DaySpring Daily Word of Inspiration: Philippians 4:9 – Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
As we stay on this theme of praising God, why we should praise him, and why his praise should continually be on our lips we come to the aspect of gratitude. This is a beautiful reason to give God praise. Its importance lies in the fact that God NEVER leaves us to figure it out or walk through a situation alone-he is always with us and is consistently showing us that we can make it through! You’re probably thinking, “God has never spoken to me to tell me what to do or to avoid.” Or you may even say, “I’ve asked God for signs all the time and he never shows me anything!” Well in truth of structure, you’re sort of right! God doesn’t give us miraculous signs as He did in the times of Moses or when Jesus walked the Earth. We now have the prophetic word of God that is our ultimate sign of his works. And God doesn’t open up the heavens and speak directly to us in an audible voice anymore either. However, God does use something very specific to do so; he uses people!
The gratitude I speak of is rooted in the truth that God gives us Earthly examples that we can learn from and rely on to see his attributes being lived out in this day and age. Why would you be grateful for that? Simply because God wants us to get it right. He wants us to know and see others who have been changed by the power of the gospel. He wants us to be encouraged with his strength as someone else had to be when they were faced with your same situation. He wants us to keep each other on track with accountability so we don’t revert back to our old sinful ways. He wants us to see men and women who have the true Christ in their hearts living life unbound and full of joy and confidence; and as he is with them providing a peace that surpasses knowledge, he makes it vividly clear that you can have that same thing! The nature response for a person on Earth showing this kind of compassion or care for another would be thanks, tears of joy and of course gratefulness. Are you grateful to God that he hasn’t left you alone to try and live this Christian life? Are you grateful for the human examples he’s put around you to encourage you that you can live the new life that he gives? If you are, is your response praise for God because of how much he cares for and loves you?
Earthly examples such as biblical teaching pastors, mature brothers or sisters in the faith, the random street person who out of the blue says “God loves you”, the elder person in your life who pleads with you to get rooted in a God fearing, Christ teaching church, or even your own intuition that tells you there is more to this life than what we can see or understand; these are vessels that God gives us to learn from, hear from, see or receive from so we can begin to put into practice what we’ve gained. As we see someone else committed to Christ and living out biblical principles with a renewed mind, we are assured the truth that it can be done! Not only can it be done, but God will walk with, guide, and support you as you look to follow his example from his word and others who are living it out authentically.
There are so many reasons we can praise God for but it one of the starting points would be from a place of gratitude. We pray today that your eyes are opened to seeing all of the true God examples that he’s placed around and in your life for you to follow (that are in direct alignment with his word). As you look to follow men, don’t do it just because you think their cool; if their life matches up with God’s word and teachings and you see the power of God affecting all that they do from decision making to advice, then that may be a good person to mimic in Christ. If God is with them for living as he commands, how much more will he be with you if you’re obedient to his word, living sacrificially committed to his teachings, while having your faith in his son Jesus Christ? Still don’t have a reason to give God praise yet? Gratitude for God giving us examples should help with that problem. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!