Praise and Thanksgiving
JOHN SHIRK – Psalm 100, verse 4 invites us to “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
There are many reasons to praise God in our personal time with Him and in our worship gatherings with other believers. Among them,
the sacrificial love of Jesus at the cross.
His mercy, which withholds the judgement that we deserve because of our sins.
His faithfulness, which assures the fulfillment of His promises.
His power. No one can match His strength and overtake His throne.
The gift of salvation, which provides a place in heaven for the person who trusts in Jesus as the forgiver of sins and Lord of their lives. He extends forgiveness for our past, help for our present, and hope for our future. Our hearts overflow with praise for God when we remember the many ways He blesses us with His goodness and enduring love.
That’s today’s Mission Statement for representing Jesus in the world today.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
When I think of the Lord’s faithfulness “continuing through all generations,” it makes be think of Hebrews 11 which describes how God was so real and present in the lives of many of the founding fathers and leaders of our faith. These heroes of the faith were great examples and left legacies and examples of perseverance and what Paul means when he talks about continuing to run the race and keep the faith in order to receive the “heavenly” prize. These biblical heroes gave of their lives and placed their complete in our Heavenly Father even to the point of death at times. I can only hope and strive to have that depth of faith and trust especially when faced with trials and difficult times. The passage that you wrote about above is a great reminder of the mercy and love that God has for His children and we should be praising and thanking Him for that each and every day. Thanks for the reminder!