Thursday after Last Sunday - A Devotion
Devotion for Thursday after Last Sunday
Daniel 6:1-28 Revelation 22:1-21
The Epistle lesson for today (at Thanksgiving Day worship service) is 1 Timothy 2:1-4. Because of the fact that some will not get to church today, I am posting in this space a meditation based on that reading, and reflecting “Thanksgiving Day.”
1 Timothy 2:1-4… First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)
Today we celebrate Thanksgiving. We celebrate all that goes with that. As many gather around a massive feast, they will take a moment to say thanks for their many blessings. For some, it will be the first time they have said thanks at meal-time since last Thanksgiving. For some, they’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving for a couple weeks, and they started saying thanks at meal time when it was again brought to their attention.
For some others, Thanksgiving is that day when they consciously try to think of things that they are most thankful for. Others will take a moment and go around the table, each person expressing something that they are thankful for. And in the doing of that, there will be someone sitting around the table wishing that everybody would hurry up so that they can all dig in.
So, exactly what kind of things will people be thankful for this Thanksgiving, if we were a fly on the wall listening to the conversations, what would we hear? You will hear words of thanks for all sort of things, from the serious to the comic to even heart-wrenching thanks because of the tragedies that may have come into the past year. Thanks will be raised for people, for things, for emotions, and for a multitude of experiences.
What is even more entertaining, is considering who people are thankful to. Yes, that is what I said. Have you ever thought about it? Consider it, who do atheists thank? What about those who may believe in some sort of a god, but believe they make their own destiny, and don’t believe that all we have is a gift of God – who do they thank? I have even heard thanks raised to specific football players for plays that helped their team to victory earlier in the day (that is when it is a late meal.)
So it is that all over the country today, there will be countless sermons extolling people to more thankfulness – and that those thanks should be directed to God. Why? Because everything that we have, from our very bodies, to our families, to the food on our tables, and most especially, our salvation – is a gift of God – and it is all absolutely true.
Today, I’d like to ask another question, “What exactly is it that God our Savior desires of us.” Is it that God’s greatest desire of us is that we off Him our thanks? Yes, it is important that we give to God our thanks and praise. But is that His greatest desire of us?
Simply put, no. God our Savior desires that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. It is that simple.
What is the truth that He desires us to know? Our salvation! What is our salvation? The truth!
Confusing? Not really. In fact, it is so very simple, but most people try to make it more complicated – including most Christians.
Pastors hear it all the time, “The preacher spoke against”… and then you can fill in the blank. It is almost as if people think the pastor has pet sins he’s speaking against. If you would listen to most Christians, you’d believe there are 7 deadly sins, then some that are almost as bad, some that are even worse, and some that don’t matter much at all.
It is unfortunate that so many believe this, for it is not the truth. If that were the truth, then there would have been no need for God to send His only begotten Son to die for us.
Impenitence is the biggest problem. And impenitence is the issue with what most people consider the “biggies” that pastor “preach” against. People want to continue doing what they want to do, claiming it is no worse than anything else, but they continue in impenitence.
Johnny frequents the 22/29 Shell station, having to drive past it to work and home every day. He buys his breakfast there, at least three times a week. He gets almost all his fuel there, and often buys other things as well, it is so convenient. That’s why the one time he was short of cash, he just slipped the Sundrop in his pocket and didn’t pay for it. He figured he was not stealing, it was just a customer appreciation gift that the owner didn’t know he’d given Johnny for his loyalty.
Truthfully, it was stealing. Johnny figures it was owed to him – and besides, it was just a little soda. So, he believes he has nothing to be sorry for. Salvation is waiting, but at present, his impenitence is the lie that obscures the truth of his sinfulness.
Impenitence attempts to cover many sins. Impenitence is our unwillingness to admit the truth that some particular aspect of our life is indeed sin. It is our unwillingness to allow the salvation that Christ purchased cover our sin and grant us forgiveness. Ultimately, impenitence claims, “I don’t need the forgiveness Christ purchased, I’m good to go on my own.”
God our Savior desires us to believe the simple truth that we are indeed sinners. Let us be thankful that we do not have to hold any sin back. We do not need to act as if something which God’s Word call sin, something that we may indeed love to do, isn’t indeed sin. Instead we can believe the truth – it is sin – it is sin for which Christ died.
Therein lies the peaceful life that is talked about in our text. The peace which surpasses all understanding comes from knowing that we have nothing to fear from God. God’s wrath against our sin in appeased, it is satisfied, for our sins have been paid in full by the perfect life and the innocent suffering and death of Christ.
Today, we celebrate Thanksgiving. We should indeed be thankful for all that is ours – from our family and friends (whether COVID has kept us separated this Thanksgiving) to the full table of food spread before us. But most especially, we should be thankful for the salvation which Christ purchased and gives to us.
Today I invite you to do even more than be thankful. I invite you to do what God desires. I invite you to be saved, to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Daniel 6:1-28 Revelation 22:1-21
The Epistle lesson for today (at Thanksgiving Day worship service) is 1 Timothy 2:1-4. Because of the fact that some will not get to church today, I am posting in this space a meditation based on that reading, and reflecting “Thanksgiving Day.”
