Thanks Giving
Submitted by Pastor Kevin Stevicks
Fellowship Baptist Church
Bearden, AR
November 28, 2024
De 11:13-16 And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. 15 And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full. 16 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
It is a wonderful thing to experience God's blessing, but it comes with a risk. When we have received His favor, it is easy for us to begin to believe that we brought the good things in our lives to pass by our own power and knowledge.
It is only a short step from there to the place where ingratitude takes our hearts away from God.
God blesses us because He is good, not because we are good. Apart from Him, there is nothing good about us. Apart from Him, we would still be lost and headed for eternity in Hell.
He is the One Who deserves our praise and thanks, and those help us maintain our devotion to Him alone.
Ahaz grew up in Jerusalem surrounded by the worship of Jehovah. He had access to the law of Moses, and there were priests and scribes to help him understand anything about which he had questions. He could have been devoted to God, but instead he kept looking at the gods of other nations and wanting to copy their worship.
2Ki 16:10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
Remembering all that God has done for us, and being thankful, helps protect our hearts from being drawn away from Him.
Consider – The LORD’s goodness graciously blesses and provides for us, yet it is good for us to have things that keep us in constant dependence on Him. Be thankful for those things as well.
