Being Grateful

God wants us to be grateful to Him. This devotion looks at what we are to be grateful for and what we gain when we are.

Nuggets

  • We need to be grateful that God crowns us as His children.
  • We will be surrounded by God.

I wrote this on the day before Thanksgiving, planning on posting it that day. However, my technology failed me. That probably worked out better because we got to finish up Joel with no interruptions.

But I didn’t want to lose this, so I’m posting it today.

Wednesday is pizza day in the Miller household. On the way back, God gave me something that I believe He wants me to share with you.

Being Grateful Even Though We Die

“He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies” (Ps. 103: 4 NLT)

We need to be grateful that God crowns us as His children.

I had the radio on, and a preacher was talking about these verses. It got me thinking.

At first glance, worldview people would love this verse. They don’t die, and they get a crown. (Who doesn’t like being treated like royalty?)

But that is the worldview. It isn’t necessarily God’s view.

The don’t die part here isn’t talking about physical death. The only way we may not die a physical death is if we are raptured when Jesus comes to get His church.

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality” (I Cor. 15: 51-53 ESV).

Now, I don’t know what the change entails. It may be physical death, and our bodies are left. We may float away like Thanos’ snap victims in Avengers: Infinity War.

That shouldn’t be our focus. Our focus should be on what happens after we are changed.

We are going to be judged and sentenced either to Heaven or hell. Wherever we go is where we are going to live for eternity.

Jesus redeems us from eternal death. He does that by paying the penalty for our sins. We gain eternal life by admitting our sins, believing on Jesus as Redeemer, confessing God as Sovereign, Lord and demonstrating that commitment by following our job description.

We should be very grateful for eternal life, not eternal death. Eternal death is going to be torment. “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20: 15 ESV).

Instead, we get Heaven.

Being Grateful for being Crowned

We will be surrounded by God.

What really caught my attention was when the radio pastor talked about being crowned. He said it didn’t mean we were going to get a jeweled headpiece.

The radio pastor said that God’s children would be surrounded with “… lovingkindness and tender mercies” (Ps. 103: 4 KJV).

Think about it. The crown isn’t a worldly crown. It doesn’t elevate us to where we would even begin to think we are equals with God.

It is all about what God does for us. He shows us kindness and mercy.

It isn’t just a surface kindness or a random act of kindness. It is a loving kindness.

We know God loves us. He sent His Son to die for us so that our relationships with Him can be restored.

That is a major demonstration of love!

God shows us mercy. God’s mercy is an act of sovereign will that produces an unexpected and undeserved response from God as He responds in love to our needs.

We deserve eternal death because we disobey God. We don’t deserve eternal life.

God designed the Plan of Salvation anyway.

being-gratefulFB

Making the Connections

We have so much for which to be grateful to God. No, it isn’t going to follow the worldview where we elevate ourselves. We are not even in the same ballpark as God.

We are to be eternally grateful for what God has done for us. He loves us and saves us.

How Do We Apply This?

The ABCDs of Salvation

If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.

A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord

D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to live the way in which God has called us

The Disciple’s Job Description

Father God. We are grateful that You created us. We thank You that You designed the Plan of Salvation to restore our relationships with You. Lord, we look forward to the day that we will spend eternity with You. Amen.

What do you think?

Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.

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