AGAIN?!

​    Last week I wrote about Thanksgiving.  And last Sunday's service and sermon was all about giving thanks to God.  So do we have to focus attention on giving thanks...AGAIN?!

    I'm reminded of the elderly couple, and the wife complained to her husband about not ever saying "I love you".  To which the elderly husband replied, "I said 'I love you" at our wedding.  That is enough."
    No it isn't!  (And that's coming from a husband of over 40 years).   Each of us in any committed relationship need and should WANT to say "I love you", over and over again.
  
    LIkewise in our relationship with God.  How many times do we need to ask for forgiveness?  How many times do we need to hear the words of God's forgiveness?  How many times do we need to hear the Scriptures and sermons?  How many times do we need to receive Holy Communion?  How many times do we need to participate in a worship service?  How many times do we need to give thanks to God?

    The answers to those questions are, "These are the wrong questions!"  We should be asking, "How many times can I say 'I love you'?  How many times can I ask for forgiveness, and hear the words of God's grace and forgiveness in Christ?  How many times can I hear the Scriptures, sermons, go to worship services?"  How many times can I give thanks?

     When I met my wife, Sandra, I couldn't see her enough times.  I always want to be with her.  Even if we had nothing to say to one another.  And now after 40+ years, I still can't have enough time with her, and I continue to say 'I love you' as often as I can.  It never seems that I can give enough or do enough for her.  Which means that I always look forward to another day, another moment when I can be with her and do things for her and say to her, "Thank you for being my wife, and for loving me, as I love you."

    God often compares His relationship with us to the relationship of a marriage.  As much as I love Sandra, even more so does God love each and every one of us.  And I am still trying to love Him more and more.

  So in the Scriptures we see repeated words of love, gratitude, worship toward God.  And love for one another.  It is a very frequent phrase used throughout Scripture.

  When I think of thanksgiving in the Scriptures, I am often drawn to Psalm 136, which opens and closes with these words,

"O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever."  

   And in between these opening and closing words of the Psalm, we read a list of blessings that God gave His Old Testament people.

   Indeed, God's "steadfast love endures forever".  So we can still and always "give thanks to the Lord for he is good".  Always!  Even in heaven!  As we will worship and praise God for all eternity (and I very sure that we will want to always worship God, even for all eternity!!)

   Maybe you and I can take a few moments (or hours) listing the many, many blessings we each have from God, our Savior and Lord!

God Bless,

Pastor Steve