"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening." (Psalm 92:1-2, NLT) Today, I give thanks for Sam, the Irish Setter, who came to our home in early April. She has brought me much joy! My brother gave Sam to our Dad for Christmas, bringing great delight to him during his illness. When Dad died in February, Mom came to realize that an energetic setter was too much dog for her to handle. I asked if I could adopt her. I’ve wanted to own a ‘real dog’ for a long time. Now, thanks to the generosity of my Mom and my brother, I do! But, I also believe God blessed me with a dog!
I am convinced that the Lord cares about the longings of our heart, that He is the giver of good gifts. To think that He is only the stern Judge, or the disciplinary Father, is to miss much of Who He is. If we only praise Him for the wonderful Cross, for beautiful sunrises, and for majestic mountains, we will soon lose sight that He is our ‘Abba,’ our Heavenly Daddy who delights in us, who knows us by name. Sam makes me laugh, gets me off of my computer and outside for walks, awakens me at 5 am, and goes with me to my office every day. In terms of world need, those things are trivial. In terms of my needs, God gave me a gift that is making a difference in my quality of life!
As much as I love the Truth of the Gospel, I have a deep need to personally and immediately experience the love of Jesus Christ, to sense the Presence of the God who knows me. One way that happens is when He blesses me in ways that are personal, that fulfill my desires. When He does, it is imperative that I give thanks, that I return to bless Him with my gratitude and praise. One of my earthly Dad’s favorite lines from the Psalms was -"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalm 37:4, KJV) I heard him quote a thousand times, as he pointed out blessings – great and small – for which he thanked God.
Do you ask God for only great things?
Are you reluctant to present all of your requests to Him, to share your heart’s desires with Him?
Tim Keller, in The Prodigal God, reminds us that Jesus’ first recorded miracle was turning several jars of water into wine for a wedding! He was enabling a family to celebrate life, giving a gift of love, and making festive joy possible. He goes on to write that “Jesus’ salvation is a feast, and therefore when we believe in and rest in His work for us, through the Holy Spirit, He becomes real to our hearts. His love is like honey, or like wine. Rather than only believing that He is loving, we can come to sense the reality, the beauty, the power of His love. His love can become more real to you than the love of anyone else. It can delight, galvanize, and console you. That will lift you up and free you from fear like nothing else.” (pg.108)
You may disagree, but I believe that if He would make wine for a wedding, He could give a preacher a dog! So, I am giving thanks for being blessed with a dog.
Here’s a word from the Word. Take it to heart and present all your requests to Abba, and receive His good gifts with gratitude.
"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."
(Psalm 37:1-6, NIV)
_____________________
Come, we that love the Lord,
And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.
Let those refuse to sing,
Who never knew our God;
But children of the heavenly King,
May speak their joys abroad.
The hill of Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets,
Before we reach the heavenly fields,
Or walk the golden streets.
Then let our songs abound,
And every tear be dry;
We're marching thru Emmanuel's ground,
To fairer worlds on high.
Come We That Love The Lord
Watts, Isaac / Williams, Aaron© Public Domain
I am convinced that the Lord cares about the longings of our heart, that He is the giver of good gifts. To think that He is only the stern Judge, or the disciplinary Father, is to miss much of Who He is. If we only praise Him for the wonderful Cross, for beautiful sunrises, and for majestic mountains, we will soon lose sight that He is our ‘Abba,’ our Heavenly Daddy who delights in us, who knows us by name. Sam makes me laugh, gets me off of my computer and outside for walks, awakens me at 5 am, and goes with me to my office every day. In terms of world need, those things are trivial. In terms of my needs, God gave me a gift that is making a difference in my quality of life!
As much as I love the Truth of the Gospel, I have a deep need to personally and immediately experience the love of Jesus Christ, to sense the Presence of the God who knows me. One way that happens is when He blesses me in ways that are personal, that fulfill my desires. When He does, it is imperative that I give thanks, that I return to bless Him with my gratitude and praise. One of my earthly Dad’s favorite lines from the Psalms was -"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." (Psalm 37:4, KJV) I heard him quote a thousand times, as he pointed out blessings – great and small – for which he thanked God.
Do you ask God for only great things?
Are you reluctant to present all of your requests to Him, to share your heart’s desires with Him?
Tim Keller, in The Prodigal God, reminds us that Jesus’ first recorded miracle was turning several jars of water into wine for a wedding! He was enabling a family to celebrate life, giving a gift of love, and making festive joy possible. He goes on to write that “Jesus’ salvation is a feast, and therefore when we believe in and rest in His work for us, through the Holy Spirit, He becomes real to our hearts. His love is like honey, or like wine. Rather than only believing that He is loving, we can come to sense the reality, the beauty, the power of His love. His love can become more real to you than the love of anyone else. It can delight, galvanize, and console you. That will lift you up and free you from fear like nothing else.” (pg.108)
You may disagree, but I believe that if He would make wine for a wedding, He could give a preacher a dog! So, I am giving thanks for being blessed with a dog.
Here’s a word from the Word. Take it to heart and present all your requests to Abba, and receive His good gifts with gratitude.
"Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."
(Psalm 37:1-6, NIV)
_____________________
Come, we that love the Lord,
And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.
Let those refuse to sing,
Who never knew our God;
But children of the heavenly King,
May speak their joys abroad.
The hill of Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets,
Before we reach the heavenly fields,
Or walk the golden streets.
Then let our songs abound,
And every tear be dry;
We're marching thru Emmanuel's ground,
To fairer worlds on high.
Come We That Love The Lord
Watts, Isaac / Williams, Aaron© Public Domain
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