Do You Appreciate God?

Luke 1:46-49

Message No. 0776 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca

Preview

Some people take things for granted. It doesn’t matter how big a favour or sacrifice you give or do on their behalf, they don’t think that it is necessary to say thank you. And, if man cannot say thank you to man, how would they think of appreciating God for His lovingkindness? This week, we pick one of David’s psalms and examine how he separated himself from others by his unending appreciation of God. His attitude of gratitude is certainly worthy of emulation. God bless you as you read!

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Text

One of the things that separated David from other kings and from other people in the Bible was his in-exhaustive ability to thank God. It did not matter how small or how big God did for him, he was always singing the praise of his God. In Psalm 103 verses 1-5, David wrote:

Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.  

David did not take anything for granted. He listed out the things God had done for him so he would not forget to thank Him. In the above passage, he touched on many things, which he titled ‘His Benefits.’ He started by saying that God forgives all your iniquities. This alone is so important that no one should ever stop to mention it to God, because the Bible says in Psalm 130 verse 3, if God were to mark iniquities, who could stand? Anyone who thinks he or she can thank God enough for forgiving our iniquities has no idea what Christ suffered on the cross.

David continues to list the benefits of God by mentioning His healing for our diseases. Only a few years ago, the world suffered in the hands of a pandemic called COVID. No one had seen it before, so there were no antidotes. Millions of people died, including in the developed or advanced world, and if you are reading this writing today, it only means that you are still standing because the Lord spared your life. Many people caught the virus and are still alive where millions died. This could only be because God healed our diseases. Do you still thank God for sparing your life, or have you forgotten COVID so soon?

David continues by saying we need to thank God who redeems our lives from destruction. Boy, could we have been destroyed? For those who travel often, who can forget the recent B787 crash in India, where hundreds of innocent lives were lost both on board and on ground. How about other disasters we watch on television, like earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, avalanches, mudslides, landslides, tornadoes, and so on. The fact that we are still alive means that our God has been busy redeeming our lives from destruction. How can we not appreciate Him?

How about the remaining benefits mentioned by David in the above text? God crowns us with lovingkindness and tender mercies, He satisfies our mouths with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. These are just some of the benefits we get by being God’s children. Do you thank Him daily for these? Do you appreciate Him?

In Luke chapter 1 verses 46 to 49, Mary sang a song of appreciation to God after she got the news and became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. In it, she sang:

"My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.

We all need to learn from David and thank God for all His daily benefits. God is so good to us, and it is impossible to fully comprehend His love for us. Have you thanked Him today?

What to Do?

Think of all the benefits of God in your life and begin to give Him thanks for as many as you can remember.