Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before 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
God is my maker. True, He didn't scoop up a handful of dirt and fashion my body, nor did He breathe on it to give me life. I was formed when the seed of my father united with the egg of my mother, the two becoming a single-cell lifeform in a spark of energy that quickly caused them to divide and thereby multiply. That's the scientific explanation, anyway. The chromosomes of my parents determining my genetic makeup to produce the fine figure of a man that I am today. But the inspired writers of Scripture said that it is actually God who fashions and forms us in the womb, that is God who is ultimately responsible for our design, and also our destiny.
And like that first man, Adam, whom God made from the dust and breathed upon, we are made to reflect God's image and live in His likeness. In other words, we are made to look like God and to be like God. We are made to represent Him, to showcase His heart and character, to live out His will. We were made to bring glory and honor and praise to the Lord. The question we must ask ourselves is--are we doing that? Are we being the right kind of ambassador for God?
Alot of people who want to live in their sinful ways would like to point out that God made them that way, therefore they must be that way. However, they forget that God made them for a specific purpose, not for sin but for salvation. Not for depredation, but for righteousness. I was not made to be a liar or a murderer or an immoral man. I was made to please and to praise God. I was made so that my life would be a testament to His matchless grace and limitless love. When I choose a different path, I am displeasing the one who made me, defiling the body He gave me, and wasting away the life He wanted me to live.
And then there are those who look at themselves and their lives and boast, "I am a self-made man." When I look at the same life, I think, "I sure am glad you didn't blame God for it; you're a mess!" It's much better when we acknowledge God's hand in creating u, and God's will in launching us into life, and then choose to live up to His expectations.
Today, I'm thankful for rain. Glorious rain. Refreshing rain. Wet wonderful rain! We need it so much, and no more still. But thank you God for last night and today. I appreciate it.
I'm thankful for friends who want to spend time with me and feed me. I appreciate the fellowship and the love that you show me.
I'm thankful for peace that passes all understanding when I give my anxieties to God, because there are just some things I can't do anything about.
What are you thankful for today?
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