6-12-2019

Good Morning All,

Psalm 52:9; “I will give thanks to you forever for what you have done.  In the presence of your godly people, I will wait with hope in your good name.”

“Thank you.”  This is probably the first “manner” that we teach our children.  Just as soon as they can speak we begin to hammer it home.  “What do you tell Grandma?”  “Thank you.”  If we don’t hear it; we ask again and then we begin with no more presents, don’t you love her, that’s not how we raised you, etc.  If we hear it then we say “good boy”.  Maybe that is part of our problem, we have made thanks an act of the law, a requirement; rather than a heartfelt expression. 

   I can remember times when I gave a gift and heard no “thank you” but the look in their eyes and the expression on their faces said it all.  I got my thank you.  Sometimes the best “thank you” is to see someone actually use the gift that you gave them.  Saying thank you can take many forms.

   Our verse is about giving thanks forever but includes the idea of waiting. So, we want to look a little look at how this applies to our prayer life.  We give thanks for what God has done and what He promises to do.  Then we wait; we wait with the certain expectation that God will keep his promises.  We wait, knowing that God keeps his promises that he makes to his people and we can live with the joyful expectation of knowing that while God may not give us what we want; he definitely gives us what we need.

    Giving thanks to God should be an integral part of our prayer/devotional life.  This should be part of the conversation rhythm that we have with God.  We read and study his Word to hear God speak to us.  We listen to the absolution where we hear God’s forgiveness for us, we hear him call us back home.  We, in turn, speak to God with our concerns and fears for sure.  God tells us to call upon him in the day of trouble; this is part of God comforting us and giving us peace.  Yet we should also give thanks for the gifts we have and will get in this life and the next.  Thanks should be a natural part of our prayer.

    This can help live out our prayer life, especially our thank you.  Take your prayer life and live it.  We can do this by how we live, by how we use the gifts we are given.  God gives you life and wants to have a loving relationship with you.  He wants to have a long and loving conversation with you.  He wants to talk to you and have you listen to him. He wants you to talk to him as he listens to you as well.

Dearest Father, we struggle with thank you as we are so overwhelmed by your gifts.  Even as our lives are chaotic and worrisome, your wonderful grace is always present.  Give us the faith to see this and to give you thanks and live our lives for you.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret