THANKFULNESS!
A quick testimony;
Years ago, we did some work in an older persons house. He had just recently become a christian.
He was SO THANKFUL that God had forgiven
him his sins. That even though he (this man)
had lived a sinful life for many, many years,
our heavenly Father saw it fit to be merciful and gracious to him at this late stage of his life. In all my life I have hardly met a more thankful person than this man! This man cried tears of joy right in front of us! That really made an impression on me!
It is such a privilege to be adopted into the family of the King!
Let's make an example; if you were
going to adopt a child. The room being filled
with all kinds of children that could be adopted.
Which one will you pick? Maybe one you take
a liking to? Or maybe one you think
suits you? Maybe the one all the way in the back,
he is a good looking one? Or maybe the one on
the right, he is always smiling? Or the one
in the middle, you saw all his health records,
he is very healthy! Or maybe let's take one on trial, and if
he doesn't work out, we will return him!
Do you get my point?
Well of course God chose you and me because we were the best of people, had the most potential, of course he knew we were going to work real hard for him, that we were always going to listen to him, etc, etc...
yea right!( said sarcastically)
God chose you and me,
because HE chose you and me! Not because anything from us, whether from our past or present or future! He chose you and me,
and that is his GRACE toward us!
like God was in that room picking out of these orphaned children, and he said; I take that black sheep in the back, that small, sickly, scrawny, no good looking one, the one not even his mother would love....
I'll take the one, no one else wants....
We have been forgiven a great debt and washed clean of all of our sins because Jesus died on the cross for all of my sins, for me! Thank you LORD!
I am thankful!
Psalms 7:17
I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, most high!
1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good his love endures forever!
Psalms 28:7
the Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
Psalms 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name!
Isaiah 12:4
in that day you will say; give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known among the nations what he has done and proclaim that his name is exalted