Skip to main content

Give Thanks, by Pastor Kevin Feder

By
Give Thanks

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:1-5

Psalm 103 is a psalm of thanksgiving. The reason why giving thanks and being thankful is so important is because it might be the single most distinctive characteristic of being a Christian. This is most plausible when we look at the way the atheist is described in Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. Thus, if the refusal to give thanks to God marks the atheist, giving thanks ought to mark the believer.
And for good reason. The believer, afterall, has good reason to give thanks to God. The believer has good reason and many reasons to give thanks to God. This seems simple enough, doesn’t it? Believers should be thankful. Not too much resistance there. Yet, most believers would admit that grumbling, complaining, worry, anger, doubt, anxiety, bitterness, apathy, to name a few, creep in and choke out thankfulness. What should a believer do to be more characterized by thankfulness and less like this list? Here are two responses:
First, being thankful means giving thanks, which means it is up to you to be thankful. You are not a passive recipient of thankfulness. Rather, you are active in pursuing it by faith. If you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit empowering you to walk by faith, you have God’s Word to speak truth to you, and you have God’s Son that gave his life for you so that you can be a child of God. You have everything you need to be a thankful person.
Second, being thankful means you must preach the truth to your soul. In Psalm 103 David preaches to his soul (Bless the LORD, O my soul). He doesn’t wait until he feels thankful. By faith, he presses the truth into his mind. Living by faith and being thankful is primarily not a feeling but the will to live in accordance with what is true. David models what this looks like. He preaches to his own heart. He rouses his emotions to the memory of God’s work. He refuses to be controlled by what he feels, he insists on living according to God’s love.

That we would be thankful people, Pastor Kevin




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Deacons - How They Serve and Strengthen the Church (Part 1)

By
  One of the next important priorities for GCF is to establish deacons in the life of the church. On March 14, 2021 we were able to establish an elder team. Currently, we have a team of four elders overseeing the congregation of GCF.  However, there is more work to be done. I have come to see that establishing an elder team was the bare minimum that needed to happen for GCF to survive. I believe GCF now needs to turn our attention to raising up a team of qualified and willing deacons to serve the congregation so that it will not only survive but thrive.   I would like to begin a series of blogs on deacons to help us understand who they are and what they do in the life of the church.  In this blog let me provide three reasons why I think deacons should be near our top priority.  Number 1: It is Biblical. Paul instructs Timothy to install elders who will help him pastor the church. For whatever reason, it seems the churches in our circles treat the installmen...
Post a Comment
Read more

Worship Songs, October 15, 2017

By
We post these worship songs leading up to the worship service so that parents may listen to them in the house or in the car within the days leading up to the worship service. Our hope is that children will hear the songs prior to and it will prepare them to participate in worship on Sunday mornings. My Redeemers Love Hope Has Come I Will Glory In My Redeemer Blessed Be Your Name Here In Your Presence Your Glory Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest) -- Sermon Text: John 11:1-16 That the next generation will set their hope in God and not forget the works of God (Psalm 78:7).
Post a Comment
Read more

God Displays His Beauty While Lifting Heavy Burdens by Pastor Kevin

By
I know I am a little bit overweight. My doctor tells me so. The mirror that I look into affirms it and the scale (that I mostly avoid) reminds me every time I step on it. All of that makes what I am about to say so much more impressive. I had the privilege of sitting on the beaches of Florida's Atlantic coast for 8 days on our most recent family trip. For me there is something magical about the beach, especially on the Atlantic side with the waves washing up against the shoreline. We have been lucky enough to find a sleepy beach town to vacation at. A nook, if you will, that typically features retired folks or families with kids. Out of the way of those who want to party, the beach is truly a relaxing place for me.  Let me tell you something that I gleaned this time around that never quite landed on me. This last week it landed on me, almost literally. My son Ben and I are the more adventurous specimens in the Feder five. We actually get into the salty water where there are jelly f...
2 comments
Read more