Thankful, Day Two

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come into His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

it is He who has made us and not we ourselves.

We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

and into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting.

And His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 100, NKJV

I am glad today to be serving the Lord, and though the road is narrow, the way rough, and sometimes my companions are few, my guide is reliable! I serve a Master who requires much, but who also provides much. He gives me with strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. He blesses way beyond measure, and He never leaves me nor forsakes me. He is a good God, far better to me than I deserve.

So once again this morning, I'm thankful that He saved me. I'm thankful that He knew before I was ever born, that He knit me together in my mother's womb and called me by name to be His own. I'm thankful that He did everything necessary to save me from myself, from sin, from sickness, from satan, from certain death and eternal suffering in hell. I'm thankful that He provided the way for me to be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ my Lord. I'm thankful that while I was still a sinner, Christ loved me enough and died for me knowing what I was, because He also knew what He wanted me to be.

I'm thankful that He has called me into His service, into this ministry, and that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. I'm thankful that He saw something in me, some potential that could be redeemed and transformed to suit His purposes, so that I could be useful to His plan and His kingdom. I'm thankful for the message He has placed on my lips, and the heart He has given me to serve His people as a shepherd.

And I'm thankful that He has placed in me gifts to make up for my natural lack and human frailties. He gave me Jesus to save me, He gave me the Holy Spirit to empower me, He gave me many precious promises that are faithful and true, He gave me many great and wonderful gifts, and each day He continues to pour out of His Spirit upon me and extend to me the amazing grace that I need to make it through one more day in His service.

Thank you Lord for the privilege and the pleasure of serving you!