 Gratitude
This is the month in our American culture when most folks are thinking about what they are thankful for and, hopefully, who they should be thankful to. I mentioned on Sunday how thankful I am for Marshall First Baptist Church. I know that there are many godly men who God could use to pastor this church (& I look forward to other brothers being raised up to labor alongside me), but I can’t imagine pastoring another church. As I said Sunday, MFBC doesn’t need me, but I need you all. This month, I intend to write on this theme of gratitude each week. I know, I’m innovative and original, lol. The reality is that I always get to feeling quite nostalgic this time of year and love making much of all that God has done. In truth, when we express our genuine gratitude for the situations and circumstances of our lives, we are actually pointing the attention not on the blessed gift but the amazing and glorious giver of all God gifts, our great Lord and God! The Voice In our passage this last Sunday the prophet Jonah referred to the voice of Thanksgiving (Jonah 2:9). He was speaking about how he would, even from the fish’s belly, worship God with gratitude for bringing up his life from the pit. Are you thankful for your voice? And do you use your voice for God’s glory? In asking these two questions I am not trying to be profound, but rather simple. There are at least three clear ways that we know God intends for us to use our voice for his glory. First, we should use our voice to talk about all the great things that He has done in us and for us. We are supposed to be witnesses of our relationship to Christ and what He has revealed in His word (1 Peter 2:9-10). We must be proclaiming that Jesus has freed us from our sin through His death on the cross and glorious resurrection. We need to be using our ability to communicate to make known who Christ is to those still waiting in the darkness. Second, we should begin using our voice to glorify God through prayers of Thanksgiving. In Jonah chapter 2, the only form of worship and sacrifice available to Jonah from the belly of the fish was the sacrifice of praise. Oh, how we need to be praying! And not just to receive things, but to recount all that we have received and witnessed from God’s hand in our lives and in our church. Each week when we have an opportunity to share in the church about all that God has done we should be ecstatic to relate the news that exalts His goodness, grace, and glory (Colossians 3:16-17)! The third way that we should be using our voices in praise and thanksgiving is the most obvious. Christians have always been a singing people. Even when you read the Scriptures you can tell the parts when the Apostles are singing out in praise even as they write or dictate their works. We know that worship is more than singing alone, but understand brethren it certainly isn’t less. We ought to use our voice to the maxim of our abilities to give Glory to God in song. For some of us that ability is limited, for others it is accentuated but God desires and desires for every voice to cry out in joyful song. Bold & Beautiful Voices As we enter this month of thanksgiving, I want to express great thankfulness and appreciation for those who God has gifted with musical talent and humble hearts to help the rest of us in worship. You of course know who I am talking about. Thank you Kevin, Kelly, Kristin, Ashley and Brady. You brothers and sisters serve the Lord not only with your natural talents, but also with your sweet & willing spirits. I’m sure that the whole church would echo this thankfulness for everything you all do. I also want to include a big thanks to Micheal and Robert who work hard in the booth to keep things going right with the audio and visual needs. Oftentimes, this kind of work only gets noticed when something goes wrong, but I want to say a heartfelt thank you to you men for your important ministry.
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