Thanking God for Second Chances

As I review Psalm 92:1-2 this morning, I read “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening,” (NLT)

Thanks should be on my lips every day. I can never say thank you enough to parents, friends, leaders, and especially to God. When thanksgiving becomes an integral part of my life, I will find that my attitude towards life will change. I will become more positive, gracious, loving, and humble.

God loves to give second chances. Consider Jonah. God gave him a mission to tell the people of Nineveh to repent. But Jonah didn’t like Nineveh and wanted the people to experience God’s judgment. So Jonah ran away from God and ended up in the belly of a fish. Still, God gave him a second chance! He’ll give me one, too. 

What do I do when he does? Learn to live gratefully. That’s how Jonah responded, at least at first. In fact, he thanked God before he had even been rescued: “As for me, I will sacrifice to you with a voice of thanksgiving” (Jonah 2:9 CSB).

When God gives me a second chance, do what Jonah did. Wake up every day with a profound gratitude for the opportunity God has given me.

The Bible says, “It is wonderful to be grateful and to sing your praises, Lord Most High! It is wonderful each morning to tell about your love and at night to announce how faithful you are” (Psalm 92:1-2 CEV).

It’s not just a one-time prayer. It’s a lifestyle of gratitude. The psalmist sang God’s praises every morning and every night.

Since I’m alive and have blood flowing through my veins, my mission is still in front of me. No matter what has happened in the past, I can thank God for a second chance to fulfill his plan for my life. In fact, It’s worth singing about!

In summary, give thanks to the Lord, and sing praises to the Most High. It is good for me to proclaim His unfailing love in the morning, and His faithfulness in the evening, Thanks should be on my lips every day. When thanksgiving becomes an integral part of my life, I will find that my attitude towards life will change. God loves to give second chances. What do I do when he does? I need to learn to live gratefully. Do what Jonah did. Wake up every day with a profound gratitude for the opportunity God has given me. It’s not just a one-time prayer. It’s a lifestyle of gratitude. My mission is still in front of me. No matter what has happened in the past, I can thank God for a second chance to fulfill his plan for my life. In fact, It’s worth singing about!

Father, I may have gotten off-track on the mission you have for me. I’m grateful that whatever was in the past I can still thank you for second chances. I believe that living more gratefully will affect my outlook and be an example to others. I need to choose to wake up every day with a profound gratitude for the opportunity God has given me. I also ask for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others and my preparation for my next work role. Thank you Father for your loving care to me. I pray these things in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

God Is Always Present, Regardless of How I Feel

In review of Job 1:21 it says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”
 

Bottom Line:

I was born with nothing and I will leave with nothing, the Lord has given and he may take it away, regardless, may the name of the Lord be praised.

What this means to me:

I came into this world with nothing, when I leave it I won’t be taking anything with me. The Lord gives and the Lord may take away, regardless, I will praise the name of the Lord at all times.

There was a time, early in my walk that God would confirm my emotions and even answer some of my immature and self-centered presence to reveal himself.  However as I have walked with him, he has and continues to wean me from these types of dependencies.

One other thing I have learned is the God is always present, even when I’m unaware of him. While he wants me to sense his presence, he’s probably more concerned that I learn to trust him more than I feel him.  It is my faith, not my feelings that please Him.

It seems that the situations that stretch my faith the most are those in which life seems to be falling apart and God does not seem to be readily available.  A situation such as this, is explained in the book of Job.  We learn that in one single day, Job lost everything, his family, his health and everything he owned.  For a majority of the book, God says nothing to Job.  

I can learn a lot from Job.  Job 1:20b-21 says, “Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised’” (NIV).  

In the midst of this issue and not understanding, Job still praised God. Later Job then poured out his heart and told God exactly how he felt. He essentially unloaded every emotion that he was feeling. Job 7:11 say, “I can’t be quiet! I am angry and bitter. I have to speak” (TEV). He cried out when God seemed distant: “Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house” (Job 29:4 NIV).

