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Thank you! Everything in me says "Thank you!" Angels listen as I sing my thanks. I kneel in worship facing your holy temple and say it again: "Thank you!" Thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness; Most holy is your name, most holy is your Word. The moment I called out, you stepped in; you made my life large with strength. When they hear what you have to say, God, all earth's kings will say "Thank you." They'll sing of what you've done: "How great the glory of God!" And here's why: God, high above, sees far below; no matter the distance, he knows everything about us. When I walk into the thick of trouble, keep me alive in the angry turmoil. With one hand strike my foes, With your other hand save me. Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal - don't quit on me now. (Psalm 138 The Message)
May the blessings of the Lord Jesus be with you this day, dear Friend! May the reading and devotion time you spend with God as did the Psalmist bless your day and your life is my prayer for you.
During my second year of college, many of my classmates were from the Middle East. We were attending a United Methodist Junior College, and they were Muslims. They were very devout and spent the required time praying, facing Mecca. That intrigued us. My friend and I joked about how we as Methodists didn't really have a direction in which to face; but years later, he was an associate pastor in a Central Texas town and on one Sunday, their church was celebrating Heritage Sunday and the senior pastor led the congregation outside onto the steps and lawn of the church and said the closing prayer would be said facing Wesley's Chapel in London, and to better focus the crowd, the pastor said, "Now, everybody face Minyards!" He smiled remembering the times we joined about facing Mecca.
The psalmist loved the Lord God so much, he wanted his life to say, "Thank You, God!" all the time. He wanted his speech and song to reflect the deep gratitude he had towards God. He knelt facing Jerusalem in prayer so that he could worship the Lord as he prayed. He wanted his prayers to say, thank you to God for God's love, for God's faithfulness, and for the holiness of God's name and God's word. As soon as he was able, he invited God into his life and I love this translation's way of explaining it: "The moment I called out, you stepped in; you made my life large with strength." Is your life large with God's strength? I pray it is. We surely need it. We also need to model our lives after David's gratitude as we learn to say over and over again, "Thank You, God!" Even as we are walking, as the psalmist says, "into the thick of trouble," we are kept alive by God's strength in angry turmoil. Our trust remains in the Lord.
He ends the psalm by what our title for today says; God has a purpose for our lives, and our prayer should be, like David's, for God to fulfill His purpose for our life. It matters not the size of that purpose, it is important to God and to the ones God has appointed to receive that blessing from your purpose. As a pastor was preparing his annual report, back in the days when we had to report in the number of lives saved, he was a bit disappointed that he had only converted one shoe salesman to the Lord. That shoe salesman was Dwight L. Moody, whose faith continues to impact lives through the ministries and schools that salesman started. You may think God isn't using you for big purposes, but that's your take now; God sees the big, eternal picture (and God uses broad strokes!), but one day you will know just what you were supposed to do. You may say, "I can only pray for people..." That's the best thing someone needs right now. Whatever your purpose, discover it, give thanks for it; and get busy!
PRAYER: Awesome God, great is Your faithfulness unto me; make me be a thankful person. I start now by thanking You for all You have shared in my life thus far. Help me to do all You expect of me, and let me bless You and Yours by what my purpose asks of me. Never let me think lowly of what I do for You; bless Your kingdom with my contributions. This I pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Smile. Let that be the first blessing you share with someone today. Then add to it!
Eradio Valverde
