Psalm 118:1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! Because His mercy endures forever. --NKJV In the name of Christ Jesus, dear fellow redeemed:
We have seen this past week how God the Father gives Himself to us completely along with all of His most precious gifts. We have seen how He provides everything we need for this life, as well as for the life to come. We have seen how He continues to preserve us; to guard and keep us from danger. It is fitting then, as Luther says, that we should "thank and praise, serve and obey Him." We need to realize that everything we have has come down to us from the Father in heaven. This realization should make us, first of all, drop to our knees in humble repentance over the many offenses we have committed against such a great and kind Father. We should confess the many times we have used the good gifts that God has given us for evil purposes. We should confess all of the times we have pridefully strutted around as though it is we who provided all of these things ourselves, and not God. However, we should also see from God's providence how much he still loves us and cares for us even though we are unworthy children. For this reason, we should constantly thank and praise our Creator in everything we do. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, we should recognize our obligation to serve and obey God in response to His loving kindness. We should strive to use His gifts to His praise and glory by serving our neighbor in all humbleness and meekness. Our goal should always be to display the same attitude toward those around us that God has shown toward us. May God grant us such a spirit. Amen.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we confess to You that we have not always used all of the good things that You have given us in a way pleasing to You. We thank You for all of Your gracious gifts, especially that of Your dear Son Jesus Christ. We ask that You would grant us thankful hearts that recognize Your deep love for us. Help us always to serve You in all humility and reverence by displaying the same love for our neighbor that You have displayed toward us. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.
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