A SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING
He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God. Psalm 50:23
I love the Book of Psalms. I read at least one Psalm every day. The Book of Psalms is raw and real. It doesn’t sugar-coat troubles and trials, but it expresses the honest cries of the heart of a true worshiper who experiences the ups and downs of life. A friend of mine once summed up Psalms this way, “Life is hard, but God is good.”
Perhaps this Thanksgiving weekend is a tough one for you. Perhaps you have lost your loved one, or lost your marriage and family, or lost your health, or lost your job, or lost your joy for living. Perhaps you are having a hard time seeing anything positive amidst all the overwhelming negatives in your life right now.
What are we to do when everything looks bleak and black and hopeless?
OFFER A SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING
Offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving? Are you nuts? It may not seem normal and natural, given the circumstances. It may be uttered through clenched teeth. It may be the hardest thing to do. But it is the right thing to do, and this is why:
1. A sacrifice of thanksgiving honors God. When our life is falling apart and we still take time to thank God, our faith is clearly revealed. We show God that we really love Him and trust Him, regardless of the circumstances. God is honored and glorified in a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
2. A sacrifice of thanksgiving encourages us. This act of faith gets our eyes off ourselves and our problems, and puts them where they need to be, on the Lord. The more we focus on Him, the more our hearts fill with courage and hope. You see, we don’t have great big problems in the face of a puny little God. We have puny little problems in the face of a great big God. A sacrifice of thanksgiving puts things in proper perspective.
3. A sacrifice of thanksgiving opens the door to a miracle. God begins to work as we begin to give Him thanks and praise. When Paul and Silas were beaten, arrested, and put in prison in Philippi, they gave God thanks and praise. In response, God sent an earthquake—a jailhouse rock— to release them from their bonds and open the prison doors. A miracle occurred after the sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise.
I don’t know what you may be facing today, but God does. He knows, and He cares. He is waiting on you to look above your problems, fix your eyes on the problem-solver, and offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to Him. There is great joy and peace awaiting all those who will obey His Word and step out in faith.
Love,
Pastor Jeff Schreve,
From His Heart Ministries
P.S. Please know I am always glad to hear from you and find out how God is working in your life. You can email me at pastorjeff@fromhisheart.org.
Jeff Schreve founded From His Heart Ministries, www.fromhisheart.org, in 2005 with the vision to reach as many people as possible with the good news of God's love. Jeff believes that no matter how badly you may have messed up in life, God still loves you and has a great plan just for you. He broadcast on radio, TV and in the internet around the world from his pulpit ministry as Pastor of First Baptist in Texarkana, Texas. This ministry is completely listener/viewer supported. It continues only through the faithful and generous gifts of people like you. Pastor Jeff takes no income from this ministry. All gifts go to further the broadcast.
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