Thursday, December 4, 2014

Thankful At All Times

This morning as I thought about the human condition, it caused me to be very thankful. You see, I am one of those people that spends a good deal of time in introspection. Perhaps too much time, if that is possible, but it is just the way I am. It causes me to be thankful that God is not like me. Likely I would give up on me and humans because we get things wrong so often. In that regard, God has become my role model for being a loving Father. That He always loves us is truly a wonder to me, and I am so thankful for it. That is what a Father is meant to do.

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Here John makes it clear that our Father God loves us and has taken us into His home as one of His own children. What a gift! It is also clear that our Father never gives up on us because John goes on to say that we will be like Him one day.

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Finally, John tells us what we need to attempt to do to move toward being like God by eliminating sin, and what sin is.

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

In all this I am thankful because we know, just as Paul did, that we are human and we will fall short of doing things perfectly. The war within us is as Paul stated, something we battle with regularity.

Romans 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

So in the end, we can be thankful that our Father is working these things out of us, and we are His children. Praise God!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High God. You alone are worthy of all praise. Your kingdom is the only place worth living. Your way is the only way worth living. We need Your kingdom in the earth. We need you to be with us. We love and adore You. Send us today Your abundant provision. Heal us and deliver us. Forgive us when we get it wrong. Deliver us today from temptations. Keep us in Your way. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.