Express Thanksgiving—”for He has done excellent things;”
Have you ever seen a miracle? Really, have you? Earlier today, I read about a small child with health issues who keeps a log of miracles she realizes are the work of the LORD. I think all believers could take a lesson from this child.
Of late, I have found a fascination with the prophet Isaiah. In his prophecy, he wrote of the coming Messiah, of the restoration of Israel after captivity, and of the eternal glory of the LORD that all Christians, all believers will experience at their last day on earth. In the past, it has been spoken (from my mouth) that I wish to work until I am eighty-five and live until I am 103; lately, I have begun to see the fallacy of my thinking.
Let us first begin with a reading describing one of the Lord’s miracles—
“And the LORD will utterly destroy
(Isaiah 11: 15-16 & 12: 1-6 NASB)
The tongue of the Sea of Egypt;
And He will wave His hand over the River
With His scorching wind;
And He will strike it into seven streams
And make men walk over dry-shod.
And there will be a highway from Assyria
For the remnant of His people who will be left,
Just as there was for Israel
In the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt.
THANKSGIVING EXPRESSED
Then you will say on that day,
‘I will give thanks to You, O LORD;
For although You were angry with me,
Your anger is turned away,
And You comfort me.
Behold, God is my salvation,
I will trust and not be afraid;
For the LORD GOD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation.’
Therefore you will joyously draw water
From the springs of salvation.
And in that day you will say,
‘Give thanks to the LORD,
call on His name.
Make known His deeds among the peoples;
Make them remember that His name is exalted.’
“Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things;
Let this be known throughout the earth.
Cry aloud and shout for joy,
O inhabitant of Zion,
For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
My husband is quick to say, ‘Nancy struggles with control.’ The Christian band for KING & COUNTRY sings a melody simply called “Control,” a song that reminds each of us what we must do each morning. Pause for a minute to read with me one part of this important melody:
“I give up control.
I will raise my voice and sing.
I will raise my voice and sing.
I give up control.
It is all I’ve got left to bring.
Body, mind, and soul.
Can’t do this on my own.
I give up control.”
Surrendering is not easy, but that is exactly what God asks us to do each day—surrender my selfish will to His Glorious Will. In order to surrender, we need to pause, to rest in Him, to seek His forgiveness, to be daily found in His Word. As we do, the miracles of the LORD are easily seen all around us.
- See the mother feeding the baby she has longed to receive.
- See the pastor preaching to the congregation about heaven and hell.
- See the way daddy looks with love at mommy.
- See the child grow up to cross the stage in accomplishment, having attained the education the LORD has led the child to pursue.
- See the teacher in the classroom teaching the children.
- See the earth awake every morning with light.
- See the way the LORD directs the steps of those who seek to follow His will.
- See the salvation of the LORD, despite the age of the person, whether very old or very young or somewhere in the middle.
- See the eyes of the one resting on her deathbed; surely she glimpses the angels of heaven coming to retrieve her soul for her bright eyes speak it so.
- See the lost one come to his senses to see the truth of the LORD.
The apostle Paul wrote to the young preacher Timothy letters, encouraging him in the work Timothy was to do. Let us end by reading a portion of Paul’s letter, one that describes the LORD’S miracles—
“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome,
(The Second Letter of Paul to Timothy 2: 24-26 NASB)
but be kind to all,
able to teach,
patient when wronged,
with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition,
if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil,
having been held captive by him to do his will.”
- May we be faithful in the way the Lord will have us walk through this day.
- May we stand in awe at the miracles we will see Him do.
- With humble adoration, may we Express Thanksgiving, for as the prophet Isaiah reminds us—
“for He has done excellent things;”
- So may we bow to pray,
“LORD,
You know how we can become so distracted, so lost in all that seems important to us.
FATHER, forgive us for our self-focus.
Awaken within us, reveal in us Your power.
Send Your Holy Spirit to lead us in the way we are to walk through this single day given to us to live.
Let us surrender our tight-fisted control to You, to Your Holy Will.
Make us submissive.
Make us humble.
Help us be patient for Your timing.
Guide our steps as we walk toward the eternity promised, and LORD, if today is the final day of our lives, then allow the world to see You through us.
In Jesus’ name we ask these things, as we express our thankfulness for all the marvelous, excellent things You have already done. Amen.”