THANK GOD, THANK GOD, THANK GOD.

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THANK GOD, THANK GOD, THANK GOD.

This morning as I was spending some time with God

a Scripture came to my mind:

"The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me."

(Psalms 16:6 NASB)

I was reflecting back over eighty five years of life.

Plane and simple, God has been good to me.

Yes, I have had heart ache.  Lots of it, both as a young

man and as a mature adult.  And many of you know

that often heart ache can be worse than physical pain.

But God has been good to me.

I have several times in my life had constant physical

pain.  Times that I was in pain day and night.

But God has been good to me.

I have spent a lot more time in hospitals than I want

to remember.

But God has been good to me.

I have spend days not knowing whether I was going

to live or die.

But God has been good to me.

For over sixty of those years I have been [In my own

poor little way.]  living and walking with Jesus Christ.

Yet, despite the trials and hardships of life I have to

declare that through it all;

GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME.

With the Psalmist I can say:

"You will make known to me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever."  

(Psalms 16:11 NASB)

TODAY'S PROMISE

"I know that the Lord will 
maintain the cause of the afflicted,
and the right of the poor.
Surely the righteous will give thanks
unto your name:
the upright will dwell in your presence."
(Psalms 140:12,13 AKJV)

***********

"The promises of the Lord can be trusted;

they are as genuine as silver refined

seven times in the furnace."

(Psalms 12:6 GNB)

1. Meditate on God's Promises.

2. Plead the Promises at the throne of Grace.

3. Act in Faith that God Will Perform His Promises.

(William Gurnall)

GOD'S BEGGARS

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Yes, yes, yes.

From Genesis to Revelation

God asks his children to come to him about everything.

God almost begs us to ask him and depend on him.

We are instructed to ask, seek and knock.

He wants our life to be one of total dependance on him.

But in the process have we become habitual

perpetual beggars?

Have we become like those people you only 

see when they want something?

Does God only hear from us when we want something?

There is another side to the coin.

Consider.

"Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,

and for his wonderful works to the children of men.

And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving

and declare his works with rejoicing."

(Psalms 107:21,22)

"... therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise

to God continually, that is,

the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."

(Hebrews 13:15)

Of course we thank God for what he does for us.

God does something for us and we rejoice.

Like the lame man that was healed at the gate

beautiful.  He ran and leaped and praised God.

And when God does something to please us we 

 rejoice too.

But is that "sacrifice"?

NO.

It comes easy.  It is spontaneous.  It comes

naturally.    It comes without effort or cost.

That is not sacrifice.

Sacrifice is when it costs us something.

When it is an effort.  When it hurts.

How about:

When we do not get our way.

When the tears are flowing.

When the heart is broken.

When the body hurts.

?

Do we still praise and thank him?

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