The good news is that God can handle my doubt, anger, fear, grief, confusion, and questions. God will use whatever happens to me to refine my character and build me. In plenty or in times of desperation, I need to keep my focus on him and praise him.  Everything comes from him, and I should allow him to take it away from me.  In the end, I will not be able to take anything with me, other than my character and my faith.  It will be my faith, not my feelings that will please Him.

I need to remember that when life gets tough, the best one to discuss this with is God.  I also need to remember that my faith in God is on display when I go through any crises. My example can help others who may be or will struggle in the future.

The Antidote to People-pleasing

In review of Luke 9:26 it says, “Whoever is ashamed of me 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.”

Bottom Line:

If you are ashamed of Christ and his message, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he returns.

What this means to me:

I should never be ashamed or afraid to speak or admit Christ and his message. If I do, then he will likewise be ashamed of me when he returns. It is important to keep in mind that one day, I will give an account of my life before God. If I can keep this in mind and have this kind of long-term thinking, it will ultimately change what I say, what I do, and who I try to impress. It is the antidote to people-pleasing.

When I take that long look ahead and realize that I’m going to give an account for every word I say today, I’ll should be able to ask of myself, “Do I want God disapproving of what I just said or did, or do I want this person disapproving of what I just said or did?”

Naturally my human nature wants me to be liked. Unfortunately to do so, this same human nature will direct me to compromise, divert, punt, and leave out the truth. I can’t just say, “I just leave that up to God” or “Everybody has to make up their own mind.” That’s only a  a politically correct, people-pleasing cop-out. If I do this, I’m not standing for the truth.

Instead of saying something that would be politically correct and not offend, I remember these truths. In that pressure moment, I can do three things.

First, I remember what Jesus Christ did for me on the cross. He didn’t deny me. He didn’t back down for me. He died for my sins. I owe him my eternal life. He created me. He saved me. He forgave me. He’s taking me to Heaven with him. I’m not going to deny him.

Second, I remember that one day I’m going to give an account to God. And at that point God’s going to say, “What did you say in that conversation at work? What did you say to your friend?” I need to remind myself that my integrity is more important than popularity.

Finally, I tell the truth and let the chips fall.

Today’s verse in Luke 9:26 says, “Whoever is ashamed of me 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” (NIV).

Going forward, I want to keep this in mind, “Do I want God disapproving of what I just said or did, or do I want this person disapproving of what I just said or did?” I want to make God my banner that I’m proud to march under. I need to look to honor God with what I say and do at all times.

It Is Faith, Not Feelings, That Will Please God

In review of Job 1:21 it says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”

Bottom Line:

We were born with nothing (we came naked), and we take nothing with us at death. The Lord gives us what we have, and they are his to take away. No matter what, the Lord is worthy of our praise.

What this means to me:

I came into this world with nothing and when I leave, I won’t be taking any material things with me. Everything I have in this life has come from God. It is his to give and his to take away.  No matter what I have or don’t have, I will want the faith to praise God always. Early in my walk with God, he provided me with lots of confirming emotions and answers to my more immature and self centered prayers. I’m sure He did this to help me understand that he exists. However, as I grow i my faith, he has weaned me off of those smaller dependencies. I believe that God wants me to sense his presence. He is more concerned now that I trust him rather than feel him. It is faith, not feelings, that pleases God. There will be situations that stretch my faith the most. There will be times when life seems to be falling apart and God seems nowhere to be found. As scripture explains, this happened to Job. On a single day he lost everything; his family, his business, his health, and everything he owned. The most discouraging thing for Job was that for 37 chapters of the Bible, God said nothing! The key is to know how to still praise God when I don’t understand what’s happening and God appears silent. How to stay connected in a crisis without communication. How to keep my eyes on Jesus when they’re full of tears. Rick Warren points out that you do what Job did: He fell to the ground in worship and said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised” (Job 1:21 NIV). I am to tell God exactly how I feel. I am to pour out my heart to God. Unload every emotion that I’m feeling. Job did this when he said, “I can’t be quiet! I am angry and bitter. I have to speak” (Job 7:11 TEV). Job cried out when God seemed distant: “Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house” (Job 29:4 NIV). The good news is that God can handle my doubt, anger, fear, grief, confusion, and questions. Honestly, I don’t want to ever experience a time when I feel God is silent in my life, however, given this study today he may be preparing me for this or perhaps to help someone else with perspective as they go through something similar.  The key for me will be to understand that no matter what happens, God is in control, and he is worthy of all my praise.

