NOVEMBER 26, 2015
No Peas!
In
every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. — Philippians 4:6
Read:
Psalm 118:1-14
When our kids were
young, one of them bluntly said “no” when we passed him some peas for dinner.
To which we replied, “No what?” We hoped he would say, “No, thank you.” Instead
he said, “No peas!” That led to a discussion about the importance of good manners.
In fact, we had similar discussions on numerous occasions.
Beyond good
manners—which are external—our Lord reminds us that we are to have a heart of
gratitude. scripture contains dozens of reminders that expressing gratitude is
of primary importance in our relationship with God. Psalm 118 begins and ends
with the exhortation to “give thanks to the Lord” (vv. 1, 29). We are to give
thanks when we come into His presence (100:4). And the requests we bring to Him
are to be wrapped in a spirit of thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6). Such an attitude of
gratitude will help us remember our abundant blessings. Even in the midst of
trouble and despair, God’s presence and love are our constant companions.
It’s no wonder, then,
that the psalmist reminds us to “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his
love endures forever” (Ps. 118:1).
Lord, Your goodness is
enough to make me thankful every day. Teach me to live with a thankful heart
and remind me to regularly thank You for Your goodness and steadfast love.
It is only with gratitude that life becomes
rich. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
INSIGHT:
Today’s psalm
celebrates the beautiful deliverance of the Lord. These verses provide a
wonderful example of how to thank the Lord for His work in our lives. Verses
1-4 show us that praise is not only personal and private but can be expressed
by a whole community. Verses 5-14 encourage us to reflect on our times of need
and to celebrate how God has worked in us and through us.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2015