Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

ALWAYS GIVING THANKS

This entry was posted on 07-17-2008 and is filed under uncategorized.

I have contended that we ought to have one day a year that we call "Grumble Day," get ingratitude out of our system, and then have "Thanksgiving Day" the remaining 364 days. Our verse today says, "Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph 5:20 NIV).

The NEB says, "Give thanks every day for everything." What a good way to live! Now let us go back in the context and see if we can make some practical application of this admonition. We started in Eph 4:17. Can we live like a Gentile and thank God for that? I think not. Can we give ourselves to sensuality and thank God? Hardly. Can we thank God for our anger, falsehood, theft, unwholesome talk, bitterness, slander, sexual immorality, coarse jesting, greed, getting drunk, et al? No, no, no. But can we thank God that we have come to know Christ? Surely. Can we thank God for being made new,
living a life of love, living as children of light, being filled with the Spirit, singing with all our hearts to the Lord? Yes, yes, yes.

If you have doubts about some of your actions or activities, ask yourself this question: "Can I thank God for what I am doing (or about to do)?" I think that thought will help us fulfill today's admonition to "Give thanks every day for everything." You can always thank God for doing what is right and good.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the blessing of this day and the opportunity to serve You and do good to others. Through Christ we pray.