Posts tagged Thankfulness

40 Days of Preparation Day 15

Mar10
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Warner Smith

Today, Saturday March 10, 2012, is the fifteenth day of preparing our hearts, souls and minds for the most high of all Christian holy days, Easter Sunday. Today I need to “put off” ungratefulness and “put on”gratefulness. There are few things which make my blood pressure rise as quickly as to see anyone receive a gift and be ungrateful. When my children were younger I made certain that they thanked whomever had given them a gift regardless of how small the gift might be because I wanted to teach them to always be grateful.

As a nation we collectively say thank you on Thanksgiving day, but the biblical reality is that we are to be grateful continually.

28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28–29 (ESV)

This is not always the case, however. In fact one of the characteristics of the people who will be alive during the last days is their ungratefulness.

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.   2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ESV)

A failure to give God proper gratitude is also a characteristic of those whose thinking is futile and whose hearts are darkened.

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21 (ESV)

I clearly do not want to be counted among those who do not honor God so I need to “put off” ungratefulness and “put on” gratefulness.

Jesus was also confronted by people who had been the recipients of His healing but did not show gratefulness to God.

11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;16and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:11–19 (ESV)

Please do not overlook the fact that the leper which shows his gratefulness is a Samaritan (the most hated and despised ethnic group known to the Jewish people of Jesus’ time). When confronted by this grateful leper’s actions and attitude Jesus says “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Jesus’ statement to the grateful leper introduces the role which faith plays in our proper expression of gratefulness. While all those who possess saving faith will be grateful to God whether they receive any other blessing or not, those who do not exhibit this faith are also never grateful to God even when they are given great blessings. Thus, I need to examine whether or not I am truly grateful to God because my gratefulness or ungratefulness is a good indicator of the presence of saving faith.

In his letter to the church at Ephesus Paul reminds us that among others, one characteristic which all Christians are to exhibit will be continual gratefulness “giving thanks always.” Therefore, I need to “put off” ungratefulness and “put on” gratefulness.

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. . . 18 . . . be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:15–21 (ESV)

Being ungrateful can lead me to become bitter and fail to give God glory.  Such behavior is not only unwise but sinful. Once more Paul writes;

18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)

Paul says that being grateful “to give thanks” is the will of God for us in Christ.  Any failure to obey God’s will in my life is sin!  So being grateful is not simply about my having a proper disposition or attitude but it is also about my not sinning.  Therefore, today, right now, I need to “put off” ungratefulness and “put on” gratefulness.

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40 Days of Preparation Day 11

Mar06
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Warner Smith

Today, Tuesday March 6, 2012, is the eleventh day of preparing our hearts, souls and minds for the most high of all Christian holy days, Easter Sunday. Today I need to “put off” discontentment and “put on” contentment. One means to help you and I recognize the seriousness with which we must deal with putting off discontentment is to ask ourselves “for what purpose do I do work?” If the answer is to provide for my family’s needs then I must ask a further question. “How much is enough?” According to my Economics 101 instructor the basic needs of a human are “food, clothing, and shelter.”

I believe that too many of us in America today suffer with an incessant need for “more!”  It really doesn’t matter what we are discussing we want “more” of it. At the root of this desire for “more” is the basic problem of a lack of contentment or discontentment. As we prepare ourselves today I ask you to consider the areas of your life with which you are discontented. You may discover that those are the same areas over which Jesus may not have complete control.  You and I need to ask God to take these aspects of our life and have His way in the whole of our lives.

The children of Israel became discontented after waiting 40 days for Moses to return from meeting with God on Mount Sinai.  Their discontentment led them to grievous sin!  While the sin of the nation of America does not take this particular form, we are guilty of our own types of idolatry. According to this passage from The Message Bible the root cause of Israel’s sin was discontentment.