1 Timothy 2:1-4… First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)
Today we celebrate Thanksgiving. We celebrate all that goes with that. As many gather around a massive feast, they will take a moment to say thanks for their many blessings. For some, it will be the first time they have said thanks at meal-time since last Thanksgiving. For some, they’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving for a couple weeks, and they started saying thanks at meal time when it was again brought to their attention.
For some others, Thanksgiving is that day when they consciously try to think of things that they are most thankful for. Others will take a moment and go around the table, each person expressing something that they are thankful for. And in the doing of that, there will be someone sitting around the table wishing that everybody would hurry up so that they can all dig in.
So, exactly what kind of things will people be thankful for this Thanksgiving, if we were a fly on the wall listening to the conversations, what would we hear? You will hear words of thanks for all sort of things, from the serious to the comic to even heart-wrenching thanks because of the tragedies that may have come into the past year. Thanks will be raised for people, for things, for emotions, and for a multitude of experiences.
What is even more entertaining, is considering who people are thankful to. Yes, that is what I said. Have you ever thought about it? Consider it, who do atheists thank? What about those who may believe in some sort of a god, but believe they make their own destiny, and don’t believe that all we have is a gift of God – who do they thank? I have even heard thanks raised to specific football players for plays that helped their team to victory earlier in the day (that is when it is a late meal.)
So it is that all over the country today, there will be countless sermons extolling people to more thankfulness – and that those thanks should be directed to God. Why? Because everything that we have, from our very bodies, to our families, to the food on our tables, and most especially, our salvation – is a gift of God – and it is all absolutely true.
Today, I’d like to ask another question, “What exactly is it that God our Savior desires of us.” Is it that God’s greatest desire of us is that we off Him our thanks? Yes, it is important that we give to God our thanks and praise. But is that His greatest desire of us?
Simply put, no. God our Savior desires that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. It is that simple.
What is the truth that He desires us to know? Our salvation! What is our salvation? The truth!
Confusing? Not really. In fact, it is so very simple, but most people try to make it more complicated – including most Christians.
Pastors hear it all the time, “The preacher spoke against”… and then you can fill in the blank. It is almost as if people think the pastor has pet sins he’s speaking against. If you would listen to most Christians, you’d believe there are 7 deadly sins, then some that are almost as bad, some that are even worse, and some that don’t matter much at all.
It is unfortunate that so many believe this, for it is not the truth. If that were the truth, then there would have been no need for God to send His only begotten Son to die for us.
Impenitence is the biggest problem. And impenitence is the issue with what most people consider the “biggies” that pastor “preach” against. People want to continue doing what they want to do, claiming it is no worse than anything else, but they continue in impenitence.
Johnny frequents the 22/29 Shell station, having to drive past it to work and home every day. He buys his breakfast there, at least three times a week. He gets almost all his fuel there, and often buys other things as well, it is so convenient. That’s why the one time he was short of cash, he just slipped the Sundrop in his pocket and didn’t pay for it. He figured he was not stealing, it was just a customer appreciation gift that the owner didn’t know he’d given Johnny for his loyalty.
Truthfully, it was stealing. Johnny figures it was owed to him – and besides, it was just a little soda. So, he believes he has nothing to be sorry for. Salvation is waiting, but at present, his impenitence is the lie that obscures the truth of his sinfulness.
Impenitence attempts to cover many sins. Impenitence is our unwillingness to admit the truth that some particular aspect of our life is indeed sin. It is our unwillingness to allow the salvation that Christ purchased cover our sin and grant us forgiveness. Ultimately, impenitence claims, “I don’t need the forgiveness Christ purchased, I’m good to go on my own.”
God our Savior desires us to believe the simple truth that we are indeed sinners. Let us be thankful that we do not have to hold any sin back. We do not need to act as if something which God’s Word call sin, something that we may indeed love to do, isn’t indeed sin. Instead we can believe the truth – it is sin – it is sin for which Christ died.
Therein lies the peaceful life that is talked about in our text. The peace which surpasses all understanding comes from knowing that we have nothing to fear from God. God’s wrath against our sin in appeased, it is satisfied, for our sins have been paid in full by the perfect life and the innocent suffering and death of Christ.
Today, we celebrate Thanksgiving. We should indeed be thankful for all that is ours – from our family and friends (whether COVID has kept us separated this Thanksgiving) to the full table of food spread before us. But most especially, we should be thankful for the salvation which Christ purchased and gives to us.
Today I invite you to do even more than be thankful. I invite you to do what God desires. I invite you to be saved, to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Where is that? It
is in the Word of forgiveness you hear. It is in the salvation placed upon
Christ’s Table in your congregation of Christ’s body and blood. God our Savior
desires that you hear, eat, drink, and be glad in your salvation – for that is
the truth that is yours in Christ Jesus your Lord.
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