Continue Thanksgving

Thanksgiving makes me sad. Well, not all of it, but one thing in particular. Why one day? One day of thanksgiving? Why do we often times forget to thank God and wait until thanksgiving to praise Him as much as we should? Why can't we make a habit of praising and thanking God for all the blessings we receive, daily, or even multiple times daily? The truth is that we can. David was shepherd, a psalmist, and a king from the Old Testament. He gave God a lot of thanks. The Book of Psalms is filled with David's praise to the Lord: Psalm 124:1-3 1 If the Lord had not been on our side— let Israel say— 2 if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us, 3 they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; Psalm 144:1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. Psalm 145:1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Psalm 65:1 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. David didn't shy away from publicly declaring his love for his Creator 2 Samuel 6:14-16, 21-22: 14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart... 21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” (caps and italics added in by me; verses from the NIV Bible) How often do we shy away from praising God in public? Now I'm not talking about praising God in order to gain the approval of men, I'm talking about our acknowledgement of Him. Do you feel embarrassed praying in public, do you worry about how you appear to others? Are you ready to share your beliefs with others, or do you compromise them to fit in? Are you constantly on 'good behavior' when you're with other believers, but change your habits when you are with your non-believing friends? I stumble in this too at times, and I hate it. It's something I will have to work on and keep in check everyday of my life. And I will gladly do it for Him! GOD DESERVES OUR PRAISE! In fact, God is the ONLY one in this universe who deserves anything. So check out the planets and stars tonight, take a hike, or simply settle your mind down, and praise God for the beauty all around you, and for the gifts God has given you. Don't be ashamed of the One who saves, loves, lives, and died for us! 2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 1 Peter 4:16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. Luke 9:26 Whoever is ashamed of me [Jesus] and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. God bless you all today and always! Delaney