Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Thanksgiving is a time when our country pauses and reflects upon its
benefits and blessings. Throughout the history of our land, people gather
together with family and friends and for various reasons expresses some
realm of gratitude.

I am reminded of the Biblical characters expressing praise and blessings
toward God for the repeated manifestations of His goodness and mercies. The Psalmist David was one who wrote so many matters of praise and adoration to God; in spite of continual hard aches, demonstrations of enemies, rebellions from family members, and repeated attacks upon his spirit and very life. Late in his life, David communes within himself and encourages his very being to bless the Lord. Three times in Psalm 103 he writes, "Bless the Lord, O my soul." Do you not imagine that this is of great importance? It is the Lord that is to be blessed and spoken well of, for He is the fountain of all good. But to return praises to God, there must be a grateful
remembrance of the mercies we have received from Him.

We often praise, bless, and adore God for the benefits given us, those jewels of mercies. The material growth, the healing of a sick one, the protection from danger, good relationship with loved once, etc. are often at the top of the list when we come to such a time as Thanksgiving. I am convinced however, that before we can bless the Lord for His blessings we must first be brought to consider Him and His very being. We must praise God for whom He is! He and He alone is the Sovereign of the universe. Only He is worthy of all praise and glory.

We often hold a gift valuable, regardless of the financial value, when it comes from someone whom we cherish. I am reminded of a special time when my Mother gave each of the six of us kids a special gift. This was a time following one of her surgeries. A time when we were fearful of what might happen to her. To me; she gave cuff links and a special letter. Both are precious to me even today, because it was a demonstration of her love.

Blessing God should be more than mere words. It should arise from the heart. Gratitude produces reverence to Him, not only as God, but Heavenly Father.

How do we bless the Lord?

1. Believe Him: This is more than just saying, "I believe". This is truly faith. Accepting Him and His word with total and complete reliance. Trusting that He will do me good and has me in mind at all times. I cannot think of any greater form of respect that a child can give to a parent than that of trust.
2. Praise Him: Speak highly of Him with conviction of heart. Lifting up of Him and His name. Be careful so as not to bring any type of disgrace toward Him by questioning, murmuring, complaining, or disbelieving.
3. Thank Him: How often we ask and beg, only to forget to express gratitude. With an awareness of our sin and lack of faith, any act of mercy given us from Him is more than we deserve. Should we not express our thanks?
4. Serve Him: Surrender to Him and His will. Make it a point that whatever we do, that it is honestly and pointedly desirable for His glory and furtherance of His kingdom. Do whatever we can.

I trust that you will stop long enough to "Bless the Lord, O my soul" this day of Thanksgiving.

Have a good day!

Love,
Dad

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow will be a day in which we will be expressing our thanks to God for all His benefits, gifts, mercy and grace.

As a family, we have so much for which to be thankful.

-personal relationships
-material goods
-spiritual insights
-good health

The Apostle Paul said it best,
"In everything give thanks..." (I Thes 5:18)

I'm extremely thankful for each of my family members.

Let us have this spirit of gratitude not only once a year, but everyday of the year.

Be thankful!

Have a good day!
Love,
Dad


A Psalm of thanksgiving. Make a joyful noise unto Jehovah, all ye lands. Serve Jehovah with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. Know ye that Jehovah, he is God: It is he that hath made us, and we are his; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Give thanks unto him, and bless his name. For Jehovah is good; his lovingkindness endureth for ever, And his faithfulness unto all generations. (Psalms 100:1-5)

Thankfulness

This entire week is a time of year when our country is reminded of the historical fact of the Pilgrims and Indians getting together to express their thanks for God's blessings upon their crops and deliverance.

We pause to think on the blessings given to us. Each of us have some similar reasons for thanksgiving and others reasons that are specific to ourselves.

What are you thankful for?

Name at least four of them...

1. I am thankful for God's free and sovereign grace.
2. I am thankful for God's faithfulness, despite my faithlessness.
3. I am thankful for my family who provides loving support that I do not deserve,nor adequately reciprocate.
4. I am thankful for the freedom to worship and live, and for those who fight to protect these freedoms.

Have a good day!
Love,
Dad


(List of items is added at present time. The list would have been much different 17 years ago.)