6 The same thing could happen to us. We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they did. 7 And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did—“First the people partied, then they threw a dance.” 8 We must not be sexually promiscuous—they paid for that, remember, with 23,000 deaths in one day! 9 We must never try to get Christ to serve us instead of us serving him; they tried it, and God launched an epidemic of poisonous snakes. 10 We must be careful not to stir up discontent; discontent destroyed them. 1 Corinthians 10:6–10 (MSG)

I believe that discontentment is destroying our nation today and many Christian families along with it.  The danger of discontentment is further illustrated in The Message Bible in the following text.

14 Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God. 15 Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. 16 Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God’s lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. 17 You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God’s blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears. Hebrews 12:14–17 (MSG)

That discontentment has led many in our nation to be guilty of this “Esau syndrome” is evidenced each day as our politicians haggle over how to cut spending from this year’s federal budget all the while acknowledging that a failure to do so will burden our children and grandchildren with crippling debt.

You and I are also guilty of this “Esau syndrome” each time we borrow from the future to pay for pleasures and conveniences in the present.  It is discontentment which fuels our debtor economy and has led America to become a debtor nation made up of debtor citizens. You and I need to put off “discontentment” and put on “contentment.”

You say you are debt free and therefore have no problem with being discontented. Perhaps the following verse will enlighten you. Are you guilty of grumbling or complaining? If so the root of these expressions is being discontented. Jude warns us that there are individuals within our churches who are discontented and grumble because deep down they are really seeking their own way and not God’s.

16 These people are discontented grumblers, walking according to their desires; their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage. Jude 16 (HCSB)

I have come to understand that many times in my life when I have prayed that phrase in the Lord’s Prayer “thy will be done on Earth, as it is in heaven” that I really did not mean it.  Instead, had I been more honest I would have prayed “my will be done in heaven as it is also done on Earth.”

When I truly learn and except that God’s will is best for me, for you and for everyone, then and only then, can I become truly contented.  It is in this state of contentment that I can trust God to meet my needs and can cease attempting to serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24). The Hebrew writer explains it this way;

5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5 (NASB)

Indeed the apostle Paul says it very well when he states;

6 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, 1 Timothy 6:6 (ESV)

Yet, for you or I to experience this great gain in godliness we must learn to be content with what we have and quit seeking to constantly gain more and more for our own selfish purposes.

8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. 1 Timothy 6:8 (NASB)

Perhaps the greatest New Testament passage which deals with learning to be content with what one has is contained in the letter which Paul wrote to the church at Philippi while he was imprisoned in Rome. Paul writes;

10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of [being content] whether facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:10–13 (ESV)

How as Paul learned this great secret of being content?  He tells us in 2 Corinthians.

7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 (ESV)

Scholars have written many pages trying to convince one another of what exactly was Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” I do not intend to add my voice to theirs. Instead, I want to focus your attention upon the effects which Paul says this “thorn in the flesh” wrought in his character.

Paul says that this “thorn in the flesh” taught him to be “content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.” It is precisely weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities which you and I seek to insure ourselves against by every means possible in our daily lives.  Our society is built upon the “pursuit of happiness”  precisely by preventing such troubling personal experiences to befall any one of our citizens. Yet, Paul teaches us that whenever he was experiencing these things we naturally seek to avoid he discovered that during those times he was strong with the Lord.

I need to put off “discontentment” and put on “contentment!”  As I do so I must learn to strive for less of this worlds goods and for more, much much more of God and the things of God.

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40 Days of Preparation Day 10

Mar05
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Warner Smith

Today, Monday March 5, 20112, is the tenth day of preparing our hearts, souls and minds for the most high of all Christian holy days, Easter Sunday. We are 25 percent through our 40 Days of Preparation.  Today we will discuss why I need to “put off”complaining and “put on” praise.

If you’ve ever read the Old Testament account of God leading the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage to the promised land it is hard not to notice that the children of Israel seem to be natural complainers. It is very easy with hindsight which the Scriptures provide us to condemn them for their complaining and grumbling toward God and Moses. If  we were honest with ourselves however, we must admit that we too are natural complainers.  It is clear from the teaching of Scripture that a complaining attitude is unpleasing to God. We each have much to learn from the following passage.

1 Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the Lord; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. Numbers 11:1 (NASB)

Do you agree with me that were the Lord to burn up the outskirts of our cities, towns, neighborhoods, cul-de-sacs, or yards each time we were to exhibit the attitude of complaining due to the adversity of life that this would be a scorched earth. While I would like to think that were the Lord to burn up my yard I would learn my lesson; an honest assessment of my life experience would suggest otherwise.  The apostle James suggest that we should not complain against one another because God who is our judge is near.

9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. James 5:9 (NASB)

Paul teaches that we are to do everything without complaining or arguing.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, Philippians 2:14

I don’t know about your house but were my family to apply this verse literally to our household I’m not certain that anything would ever get done. I’m fairly certain that were we to apply this verse literally to the work of our church very little would be accomplished.  So you can see by these two statements of fact that I need to “put off” complaining and “put on” praise.

We praise God for who He is.  Whenever I praise Him I am removing my focus from the menial and placing it on the eternal. When I stop to consider who God is if I am His child I will naturally give Him praise. I believe that this is why the writer of Hebrews instructs us to give continually to God a sacrifice of praise.

15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Hebrews 13:15 (ESV)

By placing praise to God upon my lips I am removing complaining and grumbling which displease God and am instead placing upon my lips a sacrifice of praise which in the words of the Old Testament KJV are “a sweet savor unto the Lord.”

In in addition to replacing complaining with praise I am placing myself in a position which will bring us blessing and not judgment from the Lord.  One way to accomplish this is that whenever you feel tempted to complain or are feeling despondent, sing a song of praise. It is one of the best ways to experience calm and contentment when life becomes bleak.

Today as you “put off” complaining and “put on” praise why not sing?  Sing loud and proud for all to hear!  Oh you say you can’t sing, well neither can I. The Bible does not say that only those who can sing well, may sing, but rather to “make a joyful noise unto the Lord.”

4 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: Make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Psalm 98:4 (KJV)

See I was not kidding, the text actually says “make a joyful noise” so however horribly your singing is anyone’s singing qualifies as noise. For your singing to qualify as praise you just must sing joyfully. So today as as you join me in “putting off” complaining and “putting on” praise lets sing, loudly, proudly and most importantly joyfully, and according to the clear teaching of Scripture God will be praised!

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40 Days of Preparation Day 8

Mar03
2012 Leave a Comment Written by Warner Smith

Today, Saturday March 3, 2012, is the eighth day of preparing our hearts, souls and minds for the most high of all Christian holy days, Easter Sunday. Today I need to “put off” unbelief and “put on” faith.  Unbelief is very dangerous because it limits what God will do in your life.  When Jesus walked this planet in the flesh whenever He came to a town where they did not believe in Him He departed and did not return.  I don’t know about you but I don’t want Jesus leaving me, therefore, I must “put off” unbelief and “put on” faith.

When Jesus went to His hometown to preach the gospel and heal the sick the townspeople who had known Him from His childhood could not accept that He could have such wisdom are performed such mighty works.  As a result of their continued questioning and lack of confidence in his ability Jesus left His hometown and they missed out on seeing many miracles and hearing the wisdom of God.

53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:53–58 (ESV)

If we are not in encountering the power of God in our lives as we think a Christian should then we need to very carefully and prayerfully examine our own beliefs to make certain that ours is a true and abiding faith.  I think that each of us too often are like the father in the following passage of Scripture.

21 And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” Mark 9:21–25 (ESV)

Please don’t miss the unbelief in this father’s voice as he questions Jesus’ ability and willingness to heal his son.  Lest we give the father too bad a rap note that in the preceding verses Jesus’ disciples were unable to heal his son.

The response of Jesus to this father’s expressed unbelief and this father’s subsequent response to Jesus are both instructive for us.

Jesus’ response implies a degree of incredulousness.  It’s as though Jesus can’t believe what He has just heard this father say.  “If I can!” In our parlance we would say something like “How dare you question my ability!” That this boy’s father understood that Jesus was perturbed by his previous statement is clear in his response to Jesus.  “I do believe, help my unbelief.” This simple statement of a father desperate to see his son healed should become a prayer that each of us prays regularly especially when we sense that doubt is beginning to creep into our thinking about God and His willingness and ability to help us in our time of need.

