Psalm of Thanksgiving

Ps 116:12

12 What shall I render to the LORD
For all His benefits toward me?
NKJV

As we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday, I want to take a moment and reflect on all that God has done for me. He has been truly faithful even when I have been faithless. Almost a couple of months ago I was layed off from my job. Because of God's faithfullness, we have not gone without. We don't know how He did it, but God has provided, and we have been sustained by His Grace and Mercy. Thank you God for taking care of us.

Many of life's trials come unexpectedly without warning. You get a report from the doctar, you find out your kid is on drugs, you lose a loved one who seemed to be healthy, your best friend betrays your confidance, you get blamed for something you didn't do, your husband walks out on you. All of these things happend without warning.

David the psalmist said what do I do when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. When trouble comes, I am thankful that I serve a God that knows the end from the begginning and He is never caught off guard, in fact He has already made a way out of my trouble, and is working everything out for my good and His purpose. God is faithful every day, and His mercy is new every morning, great is His faithfullness.

David ask a powerful question here. What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits towards me? The primary sign that you are walking into maturity is when you understand that life demands you give something back. Paul said when I was a child I thought like a child, spoke as a child, understood as a child...

The characteristic of a child is he always sees things to his advantage. What's in it for me? What can I get out of it? How can it benefit me? I want what is mine. I have 5 girls and when they come home from school they used to go right into the kitchen, open up the refridgerator, take out the milk pour them some milk, open the cupboard and get out the Oreos and go sit down and watch television, all the while they leave the empty carton on the counter, and they didn't think to leave milk for the next morning for Kelloggs corn flakes, and they didn't close the regrigerator door, wasting electricity... Why> The nature of a child is to think of nobody but themselves, while you pay the bills.

This childish nature thinks everything revolves around me. It takes no thought of the needs of others , or the consequence of my actions that affects those around me.

Maturity is defined as responsibility, it is understanding that there are benefits to relationships, to being a part of a house of faith, to living under the care of another and father , to serving a God who daily loads us with benefits. There is no better feeling than when one of my children sees me doing something and they say, Daddy let me do it, or when I come home the house is clean and the laundry is done and dinner is on the table. There is no better feeling than when they do something to give back without me having to ask them to do it. It is called responsibility.

The law of the earth is reciprocity, it is the law of seed time and harvest, it is how the earth operates. Rain comes down, then begins the process of evaporation, it gathers as vapor and moisture it goes back up into the heavens and forms rain clouds, and rains down again. It is the process by which it makes sure there is rain for another day. When you break this process it results in drought.

When a tree sheds its leaves in fall, they fall to the ground and die, then they fertilize the soil so that the ground can provide nutrients to the trunk of the tree , so that the tee can begin to produce leaves for another day, and when you break this process, the tree will begin to die.

Jesus said when you give pressed down, shaken together, and running over, then men will give back to you. If you release it from you, it will come back to you. But the day you hold it and break this process, famine begins. When we come to Church with a consumer mentality and are always taking but never giving anything back... We want the benefits but we don't want to release benefits back.

We need to be asking, what can I give back? How can I be a blessing? If you want to have friends, you need to first be friendly, if you want life to bless you, then you need to first bless it, if you want people to give to you, then you need to be a giver, if you want people to treat you kind, then you need to first be kind. It is the difference in marriage of lust and love. Lust always takes, but love gives.

This thanksgiving season, why don't you take inventory of the blessings and benefits you have received and give back. Instead of expecting your mom or wife to make Thanksgiving dinner to feed 10, 20, 30... Why don't you take the time to offer to do something special back, find ways to bless them back. If when you go out for dinner somebody always pays the tab, why don't you pay the tab. Instead of going to Church week after week and enjoying the benefit of having a Pastor who feeds you well, prays for you, the anointing on His life causes your life to rise, why don't you find a special way to give something special back. let your Pastors know how much you appreciate them, love them and value them. Why? Because what you don't value and reward will eventually exit your life. The moment we top being reciprocal we become the false image of Thanksgiving. A stuffed Turkey.

Blessings,
Craig