Glory Forever

"To whom be glory for ever. Amen" --Romans 11:36

"To whom be glory for ever." This should be the single desire of the Christian. All other wishes must be subservient and tributary to this one. The Christian may wish for prosperity in his business, but only so far as it may help him to promote this--"To Him be glory for ever." He may desire to attain more gifts and more graces, but it should only be that "To Him may be glory for ever." You are not acting as you ought to do when you are moved by any other motive than a single eye to your Lord's glory. As a Christian, you are "of God, and through God," then live "to God." Let nothing ever set your heart beating so mightily as love to Him. Let this ambition fire your soul; be this the foundation of every enterprise upon which you enter, and this your sustaining motive whenever your zeal would grow chill; make God your only object. Depend upon it, where self begins sorrow begins; but if God be my supreme delight and only object,

"To me 'tis equal whether love ordain
My life or death--appoint me ease or pain."

Let your desire for God's glory be a growing desire. You blessed Him in your youth, do not be content with such praises as you gave Him then. Has God prospered you in business? Give Him more as He has given you more. Has God given you experience? Praise Him by stronger faith than you exercised at first. Does your knowledge grow? Then sing more sweetly. Do you enjoy happier times than you once had? Have you been restored from sickness, and has your sorrow been turned into peace and joy? Then give Him more music; put more coals and more sweet frankincense into the censer of your praise. Practically in your life give Him honour, putting the "Amen" to this doxology to your great and gracious Lord, by your own individual service and increasing holiness.

Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, November 17

Life Construction

There is not a highway in America that will not have some type of construction on it during a year's timetable.

Often now the technique for repairing is to dig up all of the current asphalt before applying the new. This procedure is to produce longer lasting and less troubled roads.

How do you view construction in your life?

Hopefully you'll take the attitude that problems are opportunities in disguise.

Life is a grindstone, and whether it grinds you down or polishes you up is for you and you alone to decide.

Have a good day!
Love,
Dad

O Wise One

Doth not wisdom cry, And understanding put forth her voice? On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she standeth; Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, At the coming in at the doors, she crieth aloud: Unto you, O men, I call; And my voice is to the sons of men. O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart. Hear, for I will speak excellent things; And the opening of my lips shall be right things. For my mouth shall utter truth; And wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; There is nothing crooked or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, And right to them that find knowledge. Receive my instruction, and not silver; And knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; And all the things that may be desired are not to be compared unto it. I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling, And find out knowledge and discretion. The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge: I am understanding; I have might. By me kings reign, And princes decree justice. By me princes rule, And nobles, even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me; And those that seek me diligently shall find me. Riches and honor are with me; Yea, durable wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice; That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, And that I may fill their treasuries. Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was I brought forth; While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there: When he set a circle upon the face of the deep, When he made firm the skies above, When the fountains of the deep became strong, When he gave to the sea its bound, That the waters should not transgress his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth; Then I was by him, as a master workman; And I was daily his delight, Rejoicing always before him, Rejoicing in his habitable earth; And my delight was with the sons of men. Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me; For blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, And refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, And shall obtain favor of Jehovah. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: All they that hate me love death. (Proverbs 8:1-36)

Live Today

Life is full of anticipation!

-Can't wait until we reach a destination.
-Can't wait until a weekend.
-What happiness we will have when we get to go on a vacation.

I'm afraid that we put so much emphasis on the destination that we fail to enjoy the trip.

Joy comes while accomplishing a goal, not just in reaching it.

Enjoy each day of your life-don't wait until a later time or accomplishment.

Life is worth the living!

Have a good day!
Love,
Dad

Boast not thyself of tomorrow; For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. (Proverbs 27:1)

True Truth

...how do you determine what is excellent? What's the standard? Who decides?

Ultimately, God does. And He, in His infinite goodness and mercy, has given His people a firm place to stand. And where that ground has been staked out, our children can proceed in the pursuit of truth that is True Truth, as Francis Schaeffer called it, not what's merely "true for you," or "true for me." And they can pursue True Goodness that provides a fixed moral compass, not mere "values" that change as people and societies change. And true beauty, with standards that are grounded in God's own works and in His very nature, vs mere personal preferences. Our children are never in a better position to reach higher than when looking up - looking up to God and what He has revealed in His Word and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

(excerpt from a speech given by Paul Brinkerhoff at the Mars Hill Academy Vision Banquet, Oct.16, 2009)

What Fuels Us

What Satan put into the heads of our remote ancestors was the idea that they could ‘be like gods’—could set up on their own as if they had created themselves—be their own masters—invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt has come nearly all that we call human history—money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery—the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.

The reason why it can never succeed is this. God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other.

C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity

Do Not Boast of Yourself

The most difficult secret for an individual to keep is the opinion that he has of himself.

We have a tendency to brag entirely too much of ourselves.

We would be better off not to express the high thoughts of ourselves, but elevate those with whom we come into contact daily.

Draw praise toward others!

Have a good day!
Love,
Dad


He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30)

Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time;
(1 Peter 5:5-6)