Yesterday, the Spirit of God impressed the importance and power that is released when we are thankful. Let me ask you this question, when was the last time you did not ask God for anything and just thanked him for what He has already done in your life? I took time and looked back at the year 2011 and my heart was flooded with the spirit of thanksgiving. Let’s take a look at Psalm 50 and I will share what the Lord showed me.
1THE MIGHTY One, God, the Lord, speaks and calls the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. [The best way to explain what God showed me is to paraphrase verse one; “I AM your God, The Almighty, I AM GOD all by myself. There is no Supreme being besides me. I AM ruler over all. I AM not a silent God, I speak, guide, rule and reign.”] 2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Beloved there is no darkness in our God. Look at verse 3.
3Our God comes and does not keep silence; a fire devours before Him, and round about Him a mighty tempest rages. Beloved meditate on this portion to understand our God. The presence of the Lord is a fire that is like a double edged sword. If we look at fire in the natural it has the ability to nurture and destroy. We use fire to purify precious metals like gold etc. Fire helps to make food safe to eat and digestible. In the same vein, this same fire that provides warmth and security can become a source of great destruction.
Now our God has a devouring fire before Him, as well as a “mighty tempest raging”. How much do you want to bet that fire and a raging tempest do NOT go hand in hand? Whatever you can imagine or have witnessed in nature is nowhere near the reality of the MIGHT of the God we serve. Your mind cannot fathom Him. His fire is a refiners FIRE that destroys darkness in His children and destroys the children of satan.
4He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that He may judge His people: 5Gather together to Me My saints [those who have found grace in My sight], those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. The perfect sacrifice was given once and for all on our behalf by Jesus. The blood of Jesus is our defence and our access into the covering of grace when we enter into the covenant of salvation. We all need grace so that the MERCY in God and of God can abort every judgement that is the result of sin. Remember God is righteous, it is His nature. Look at the following verse.
6And the heavens declare His righteousness (rightness and justice), for God, He is judge. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! 7Hear, O My people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify to you and against you: I am God, your God. Beloved, do you see that our God is not silent, if we cultivate the art of listening we will see that God is speaking. If you look back at the words in red you will see that God is always speaking to us, giving direction. He can choose to speak to you through your spouse, child, pastor, He can speak directly to your heart, through His word or He can use a donkey.
Figuratively speaking, a donkey is that person whom you believe does not know as much as you do in the Lord or is junior to you in some way. You see pride can cloud your ability to hear God when He speaks to you. Beloved remember that there are many different kinds of vessels in the kingdom and service of God. I am not advocating accepting everything you are told as the word teaches us to test the spirits to avoid accepting the wrong message. It is more the spirit in which you receive people, pride Always comes before a fall.
8I do not reprove you for your sacrifices; your burnt offerings are continually before Me. 9I will accept no bull from your house nor he-goat out of your folds.10For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills or upon the mountains where thousands are.11I know and am acquainted with all the birds of the mountains, and the wild animals of the field are Mine and are with Me, in My mind.12If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are Mine.13Shall I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
God is saying, you have nothing that you can give me materially. How can you give me what is already mine? So beloved what is it then that we can give to a God that has and owns everything? Is there something that is important to God? Let’s read on;
14Offer to God the 1sacrifice of thanksgiving, and 2pay your vows to the Most High,15And call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall 3honour and 4glorify Me.
Why is it a sacrifice? Because thanking God does not come easily to the flesh. Think about how parents need to teach children how to say thank you. In the same way you need to subdue the flesh and allow your spirit to dominate it to thank God. Also it is not a feeling or ‘Goosebumps’. Spiritual things are not grounded in how we feel beloved.
16But to the wicked, God says: What right have you to recite My statutes or take My covenant or pledge on your lips, 17 seeing that you hate instruction and correction and cast My words behind you [discarding them]? 18When you see a thief, you associate with him, and you have taken part with adulterers.19You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frames deceit. 20You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother's son. 21These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was once entirely like you. But [now] I will reprove you and put [the charge] in order before your eyes.
What is God saying? “My silence was NOT a sign of my approval it was my grace waiting for you to repent.” 22Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
God has given us all a way out; His desire is for our wellbeing. He has given us all a way out in verse 23.
23He who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honours and glorifies Me; and he who orders his way aright [who prepares the way that I may show him], to him I will demonstrate the salvation of God. So do not ever believe that when you thank God you are wasting time. He has promised to DEMONSTRATE His salvation to you concerning your situation; God never lies or breaks His VOWS.
Comments
Post a Comment