What is Needed

Has someone ever done something for you which you appreciated but you failed to respond to them?  Maybe you just forgot to thank them.  Have you ever done something for someone who seemed to appreciate what you did, but did not respond to you?  Maybe they just forget to respond.   Obviously, there is something that is needed in these situations which is sorely absent.  That something is an expression of thanks from a grateful heart.

The Bible tells us that Jesus came upon 10 individuals who had a communicable disease.  They stood to the side (as they were required to do) but they called out to Jesus for help.  Jesus told them go show themselves to the priest.  When they did, each of them was completely healed.  Scripture goes on to say, “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice” (Luke 17:15).  What a gracious response this was.  Jesus asked him, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17).  Good question.  For the nine men, thankfulness from a grateful heart was missing.

When we have been helped or encouraged by someone, we need to be thankful, express our thanks to them, and give God the thanks that he deserves.  During this November and December let’s not get so busy that we forget to express our thanks when someone does something for us. The Bible says, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). This verse suggests several things:

1)    We need to be Thankful.  “Give thanks” implies that we should be active in our expression of thanks.  As soon as an act is completed, we need to say, “thank you”.

2)    We need to be Thankful in all Situations.  “In all circumstances” means that whether times are good or bad or even if thankfulness does not seem to be the right thing to do, we need to gratefully respond.

3)    We need to Remember that it is God’s Desire for us to be Thankful.  “God’s will for you” suggests that when we show appreciation, God is pleased and we are doing the right thing.

What about you?  Do you need to be more expressive in giving thanks to God and to others?  Let’s follow the example of the individual in the biblical story who came back to express his thanks.  Each day this month try to take time to express thanks to God for at least one thing he has done for you. Then, find one other person with whom you can share your gratefulness.

Stop and Remember

Memorial Day is a day for remembering those individuals who have died in our nation’s military service. Throughout the Bible the people of God were encouraged to remember what God had done for them.  The Bible says, “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.  Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done” (Psalm 105:1-6).  The eleven bold-faced, underlined, action words (or group of words) in this biblical reference suggest ways to remember.  Maybe it is time for you and me to stop and remember by using one or more of these action steps during the Memorial Day weekend.  Regarding Passover, a major Jewish holiday, they were told, “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come” (Exodus 12:14).

You and I can (and should) use Memorial Day as a day to continue to celebrate our freedom and remember the many who fought and died for us.  As we celebrate, we can honor their lives and praise God for the many blessings we enjoy as a result.  Remembering brings us back to the reality of the dedication of the many military men and women who stood strong for us.  Remembering should also stir in us a sense of gratitude and appreciation, as well as strengthen our resolve to do our part in serving God, country and others.  At a family gathering you may want to stop and remember and then offer a prayer of thanksgiving.  Above all, take time to show honor and respect for those who served our country or are still serving.

Sacrifices of Praise

When reading from the book of Hebrews, I was struck with the phrase “the sacrifice of praise.”  Here is what the writer of Hebrews says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.  And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:15-16).

Notice several things from this text about the “sacrifice of praise.”

 1)      The Channel through which this activity is to be done is “Through Jesus.”

2)      The Frequency in which we should be involved in this activity is “Continually.”

3)      The Focus of our praise should be directed “To God.”

4)      The Mechanism through which the praise is to be uttered is “The fruit of lips.”

5)      The Content of the praise should be to “Confess His name.”

6)      The Result or what happens when we praise God is that “God is pleased.”

It is easy to utter words that do not have meaning because they are not expressions of our heart.  That is kind of like singing a song from memory – we know the tune, but we merely voice words which have little or no meaning.  Jesus made an interesting comment about some people who were simply mouthing words.  He said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Their words were hollow because those words did not come from the heart.  When our lives have been changed by the renewing power of God’s Spirit within us, the fruit of our lips will be that which flows from our heart as a sacrifice of praise to God for who He is and what He has done for us. 

Let me ask you: Has your heart been changed by God?  Are you offering God the sacrifice of praise?  Do you talk about the mighty power of God and praise Him throughout the day?  Have you thanked God today for the air that you breathe?  Have you expressed your appreciation to Him for sending Jesus to die on the cross so your sins could be washed away?  Have you thanked Him for your family?  I encourage you, right now, to express your thanks and praise to God.  Let’s let the fruit of our lips be the expression of our hearts to God as we bring to Him the sacrifice of praise.