Give thanks to the Lord

Ingratitude

Posted on by Betsy

Few things in life bother me more than ingratitude. It boggles my mind when someone extends themself with generosity and thoughtfulness only to be met with silence or worse, to be taken for granted. When I receive any expression of gratitude it means the world to me. A text, a well written thank you note, a gift card to a favorite restaurant … I have been the grateful recipient of other people’s gratitude, and it encourages me and makes me happy to know that my effort was acknowledged. I met recently with a young woman for pastoral counseling and was delighted to receive a handwritten card from her a few weeks later. That meant my time with her was appreciated, and that brought me joy.

On the other hand, I once drove five hours to officiate a funeral and did not receive any thanks in any form, not even from the funeral home that surely was handsomely paid for their services. The funeral director knew how far I had to travel, yet even my gas was not reimbursed. My time spent writing the sermon and planning the service, coordinating with the musician, organizing the bulletin, in addition to the long day, was met with ingratitude. I hope, at least, the Lord was pleased with my effort.

Jesus felt this frustration, too. In our passage from Luke, he extended himself to ten lepers and healed them. Watch what happens next:

Luke 17 (Common English Bible)

11 On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten men with skin diseases approached him. Keeping their distance from him, 13 they raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, show us mercy!”

14 When Jesus saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” As they left, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw that he had been healed, returned and praised God with a loud voice. 16 He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus replied, “Weren’t ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 No one returned to praise God except this foreigner?” 19 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

Ten were healed. One gave thanks. And he was a Samaritan, the sworn enemies of Jews like Jesus, making this all the more profound.

This story is a great reminder to us that giving thanks is part of our faith. Giving praise is part of our faith. Acknowledging and appreciating all that God has done for us is part of our faith! You may be familiar with the “ACTS” of prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Thanksgiving is woven into the very fabric of our relationship with God.

Lest the Lord think we all take him and his wonderful blessings for granted, may we pause right now to fall at Jesus’ feet like a healed leper and give thanks.

Étretat, France

Everything

Posted on by Betsy

Do you like to order food with everything on it, such as a pizza with all the toppings, a cheeseburger with the works, or a bagel with everything? This last item is so popular, you can now purchase a seasoning called “Everything Bagel Seasoning” that has all those flavors. It is a heavenly combination of different kinds of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, onion and salt. People rave about it on cottage cheese. It takes a lot to make cottage cheese rave worthy, so that’s saying a lot.

We had a family member go through a health scare last week that thankfully was resolved very quickly. The family pivoted and surrounded this person with love and support. God’s grace was supremely evident in smoothing out arrangements, transportation, wonderful health care, etc. and the entire experience made us all realize that God is indeed, our Everything. It is a day to rejoice and give thanks.

Not surprisingly, I opened up the lectionary assignments for this week and discovered this little gem from the Psalms, which surely reads like a bagel with everything:

Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 (Common English Bible)

Give thanks to the Lord;
    call upon his name;
    make his deeds known to all people!
2 Sing to God;
    sing praises to the Lord;
    dwell on all his wondrous works!
3 Give praise to God’s holy name!
    Let the hearts rejoice of all those seeking the Lord!
4 Pursue the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always!
5 Remember the wondrous works he has done,
    all his marvelous works, and the justice he declared—
6 you who are the offspring of Abraham, his servant,
        and the children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

I wonder how many times we narrowly avoid a crisis only to continue on a normal path without giving thanks to God for seeing us through the near-miss? How many times do we pray for help and when helps comes, we just pick up where we left off and forget to return to God with thanksgiving? I am reminded of the story in Luke 17 of the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus. Do you remember how many returned to thank him for his healing? One. Shame on us when we forget that God is our Everything.

37 Then God brought Israel out, filled with silver and gold;
    not one of its tribes stumbled.
38 Egypt celebrated when they left,
    because the dread of Israel had come upon them.

39 God spread out clouds as a covering;
    gave lightning to provide light at night.
40 The people asked, and God brought quail;
    God filled them full with food from heaven.
41 God opened the rock and out gushed water—
    flowing like a river through the desert!

One of the saddest parts of the Exodus story is that the minute they were delivered from slavery, the nation began to complain. Let that settle in for a moment. Does that describe you? God provided a light at night, quail to eat, manna from heaven, and water from a rock in the middle of a barren desert. Their response was to complain that they had it better in Egypt because their slave owners fed them meat. Even in the midst of your struggle and trial, is there some light of hope shining through? If so, give thanks.

42 Because God remembered his holy promise
    to Abraham his servant,
43     God brought his people out with rejoicing,
    his chosen ones with songs of joy.
44 God gave them the lands of other nations;
    they inherited the wealth of many peoples—
45 all so that they would keep his laws
        and observe his instructions.

God always remember his holy promises. God will always deliver his people. God gives us way better than we deserve, because he is our Everything. Ask yourself this: who or what is your everything? Have you put your hopes and dreams in other things, people, or circumstances? Do you “thank your lucky stars” or do you understand that your blessings come straight from God?

