrounding their birth that were much more unique. The greatest challenge was in delaying the birth long enough for them to have a higher chance of survival. Early in the pregnancy Brandy was placed on bed rest and ultimately ended in the hospital for weeks as the doctors did everything possible to delay the birth to that point. All through the process my prayer was that they would make it to at least 32 weeks. When that milestone was reached every subsequent day was a greater blessing. That was also the time that it dawned on me that God was going to do something very special with their birth.

 

Looking at the calendar, I noticed that Thanksgiving that year would put them at about 36 weeks. I just knew that would be the day they would come into this world. That’s just how God seems to deal with my stubborn independence. Sure enough, Kyle called Thanksgiving morning and told me I needed to get a flight from Texas to North Carolina as the twins were about to be born. I told him, “No problem.” You see, I had already purchased my plane ticket weeks earlier. When I told him that, he said, “Dad, how did you know?” I just replied, “That’s God reminding me of who I need to be thankful to for their birth.”

 

Giving thanks to God is harder than we like to admit. Augustine wrote that sin makes each of us naturally “curved inward” or self-absorbed and viciously self-seeking. As a result, we tend to ignore God’s goodness and compassion. But genuine thanksgiving to God is possible in Christ. This takes careful thought, disciplined prayer, and the work of the Holy Spirit. I hope that the next few devotionals will help you with this. Use them to develop a pattern of gratitude for all things in your life. Even when the circumstances of life don’t seem to make sense, God is working them all to produce good in you. It is His promise (cf. Romans 8:28).

 

 

God is Indescribable - the King on His Throne

 

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”  And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21:1–7 ESV).

 

Some imagery that appears in the beginning of the Bible is contrasted or expanded upon in the final chapters of God’s grand story of salvation. The unformed abyss in Genesis 1, for example, is contrasted with the stunning architecture of the heavenly city in Revelation 21. The tree of life in the garden of Eden (cf. Genesis 2:9; 3:22-24) is multiplied in Revelation 22 and described as constantly bearing fruit and providing healing for the nations. And the image of the Spirit hovering and brooding over the waters is contrasted with the One who is now seated on the throne.

 

Creation will be complete, fully formed and mature, and we will enjoy glorious, delightful friendship with our loving Creator, who invites us to live with him in the perfect unity of love that has always characterized God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The awe-inspiring creation that we live in today will be the foundation for the new creation, and we can look forward to rejoicing along with birds and all other creatures in the new heaven and earth.

 

Not only is Christ seated in the heavenly realms, but we who love and trust him are also raised up with Christ and are seated with him even now (cf. Ephesians 2:6). This means our lives are firmly grounded and maturing in Christ as we enjoy the intimacy of living in communion with God each day while awaiting his coming again. That is Good News!

 

God is Indescribable - the Shepherb of the Shadows

 

A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23 ESV).

 

In some translations of the Bible, the “darkest valley” in Psalm 23:4 is called “the valley of the shadow of death.” Regardless of the translation, the idea of a shadow-cast valley can be frightening. This imagery can remind us of a traumatic loss or a difficult crisis, and our memories of such things can be fearful and frightening.

 

I have had many conversations with those who have experienced the grief of their spouse of many years dying. One in particular stands out to me as I think about the protection that God gives to us when we are walking through these darkest of times. This lady had been married for over 60 years when her husband died. While sitting across from me in the office she began to spread out some of the photos taken during their ling life together. Each one carried a special memory for her. The stories were vivid and interesting. After she finished she shared with me her insight on Psalm 23. She spoke about the “valley of the shadow of death,” and how dark it can be when mourning the loss of a loved one. She talked about how quiet and still the house had become; how hard it was to stay in a home filled with memories. It was heartbreaking to hear, yet she also shared a glimpse of hope she had discovered while traveling through that valley. The only way for a shadow to exist, she said, is for a source of light to be present. A shadow is not the absence of light, but rather the evidence of a light nearby. She also noted that the greater the source of light, the smaller the shadow that is cast.

 

As we move closer to the holidays, I pray that whatever valley you may be in, the light of Christ may shine bigger and brighter—and that he may be the source of your strength.

 

God is Indescribable - the Great Encourager!

 

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV).

 

There is no doubt in the description of God as the ultimate encourager due to His attributes like mercy, omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience. He is with people in all situations, to have the power to handle any circumstance, and to know what is needed to bring people out of discouragement. In the giving of the Holy Spirit to every believer who stays by our side, comforts us, counsels us, and helps us through stressful times we can see another aspect of this indescribable characteristic of God. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives strength and prays for us. And, then, when we see the life of Jesus we see the perfect description of an encourager through His teachings and actions. God is indeed the Great Encourager.  

 

Let’s dive a bit deeper to understand the practical application of this truth. Peter, one of Jesus’ closest followers, urgently encouraged Christians in the first century as they endured intense persecution, suffering, trials, and hardships. I imagine that Peter’s words also helped to lift himself up in some way, especially considering the changes he went through since first meeting Jesus near the Sea of Galilee. Once a professional fisherman, he soon became a church planter, a pastor, an encourager, and a defender of the faith. He went from mending nets to leading the newly formed church of Jesus Christ, full of freshly baptized believers. He could only have become this man because of Jesus’ encouragement after the resurrection (cf. John 21:15-19).

 

In our reading today Peter’s words are unapologetically bold while also being full of grace and love. Although these words were written over 2,000 years ago, they are just as true today for you and me, because we too are God’s chosen people, a group called to be ministers and shepherds in our homes and communities. We have been set apart by God’s grace, and we are heirs with Christ in his glorious kingdom, which is yet to come in its fullness. God has given us the wonderful and beautiful gift of salvation, the light of eternal life that eliminates the darkness of sin and death, for which we were once destined. We are encouraged to be an encourager!

 

God is Indescribable - a Master Gardener!

 

[Jesus said] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:1-8 ESV).

 

I do not claim to be a gardener, much less a master gardener. My father-in-law certainly was a master horticulturist, having earned his PhD in Plant Genetics and teaching and doing research in the development of many different varieties of vegetables. I do remember a brief lesson in the pruning of grape vines when he was living in Longview, Texas. He had several varieties of grapes growing in his backyard. I learned there is a very specific way to prune in order to create the right growth for maximum fruit yield.

 

I don’t know if there is any pain involved for the vine when the shoots are pruned away, though in the spiritual sense of “pruning” it certainly can be a painful process for us. It can also be a time of frustration with the Gardener for lopping off parts of me without asking for my opinion or permission.

 

Thinking about it a little more, gardeners don’t prune out of anger or frustration. They prune because they want the plant to grow healthier and stronger so that it can bear good fruit. The gardener sees the overall vision of the plant, while the plant can only “see” what’s right in front of them. With that in mind, Jesus’ words here make good sense. Pruning is the way God removes parts of us that are overgrown and not producing. It may mean we have to let go of some comforts, and doing that can remove troublesome distractions in our life. Through pruning we are able to see more clearly who we are and what God has in mind for us, even if that means enduring some pain along the way.

 

Whatever might pain us in the pruning process, it’s the transforming of our heart, mind, and soul that God wants to see, because he wants our fruit to grow—fruit that one day we will be able to share with others for the goodness and glory of our Lord, the master gardener. He won’t make any unnecessary “cuts.” Trust Him!