I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
How to give thanks
The Old Testament recounts numerous moments where God provided for His people. But one powerful retelling of God’s greatness is found in Psalm 105. This Psalm focuses on events found in the book of Exodus, and worshipers were encouraged to remember God’s faithfulness and show gratitude for what He has done. And while all 45 verses are worth studying, let’s take a closer look at the verse that sets the tone for Psalm, and the four ways it invites us into worship…
“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done.”
Psalm 105:1 ESV
Reflect on what God has done for you
Gratitude comes from recognizing what God has done for us. So in order to show gratitude, we have to recognize how God was at work in our past circumstances. When we do that, we can acknowledge God’s faithfulness and genuinely worship Him.
Thank God
In Psalm 105:1, the term “giving thanks” stems from the Hebrew word yadah which means, “to revere or worship.” To revere someone, you have to respect who they are. Giving thanks is an ongoing act of worship that involves recognizing who God is and offering up gratitude to Him for all that He’s done.
Praise God
The expression that’s often translated as “call upon His name” was often used in corporate worship to encourage people to seek the Lord.
God’s name carries authority and power and is above all other names, and we proclaim God’s greatness when we call on His great name. When we call on God’s name, we gain a greater understanding of who He is—and this can encourage us to praise Him even more.
Tell everyone
God wants everyone to know Him personally, and we get to help people find Him when we proclaim His greatness. As people discover what God has done for us, it can inspire them to seek God for themselves and discover His love for them.
We were made to worship God, and one of the ways we do that is by recounting His wonderful works. So today, intentionally set aside time to reflect on God’s faithfulness. And then—tell other people about His great works. Who knows? Your praise just might inspire others to worship God as well.
Undeserved Mercies
When someone hurts you or, worse, hurts somebody that you love, revenge can seem appealing. After all…
They were mean.
They were selfish.
They talked behind your back.
They broke a vital promise.
They lied about you.
They criticized you.
They ignored you.
They did the unthinkable.
They walked away.
They deserve to be punished, right? To feel some of that same pain? They deserve a consequence that will not only help them learn, but will be just as severe as the inflicted wounds.
And yet—because God sees things differently, both His standards and tactics can be surprising. And that’s why the apostle Paul, writing to the believers in Thessaloniki, said:
“See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.”
1 Thessalonians 5:15 NLT
Paul’s words sound a lot like Jesus’ words—to love your neighbor as yourself; to do to others what you’d like them to do to you. (See: Matthew 22:38-40)
God’s ways ...