Today, may we redirect our praise to our Everything. God will never let us down.

Praise the Lord!

Thank the Lord! by Michelle Robertson

Give Thanks!

Posted on by Betsy

What does it mean to be redeemed?

When you study the roots of the word “redeemed,” you will find phrases like “buy back,” “win back,” and “to free from captivity by payment of ransom.” This last definition gets to the heart of the matter in a theological sense. Your very soul was freed when Jesus paid a ransom for it on the cross. YOU are one of the redeemed.

In our Psalm today, we receive instructions on what the redeemed should do. This is a terrific reminder this week as we prepare for Thanksgiving. How do you measure up? 

Here is what the psalmist suggests:

Give thanks to the Lord,

Say that his faithful love lasts forever,

Cry out to the Lord in your distress,

Offer thanksgiving sacrifices,

Declare what God has done,

Sing songs of joy!

Psalm 107 (Common English Bible)

“Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
        because his faithful love lasts forever!”
2 That’s what those who are redeemed by the Lord say,
    the ones God redeemed from the power of their enemies,
3     the ones God gathered from various countries,
    from east and west, north and south.

Some of the redeemed were fools because of their sinful ways.
    They suffered because of their wickedness.
18 They had absolutely no appetite for food;
    they had arrived at death’s gates.

19 So they cried out to the Lord in their distress,
    and God saved them from their desperate circumstances.
20 God gave the order and healed them;
    he rescued them from their pit.

21 Let them thank the Lord for his faithful love
    and his wondrous works for all people.
22 Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices
    and declare what God has done in songs of joy!

This psalm was written during the time when God redeemed the nation of Israel from captivity in Babylon. They had cried out and were heard. They suffered because of their wickedness and were delivered. They were sick to death and were healed of their desperate circumstances.

God redeemed his people.

Our challenge today is to choose one of the things that the redeemed do and go out and do it. Can you offer a thanksgiving sacrifice by paying for someone’s order in the drive-through line behind you? Can you call or text a friend and remind them of God’s faithful love? Perhaps you might sing a song of joy to the Lord today as you take a walk or spend extra time in prayer and offer God nothing but thanks.

We are the redeemed. We are his people. We are bought and paid for by the shed blood of the atonement. Give thanks! 

Let all the redeemed say so.

Give Thanks by Michelle Robertson

Grateful

Posted on by Betsy

We recently studied the passage from Luke 17 where Jesus healed ten lepers and only one came back to thank him. In that devotional, we were reminded to give thanks to God in all seasons and for all things, and never take what we have, who we are, and what our future holds for granted. Some of you commented that it was a much-needed reminder. One commenter said she got “pinged”. When that happens, I hope you know that it isn’t me doing the pinging!

Today, we will practice offering God the thanksgiving he deserves. This eloquent psalm focuses on all the reasons to thank God. We thank him for his works. We thank him for his righteousness. We thank him for the company of our congregation. We thank him for food, wonderful deeds, grace, mercy, power, our heritage … everything. Are you having a bad day/week/year? Read this one aloud. Twice.

Psalm 111 is an acrostic psalm, which means that each line of the psalm starts with a letter in the order of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic psalms were written to help people memorize them, much as elementary school kids do when they learn the song about the state capitals in alphabetic order. I know adults who can still sing the State Capitals song. Can you?

I can’t imagine the skill it would take to write a piece of poetry like this and ensure that every verse started with a specific letter in the alphabet. We should endeavor to memorize it for that very reason.

Psalm 111 (New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)

Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
    in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

Giving thanks with our whole heart is something God deserves from us. Charles Spurgeon put it this way: “God cannot be acceptably praised with a divided heart, neither should we attempt so to dishonor him; for our whole heart is little enough for his glory, and there can be no reason why it should not all be lifted up in his praise.” Wise words.

2 Great are the works of the Lord,
    studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of honor and majesty is his work,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
    the Lord is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
    he is ever mindful of his covenant.

God’s covenant with his people is a pledge to give protection, provision, and blessing. When the psalmist says that God is mindful of his covenant and that he has commanded his covenant to last forever, he reassures the reader that God’s promises last forever. As modern Christian readers, we know that God’s covenant was fulfilled on the cross when he sent his only son for the salvation of the world. Through Jesus, we received a new covenant. Thank God!

6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
    in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established forever and ever,
    to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people;
    he has commanded his covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is his name.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all those who practice it have a good understanding.
    His praise endures forever.

I always prefer to understand the word “fear” in these passages as “reverential trust.” This word is not meant to imply quaking and trembling in terror before a powerful entity, but rather it portrays a picture of a respectful reverence that acknowledges God’s power and might and our insignificance. Only by grace may we approach the throne. But approach it, we may.

Holy and AWESOME is his name!

Grateful for Sunsets

Ungrateful

Posted on by Betsy

I am working on a book on Psalms (hopefully available on Amazon soon!) and I have organized it into a five-week study for small groups. Each week will focus on a type of psalm: praise, lament, trust, wisdom, and thanksgiving. As I was writing the leader’s guide chapter on Psalms of Thanksgiving, I wrote a discussion question that made me wonder what my own response would be: “Do you remember to thank God for everything he has given you?” I pondered that for a moment. Do I? Do you? Or do we take this life, this world, these homes, our families, good health, our food, and our jobs all for granted? Do we just go along living our lives and act like we’re entitled to everything? Or worse, do we think we have earned it all by the work of our hands alone?

I have a family member who would argue that she has worked for everything she has. Her lifestyle is a result of her hard work, her persistence, and her skills. I have no argument with that. Surely these things have served her well. But I believe that her work ethic was passed down from generations of people who worked God’s harvest before her and taught her that value. I believe her persistence is a personality trait that was knit into her by God when he formed her in the womb. And I believe that God gives us skills and spiritual gifts with which we can serve him and sustain our families. I don’t think there is anything we have for which we can take sole credit. God is the creator of everything, even our ability to earn a living. For that I thank God!

Our lectionary passage today tells a wonderful story of healing. Jesus was doing his thing, traveling between Samaria (where his type was not received) and Galilee (where his type belonged). Upon entering a village, he met ten men who desperately needed healing:

Luke 17 (Common English Bible)

11 On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten men with skin diseases approached him. Keeping their distance from him, 13 they raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, show us mercy!”

14 When Jesus saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” As they left, they were cleansed. 

It is interesting to note that a measure of obedience was required from the men. They were being asked to step out on faith and participate in their healing. They had to go to the priests. Their healing was not just doled out to them. It is also noteworthy that their common disease had broken down the societal barriers that normally stood between Samaritans and Jews. They were a mixed group, bound together in misery … and hope.

15 One of them, when he saw that he had been healed, returned and praised God with a loud voice. 16 He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus replied, “Weren’t ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 No one returned to praise God except this foreigner?” 19 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

The Samaritan was doubly blessed. While all ten received physical healing, only he returned to Jesus for a healing of heart and received an additional blessing of faith. The foreigner became the faithful.

I think that if we look hard enough, we can always find something to be grateful for. Bible commentator Matthew Henry was once robbed of his wallet. That night he wrote in his diary all the things he was grateful for. He was grateful that he had never been robbed before. He was thankful that they took his wallet but not his life. He wrote that even though they took all his money, it wasn’t very much. Finally, he gave thanks that he was the one who was robbed and not the one who did the robbing.

Do you owe God a debt of thanksgiving? Has he done anything for you lately? Don’t be ungrateful. It is never too late to return to the Lord with an attitude of gratitude.

He deserves no less from us.

Pink Sky Blessings

The Redeemed

Posted on by Betsy

What does it mean to be redeemed?

When you study the roots of the word you will find phrases like “buy back,” “win back,” and “to free from captivity by payment of ransom.” This last definition gets to the heart of the matter in a theological sense. Your very soul was freed when Jesus paid a ransom for it on the cross. YOU are one of the redeemed.

In our Psalm today, we receive instructions on what the redeemed should do. This is a terrific reminder in this season of Lent when we are trying to be more disciplined in spiritual matters. How do you measure up?

Here is what the psalmist suggests:

Give thanks to the Lord,

Say that his faithful love lasts forever,

Cry out to the Lord in your distress,

Offer thanksgiving sacrifices,

Declare what God has done,

Sing songs of joy!

Psalm 107 (Common English Bible)

“Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
        because his faithful love lasts forever!”
2 That’s what those who are redeemed by the Lord say,
    the ones God redeemed from the power of their enemies,
3     the ones God gathered from various countries,
    from east and west, north and south.

Some of the redeemed were fools because of their sinful ways.
    They suffered because of their wickedness.
18 They had absolutely no appetite for food;
    they had arrived at death’s gates.
19 So they cried out to the Lord in their distress,
    and God saved them from their desperate circumstances.
20 God gave the order and healed them;
    he rescued them from their pit.
21 Let them thank the Lord for his faithful love
    and his wondrous works for all people.
22 Let them offer thanksgiving sacrifices
    and declare what God has done in songs of joy!

This psalm was written during the time when God redeemed the nation of Israel from captivity in Babylon. They had cried out and were heard. They suffered because of their wickedness and were delivered. They were sick to death and were healed of their desperate circumstances. God redeemed his people.

Our challenge today is to choose one of the things that the redeemed do, and go out and do it. Can you offer a thanksgiving sacrifice by paying for someone’s order in the line behind you? Can you call or text a friend and remind them of God’s faithful love? Perhaps you might sing a song of joy to the Lord today as you take a walk or spend extra time in prayer offering nothing but thanks.

We are the redeemed. We are his people. We are bought and paid for by the shed blood of the atonement. Give thanks!

Let all the redeemed say so.

Waiting for Sunrise by Michelle Robertson