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The Thanksgiving of the Upright

There are times when one is very sad; and there are moments of great joy. There are times when we are glad that we got something we wanted; and there are times when we have lost what we had. But an important question is whether we are thankful to our God no matter what it is that He sends us, or takes from us. A truth we ought to consider is found in Psalm 140: 13 . There David says, "Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name; the upright shall dwell in thy presence."

The question then is whether we shall give thanks to God no matter what He sends us. For the text states that the righteous give thanks, and that means that they do the right thing. Righteous people do what is right in God's sight. And the righteous, according to Romans 8:28 , know that "all things work together for good to them that love God." All things, not merely some things. Loss as well as gain; health but also sickness; death as well as life work together for our good. We give thanks, do we not, for what we consider to be good? We have then the astounding truth that our calling is always to give thanks to God for all that which He does, whether it hurts our flesh or brings it pleasure.

Look also at I Corinthians 15:57 . There Paul states, "Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Through Christ comes our salvation. And because He is Lord of all at God's right hand, all that which He sends us and which He causes to happen to us and around us is for our good.

Let us therefore examine our souls and lives. Are we a thankful people? Do we really believe that all things work together for our good? Is this or that physical loss a gain for us? Do we always believe that all things work together for good to those that love God? Note what David wrote: The upright shall dwell in God's presence. Are you in God's presence when He sends things that hurt the flesh? Be sure that He works all things together for good for each child of God.

Read: Psalm 140

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:
Ezekiel 44 ; Ezekiel 45:1-12 
1 Peter 1:1-12 
Psalm 119:17-32 
Proverbs 28:8-10

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Quote for Reflection:

"…There are various burdens which delay and impede our spiritual course, such as the love of this present life, the pleasures of the world, the lusts of the flesh, worldly cares, riches also and honors, and other things of this kind. Whosoever, then, would run in the course prescribed by Christ, must first disentangle himself from all these impediments, for we are already of ourselves more tardy than we ought to be, so no other causes of delay should be added." - John Calvin

Last modified on 21 November 2018

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  • Date: 22-November

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