Five Things To Do in the Middle of the Storm

In review of Matthew 14:30 it says, “But when [Peter] saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted.”

Bottom Line:

Like Peter, we get nervous and frightened when we focus on our situation and what we can’t control.

What this means to me:

Like Peter, when I see or notice that things that are up against me, I become scared and get a sinking feeling. When this happens, I ultimately end up shouting out for God to save me. But the great thing to remember is that when I go through a storm, God will never be far away or uninvolved. He is “I Am,” and he is working in my life for my good. However, he has some things he wants me to do. He wants me to:

. To have courage, because Jesus is with me. I don’t need to argue with a fear. I just tell it where to go. Tell it to go talk to Jesus.

. To take a risk in faith. Never ask God to bless what I’m doing. Rather, do what God is blessing. Ask him what he wants me to do, and then be willing to get out of the boat in an instant to do it.

. Stay focused on Jesus. The moment I take my eyes off the Lord, I’ll go under. Matthew 14:30 says, “But when [Peter] saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me, Lord!’ he shouted” (NIV). When I focus on the wind and the waves, “my circumstances”, just like Peter, I’ll sink. If I look at the world, I’ll be distressed; if I look within, I’ll be depressed; if I look at Christ, I’ll be at rest.

. Don’t doubt. I don’t need great faith to make it through the storm, I just need faith in the right person.

. Praise God. Even in the storm, even when I feel like I’m sinking, even when I’m scared to death; praise him all the time. Thank God in the middle of the storm.

The next time I face a storm, I’ll consider why God is letting me go through it. I’m sure He’s letting me go through it for the same reasons he sent the disciples into the storm; to communicate to me that, “I’m all you need. I can handle anything. I will come to you in the ninth hour. And I’ll come walking on the very thing that scares you the most. I’m not asking you to come to me. I’m going to come to you. Stop being afraid, and totally trust me in faith.” It is going through the storms in life where I can personally see God at work. This combined with my regular quiet time allows me to know that he’s on my side and only wants the best for me. Its important that I not let anything crowd me out from spending time with him daily.

Learning to Sing My Thanks to the Lord

In review of Psalm 147:7 it says, "Sing out your thanks to him; sing praises to our God."

Bottom Line:

Sing out your thanks and praises to God with melody.

What this means to me:
This passage reminds me that, I am to sign out my thanks to the Lord. I am to sing praises to God with melody of music to accompany me. Several versions of this verse include using a harp or making melody to God on the lyre. As in the case of all instrumental music among the Hebrews, the harp and lyre were used principally as an accompaniment to the voice. Instruments were used on joyous occasions, such as banquets and festive processions. So, learning to thank God for what he has given me is an important part of my spiritual journey. One of the most important ways to show gratitude is by singing. The Bible says, "Sing out your thanks to him; sing praises to our God" (Psalm 147:7a LB). Nothing can help me be aware of God's presence more quickly than singing praises to Him. It doesn’t matter how much musical talent I have. The Bible urges me to make a joyful noise. Even pigs do that as they eat! If pigs can make a joyful noise, so can I. Christianity is a singing faith. There are more songs about Jesus Christ than anything or anyone else, even love. That’s why its important for me to be part of a local church. It’s not just about listening to a weekly message from the Bible. At least once a week, I need the emotional expression that comes from singing thanks to God. Failure to do so will make a heart shrivel. I can’t be a healthy Christian on sermons alone. I need both the impression from the message and the expression through the music. Rick Warren mentioned, “I have discovered that the times when I least feel like singing are when I need to do it the most. When my heart is cold, I need to be renewed, restored, and recharged through singing thanks to God. In my hectic schedule, I find listening to music and singing praise to God renews my soul.” I have found this to be turn in my own life. Therefore, I should turn on my favorite worship songs and find a Christian radio station to listen to in the car, and sing along, thanking God for all he has given me. And making a joyful noise to the Lord while I’m at it.