Victory is on the way; Remember to be thankful

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And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.” --Exodus 14:13 Do you know the saying, “Don’t just stand there, do something!”? Well, a while back I read a twist on this that said, “Don’t just do something, stand there!” I love this idea because human nature can make us panic and think, “I have to do something quick to save myself,” even if I don’t know what to do. Well, I’m sure that had to cross the minds of the children of Israel. There they were with the Red Sea straight ahead of them and Pharaoh’s army about to overtake them. Panic had to be the theme of the day, but Moses wasn’t panicking. While he may not have known exactly what God was going to do to deliver them from Pharaoh’s men, he knew that God was capable of the miraculous! So he spoke to God’s people and said, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today!” And as you know, God did not disappoint! He parted the sea and allowed the Israelites to walk across on dry land. And when they had finished crossing, he vanquished their enemy before their eyes. Listen! If you are in a dry and barren place wondering if you’re going to make it, just remember who’s fighting your fight! “Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord!” REMEMBER WHO’S FIGHTING YOUR FIGHT!

Remember to Be Thankful

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
Psalm 103:2–5

In the classic Peanuts Thanksgiving cartoon, Snoopy gets a regular bowl of dog food rather than a holiday meal. He responds, “This isn’t fair. The rest of the world today is eating turkey with all the trimmings, and all I get is dog food.” Then Snoopy stood there and stared at his dog food for a moment, and said, “I guess it could be worse. I could be a turkey.”
The key to being thankful is in remembrance—not just for what we have been given, but for what we have been spared. In our self-esteem focused society, people do not like to consider the true state of man. We build ourselves up so that we feel better, but the reality is that every person born into the world is born into a desperate situation. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).
We have been given so much, yet too often our only focus is on what we do not have. Rather than allowing our happiness to be dictated by comparing what we have to what we think we deserve, or to what others have. Such comparison is a recipe for disaster. It quickly leads us not just to be ungrateful for what we have received, but to begin coveting what others have. This path quickly leads to many kinds of sin. There is more than just obedience involved in thankful living. Taking time to remember and give thanks protects us from evil in our own hearts.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Gratitude and thankful living require conscious effort and a commitment to remember what God has done for us.