Giving Thanks

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Recap of 11/26/06 (Psalm 107)
1. Five times in Psalm 107 the redeemed are called upon to thank the Lord for His consistent love and absolute faithfulness to His people.
2. We sometimes have trouble with thankfulness because:
-we often lack contentment (we are not satisfied with what God has provided for us or we want what someone else has, or we focus on what we do not have)
-we are overwhelmed by the concerns of the world or by worry which both crowd out thankfulness
3. The Psalmist presents four instances in which God undertakes for His people when they cry out to Him: the wanderer (who is aimless without food, water, shelter), the prisoner (who is in bondage of their own making), the sick (who through bad lifestyle choices are near death) and those who face adverse circumstances and are at the end of their ability to deal with the need. In every case when God’s people cry out to Him in prayer He delivers them. They should thank Him.
4. Because God is sovereign over nature and people, the redeemed He has the “power to change things” and has “limitless authority.” This should cause God’s people to praise Him and to be thankful.

Our Legacy

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Recap of 11/19/06 (1 Kings 15:1-5)
10 Commandments for Effective Fathers (source: God’s Little Devotional Book for Dads)
-spend time with your children
-let your children know often that you love them just the way they are
-discipline your children when they need it
-pray with and for you children regularly
-always be honest with your children
-love your children’s mother
-take time to listen to your children
-encourage your children often
-celebrate your children’s achievements
-be flexible with your children

God's Jealousy

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Recap of 11/12/06 (1 Kings 14:21-31; 2 Chronicles 11:5-12:16)
1. When we choose to live and worship in a way disloyal to God He sees it as a betrayal of His love for He is a jealous God. In the Old Testament Israel is seen as married to God. In the New Testament the church is the Bride of Christ. When we live for the world’s values, God sees this as adultery against Him. (James 4:4; 1 Corinthians 10:22)
2. Israel was to be a light to the nations, bringing God’s light to the darkness of licentious, immoral idol worship, worship which included human sacrifice. Instead of bringing light to the world, Israel embraced the darkness of the gentile world and was indistinguishable from the heathen nations around it. The church today is to be a light to the world bringing the truth of the gospel to the nonbelievers around us and yet too often we, like Israel of old, are more influenced by the darkness than we are influencers with the light. Our values, our lifestyles, our morality is often no better than the world around us.
3. Rehoboam’s sin brought God’s judgment upon Judah in the form of invasion by the Pharoah:
-believers cannot sin with impunity
-sin caused God to withdraw His protection from Judah
-sin cost them their freedom-sin cost them what was precious, only to be replaced by a cheap substitute, an ever present reminder of their failure.