The Grace of Gratitude

Tip! Let us always be aware of the fact that the power that is achieved to do the greater works that are required for Christ, is only gained through fervent prayer and faith in Jesus Christ.

"What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?"—Psalms 116:12

GOD'S BENEFITS are here compared to a cup or trophy brimming with salvation. It seems natural to speak of our destiny, either full of sorrow or joy, as the cup of which we drink. The cup or lot of our life brims with examples of God's saving help---"my cup is running over," and we ask, how may we thank Him enough? What shall we give to Him, for all His gracious help?

There are many answers, and the first is, that we will "take". In other words, as one has truly said, "taking" from God is the best giving to God, for God loves to give. St. James says; "He is the giving God, who gives not only liberally, but with no thought of personal advantage, and for the mere joy of giving?'

What, then, will please Him more than to trust Him, to find receivers for His gifts and to know that we are prepared to be His poor debtors; owing Him ten thousand talents, with nothing to pay, but we keep receiving and receiving from His great heart of Love. Nothing hurts God more than when we do not take what He offers--"God so loved that He gave," and when we refuse to take His greatest gift, we cause the deepest disgrace and dishonor that we are capable of doing.

Then what should we do? We must call upon His Name (Psalms 116:13-17). "Take" the Name of the Lord as a test. Friendships, plans, profits, amusements, studies---all these cups of life should be tested by this one mighty Talisman.

Tip! The Master will not expect more from anyone than a person is capable of doing for Him. Jesus wants us to understand that each person will be rewarded according to their faithfulness in doing their given task.

We also must be sure to pay our vows (Psalms 116:14-18; Ecclesiastes 5:4-5). We make vows in our trouble, which we sometimes forget when it is past. Surely, it is the height of ingratitude not to redeem our promissory notes. All devoted things, which are laid on God's altar, are absolutely His, and the giver forfeits all rights to their disposal.

Then our gratitude demands the gift of ourselves (Psalms 116:16). When Robinson Crusoe freed the poor captive, the man knelt before his deliverer, and put his foot on his neck, in token of his desire to be his slave, and the love of Christ, who loosed us from our bonds, obliges us to live not to ourselves but to Him (Revelation 1:5). Loosed from the cords of sin, we become bound to the service of love.

PRAYER:

Father, we would thank You for all the benefits that we have received from Your goodness. The best thanksgiving we can offer to You is to live according to Your holy will; grant us every day to offer it more perfectly, and to grow in the knowledge of Your will and the love thereof. In Jesus' name AMEN.

The Leading of the Spirit

"Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. “– Psalms 143:10

“TEACH ME to do Your Will”, i.e. throw the responsibility of your life back on God. The one important thing for you to be absolutely sure about is that you desire, at all costs, to do God's Will. If you do not want God’s will in your life, at least you must be willing to be made willing. Heave this burden of making you willing on God, and believe that He will take it upon Himself.

His people shall be made willing in the day of His power. When this point is settled, then God by His Holy Spirit will sooner or later teach you what He wants to be done, and enable you to do it.

Like Samuel, if you say: Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears, you will hear the Voice behind you saying, This is the way, walk in it; this must be said, say it; this needs to be done, do it; and as you endeavor to obey the gentle promptings of the Spirit, you will discover that adequate strength and grace are being poured into your soul.

"Your Spirit is good." This is our only hope. Because if it were not for the infinite goodness, the patient gentleness and the loving tolerance of the Holy Spirit, we would have no chance for nothing but infinite Goodness can put up with our weaknesses and backslidings, our lapses into coldness and indifference, our unreasonableness and stubbornness. But because God's Spirit is good, we may consider that He will saturate us with His holy influence until our evil nature is defeated by His goodness, and we also in our measure become good because He is in us completely. It is said of Barnabas that he was a "good man," because he was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.

"Lead me." David the Psalmist's prayer is--Teach me, lead me, correct me. We must make this prayer our own. What better guarantee of being led the right way than for us to yield ourselves to our gentle and gracious Guide. We are like little children that require to be led, as the mother or father takes the child by the hand and leads them to school, and then goes and gets them again. Some of us are blind, and need a kindly hand to guide us as we grope in the dark.

Let us walk in the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, and be very sensitive to the Spirit. Then we will instinctively know God's Will, and do it naturally.

PRAYER

I need a hand to lead me through the darkness,
For I am weak and helpless as a child;
And if alone I have to take my journey,
My feet will stumble on mountains wild.

I need to hear Your silent voice out loud,
For I am weak and helpless as a cloud;
And if alone I have to take my journey,
I will be blown away by earthly winds wild.

I need You Holy Spirit in

Jesus’ Name AMEN.