The Devotional - 009 - Thanks - Giving

A Thought for the Day – 009 – Thanks - Giving

I can think of no greater call in life then for man or woman to give thanks to God.

Ephesians 5:20-21 – giving thanks always for “all things” to God the Father in the name of Our LORD Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.

 

Comments and challenges

Some of you may not have seen a Bud Abbott and Lou Costello movie, but there are some that remember these films of long ago and sometimes the things in life today remind me of those things of long ago. I used to believe that these two actors in the late1940’s were funny and comical, but in recent years by revisiting a movie or two I find that the men were actually cruel and abusive. Both men enjoyed this behavior by disguising it with humoristic and cowardice acts of valor.

We read the following in Isaiah 1:21-26 – How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, but now murders. Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water. Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

Therefore the LORD says, The LORD of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, “Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, and take vengeance on My enemies. I will turn My hand against you, and thoroughly purge away your dross, and take away all your alloy. I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city”.

Do not get your hopes up! I playact these two comics in the first paragraph, that out of one side of the mouth speak truth and out of the other side spread deceit. God, through Isaiah is talking to the nation Israel and not to the United States of America. You see Isaiah 1:21-23 parallels the conditions of Israel at time when the wickedness in Israel is very large, like the wickedness in the United States today. Also note that God promises Israel a future restoration as this passage in Isaiah 1:24-26 does.

But a search of the entire Living Word of God will reveal no such promise to the citizens of the United States of America; for our future you will find no such promise of national restoration. Oh! Yes we may survive our current wicked approach to life, but we will not be called by God a city of righteousness or the faithful city ever again. We will not be able to claim, “The Land of the Free and Home of the Brave” as a national slogan; as we have become cowardly and hopelessly wicked we prepare to meet God; the JUDGE!

Is there opportunity for you and me to give thanks to God for this coming judgment? O yes! O yes! If you are hopelessly lost in wickedness, or sad due to our shameful “state of the Union” look “up!” as redemption is but a word or two away. Yes transgressors and sinners will be consumed by the anger of our Holy God, but those who look up to the Living Christ will be rewarded and not put to shame.

Romans 10:8-13 – but what does it (The Word) say? “The word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart” (that is the word of FAITH which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the LORD Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him (Jesus) from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. For the Scripture (Old Testament) says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame” (Jeremiah 17:7-8). For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same LORD over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved, (Joel 2:32).

Oh! Give Thanks to the LORD for He alone is God, and He gives good things to those who by faith look to Him for that Eternal City whose Builder and Maker is the LORD. Hebrews 11:8-13.