Faith is the remedy for unbelief! Hebrews 11 is the great faith chapter of the Bible.

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. . . . 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:1–3; 6 (ESV)

Jesus taught us that faith is best understood as a child.

15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” Mark 10:15 (ESV)

I understand these two passages to mean that I must trust God and Christ to do what they said they would do as a naïve little child who trusts their parent completely. Without such childlike faith it is impossible for me to please or even to draw near to God.  Therefore, since living in God’s presence is my greatest desire as a Christian I must learn to “put off” unbelief and “put on” faith.

Today pray with me “I believe, help my unbelief!”

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True Wealth

Jan26
2010 Written by Warner Smith

I did not write today’s devotion.  It was written by one of the deacons in my church who is also a Sunday school teacher.  He wrote this in response to a lesson he had taught to his Sunday school class.  I hope you are blessed by it as much as I was. After reading his devotion you will better understand why I am so truly blessed to serve in a church which has such gifted and godly men with whom I may share the labor of toiling in God’s vineyard.

4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem [a] as well—the delights of the heart of man. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.  10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2: 4-11

I taught on this text to a Sunday school class of 40 – 50 year old mature Christians. It occurred to me that any one of them could have taught this lesson using nothing but their own life experience.  I think God used me in a special way today to touch their lives, and He definitely used them to touch mine.

I am still learning about true wealth.  I realize how wealthy I am when my son, who just got his learners permit, drives me around town, or when my younger son makes a hard day at work disappear with his generosity and humor. My true wealth becomes abundantly clear when my four year old daughter snuggles in my lap watching Sponge Bob.  That I am truly wealthy is most clear when my wife wraps her arms around me from behind and kisses me on top of my bald head.  I truly value these things more and more with each passing day.

My experience is completely at odds with the world’s definition of wealth or success. I am happy to say I am not a wealthy man by the world’s standards.  I think that while we may know in our head what true wealth is, sometimes we forget what makes us truly wealthy in our heart. We also forget that many of the people we interact with everyday are in a tremendous amount of turmoil over their wealth, or a lack thereof. Everyday we come in contact with people whose lives are in an uproar because of the economic downturn. Many times these people have spent their lives (to the exclusion of family, friends, and God) pursuing wealth or success. The verses above were written by the wisest man to ever live.  He tells us the world’s system is meaningless.

Wealth is not the only thing in which some of us mistakenly place our faith.  Some trust in political systems, health regimes, and the list could go on and on. We wake up one day to find that the politician we trusted who had all the right sound bites cares less than the politician before him. We find that there is no difference in the political party we support than the one we did not support. What was healthy for us yesterday we are told by scientist is not good for us today.

Why is our faith placed in these and other things, so misdirected? Here once more the words of Solomon.

15 Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This too is a grievous evil: As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind? Ecclesiastes 5: 15-16

Our faith is misdirected in these things because they are temporary. Although we toil for them they change like the wind. Wealth will disappear, political systems will change, and your health will fail you.  I too, dear reader, will fail you. There are people whom God will put you into contact everyday who either do not know this, or have forgotten. Perhaps you have forgotten, but the Good News about God does not change, nor does it fail.

19 God isn’t a mere man. He can’t lie. He isn’t a human being. He doesn’t change his mind. He speaks, and then he acts. He makes a promise, and then he keeps it. Numbers 23:19

The next time you have the opportunity to talk to someone remember that God has put that person there for a reason. It just might be your opportunity not to fail them! Tell them about the rock upon which you stand! Tell them about your God and His unchanging mercy, grace, and love! Tell them how to acquire the heavenly wealth that God has promised! Tell them that true success is not measured by promotions or fiscal independence! Tell them true success is measured by obedience and dependence upon God. Otherwise they may have to learn these lessons about His unchanging, but righteous judgments the hard way.

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