A Psalm 111 - I Will Give Thanks To The Lord

Praise the Lord.I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who have pleasure in them. Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures for ever. He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful. He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant. He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy, they are established for ever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant for ever. Holy and terrible is his name! The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who practice it. His praise endures for ever!

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Unlimited Thanksgiving

We open wide thankful hearts when we receive the Lord's undeserved blessings. In those exciting times we find it easy to offer praise and thanksgiving to God. Do we selfishly limit our boundaries? Maybe we need to develop a "constant thanksgiving" plan in all circumstances.

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJ)." Unlimited thanksgiving will stretch us and also offers the potential of a greatly expanded witness. To be thankful in everything is certainly not a normal response! The key is to remember we are not instructed to thank God for everything, but in everything. Evil and hardship we face are not the source of thankfulness; and we face them with inner turmoil. In everything we can give thanks for God's faithfulness and love! Maybe we can positively influence others to see God's tender hand in everything. The sky is the limit!

by Pam Ford Davis
9/28/2009 / Devotionals

Parable of the Light

14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven

Many Judean cities were built on sides of mountains, so that travelers would be able see them from afar. Jesus pointed to such a city, telling His disciples that they were like it. The city built on an important location can be seen by many over a wide area; representing a disciple's far-ranging, widespread exposure to others, and their broad influence.

Jesus' illustration of a shining lamp illuminating the home suggests a disciple's more intimate influence. A Christian's actions cannot be hidden from the eyes of either our families or the world. Therefore he must live a righteous, holy, humble, and pure life, letting his "light so shine before men . . . glorifing the Father in heaven."

Light is of a three-fold nature: natural, artificial, and spiritual. Sun light is natural; A lamp, artificial; The light of the Word and its believers; spiritual. This phrase preeminently applied to Jesus because He is to the mortal world what the sun is to the natural world. The apostles, ministers, and all Christians are lights of the world; because by their witness they show; what God requires, what man's condition is, and the way that leads to the Kingdom of God.

Jesus shows the disciples that they have been illuminated so that others might see their light and benefit from it. When a lamp is lit, the light is not concealed but placed where it may be of use. So it is with God's way of life and those who follow it. God gives His truth to us to benefit others. It should not be obscured but shown in stark contrast to the wicked world; thereby exposing and instructing it. If a light is hidden, as under a basket, no one benefits from it.

A Christian's righteous life, pleasant attitude, and good works, including pure conversation and faithful obedience, should not be hidden but should be seen and known. We can give no light until we have received the grace of God and the enlightenment that comes through the Holy Spirit. Our lives must produce the fruit of the spirit, reflecting the shining example of Jesus Christ.

Humbly, in all communities, in all businesses, at home and abroad, in prosperity and adversity, it should be clear that we adhere to God's way of life. Letting our examples shine requires that we resist the influence of the world. We cannot have a light that shines and at the same time live as the world does with its lust of the flesh. We glorify the Father by bearing the fruit of the Spirit and by doing good works, by correctly praising and honoring Him, and by being led to worship Him properly in obedience. We provide a witness to the world when they see in our lives the excellence of God's way. We learn five principles in this parable:

1. God's truth cannot be concealed.

2. Where light is not manifested in our lives, we make no witness.

3. Those that profess Christianity yet live like worldly people prove that they are not truly converted.

4. Attempting to hide our Christianity betrays God's trust, injures the cause of goodness, and renders our lives useless.

5. Good actions will be seen, leading people to honor God.

Signed, Sealed and Delivered

Scripture Reference: 1Peter 9:3-5/15-19 (NIV)

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

17Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
The influence of Peter on the early church was stronger than that of any of the original Twelve Disciples. He was also the most prominent during Jesus’ lifetime. However Pastor Collins explained that Peter, the writer of 1Peter is a different person. He is not the same man we met with Jesus before the crucifixion, this is a new Peter that has been regenerated by God.

As a disciple Peter was taught by Christ, he set under him as a pupil. Peter here in this book is an apostle, and has been empowered by the Master to represent him. Peter has no shame now saying that he is representing Jesus. This is because with God there is complete forgiveness, our hearts have been made new again. We should never permit past sins, failures, and humiliations to impede us from living for and representing Christ.

There is reference made to those whom God regenerated in (verse 3). We became the heirs of a resurrectioned body because the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the first fruits of our own resurrection (verse 4). The inheritance made possible by Jesus Christ is kept for us. It is not only an inheritance for the past believer, but also for us who are currently alive on earth. We are being guarded by God who is in heaven while, through faith, we are awaiting our liberation from earth.

God wants us to be holy because He is with us and in us. He does not want to be contaminated by the impurities of this world "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God and they shall be My people" (II Corinthians 6:16). To have a fellowship with God, we must become holy as He is. "'Come out from among them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you'" (II Corinthians 6:17).

The church is the community where God's truth is taken seriously. We should not be superficial, or impetuous. We must work hard, setting our hope in God's grace, not in our own willpower.

"Remember always that our obedience is to a gracious Person, not to a coldly calculating judge or to society: holiness not sanctimoniousness. It is being separated for a special purpose by special instructions and discipline. We have been called to perform a unique purpose. We have been called to glorify God by our lives as a witness to all who observe, and at the same time being prepared for His Kingdom. God wants us to have a passionate love for goodness, so in your mind give Him a unique place.

By: B Stevenson