It's Saturday, the day after the big "black Friday", the post Thanksgiving spending frenzy of buy and get consumerism. It was amazing at how many people had lined up for these sales. Hard to believe that our country is in "trouble" when I see so many buying things they don't need, when I see how so many are in need.
Heavenly Father, send Your Son back to us and quickly establish His Kingdom.
Today's thoughts apply to how to live a Christian life. First from Bob Hoekstra:
November 26
The God of All Grace Developing Our Lives
But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus . . . perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (1Pe_5:10)
We have been considering God's grace as "much more" (Rom_5:17, Rom_5:20), as "exceeding" (2Co_9:14), and as "exceedingly abundant" (1Ti_1:14).
These terms appropriately lead into our present meditation, which looks at "the God of all grace." The true and living God has all kinds and all measures of grace, and He wants to impart that grace to develop our lives.
One purpose of God's grace is to allow us to dwell forever in His glorious abode: "who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus." This is ours through the atoning death of Jesus Christ, our mediator. "He is the Mediator of the new covenant (of grace), by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant (of law), that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance" (Heb_9:15).
Meanwhile, until He returns for us, He wants to develop our lives spiritually during our pilgrimage here on earth.
Part of His plan is to perfect our lives. "May the God of all grace . . . perfect . . . you." This speaks of God completing what is missing and equipping us for service. "Now may the God of peace . . . make you complete in every good work to do His will . . . And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry" (Heb_13:20-21 and Eph_4:12).
Part of His plan is to establish our lives. "May the God of all grace . . . establish . . . you." This has to do with the Lord stabilizing our Christian walk, keeping us steadfastly moving in His direction for our lives. This word was used to describe Jesus' unswerving commitment to head for the cross, resurrection, and ascension that awaited Him in Jerusalem. "Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem" (Luk_9:51).
Part of His plan is to strengthen our lives. "May the God of all grace . . . strengthen . . . you." Our calling to serve God requires strength that we do not have in and of ourselves. The Lord wants to teach us to draw upon His mighty power: "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man" (Eph_3:16).
Part of His plan is to settle our lives. "May the God of all grace . . . settle . . . you." This involves being increasingly grounded in God's ways: "that you, being rooted and grounded in love" (Eph_3:17).
Dear God of all grace, I am eager to be with You in glory above. Meanwhile, I humbly beseech You to develop my life spiritually. Please complete what is missing, stabilize my walk, empower me within, and ground me in Your love — all by Your grace, Amen.
And this from F. B. Meyer:
November 26
THE GRACE OF GRATITUDE
"What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?"-- Psa_116:12.
GOD'S BENEFITS are here compared to a cup or chalice brimming with salvation. It seems natural to speak of man's lot, either of sorrow or joy, as the cup of which he drinks. The cup or lot of our life brims with instances of God's saving help---"my cup runneth over," and we ask, how may we thank Him enough?
What shall we render unto Him, for all His gracious help?
There are many answers, and the first is, that we will Take. In other words, as one has truly said, Taking from God is the best giving to God, for God loves to give. St. James says: "He is the giving God, who gives not only liberally, but with no thought of personal advantage, and for the mere joy of giving?'
What, then, will gratify Him more than to be trusted, to find recipients for His gifts, to know that we are prepared to be His poor debtors, owing Him ten thousand talents, with nothing to pay, but still receiving and receiving from His great heart of Love. Nothing hurts God more than that we should not take what He offers--"God so loved that He gave," and when we refuse to appropriate His greatest gift, we inflict the deepest indignity and dishonour of which we are capable.
Then, we must call upon His Name (Psa_116:13-17). Take the Name of the Lord as a test. Friendships, plans, profits, amusements, studies---all these cups should be tested by this one mighty Talisman.
We must be sure to pay our vows (Psa_116:14-18; Ecc_5:4-5). We make vows in our trouble, which we sometimes forget when it is past. Surely, it is the height of ingratitude not to redeem our promissory notes. All devoted things, which are laid on God's altar, are absolutely His, and the giver forfeits all rights to their disposal.
Our gratitude demands the gift of ourselves (Psa_116:16). When Robinson Crusoe freed the poor captive, the man knelt before his deliverer, and put his foot upon his neck, in token of his desire to be his slave, and the love of Christ, who loosed us from our bonds, constrains us to live not to ourselves but unto Him (Rev_1:5 R.V.). Loosed from the cords of sin, we become bound to the service of love.
PRAYER
Father, we would thank Thee for all the benefits that we have received from Thy goodness.
The best thanksgiving we can offer to Thee is to live according to Thy holy will; grant us every day to offer it more perfectly, and to grow in the knowledge of Thy will and the love thereof
AMEN.
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