November 22

Thankfulness for God’s Word

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” (Psalms 33:6-9)

I have written three emails this morning to consult with people who are co-laborers in Christ because I seek their wisdom. I hope that my words will not only result in their help but encourage them to know that God will use us together to produce a good outcome. Our words are important; God’s words are essential, powerful, and the reason that we even exist. On this Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., we thank God first because of our faith in him. He deserves thanks before our country, family, possessions, friends, pets, and all the others things that come from His hands. 

God’s Word piled up waters His word? He did so at the beginning of creation when he gathered the waters, separating them from dry land (Genesis 1:6-7). “…the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God.” (2 Peter 3:5) Later God spoke and stacked up the Jordan river so that Joshua and all Israel could cross over into Canaan, the Promised Land (Joshua 3:13). These are the times that we amaze us with awe, but the Lord also keeps the seas and oceans firmly in their place most of our days on earth. When Tsunamis and floods are released, controlled by God’s sovereign power, we are shaken because of this great contrast to God’s usual firm grasp on these raging waters. 

However, it is not the water that is the focus of our passage, but the power of God’s speech that is highlighted and the reason why we should fear and praise Him. Admittedly, it is harder to appreciate and wonder at that which is invisible, compared with all the things we can easily see. I suppose that is why I look out my window at the landscape or sit on my patio quietly contemplating things, since nature reminds us of God’s creation, and thus, reminds us of our Creator. Going further with our meditation on God’s Word takes us to Christ. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5)

When you are celebrating Thanksgiving today, will you take some time with others to proclaim praise for the Living Word, Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world? If your family and friends don’t usually pray before eating, will you boldly insist that today is a day when prayer is not only appropriate but required since everything we have is by God’s Word? Even more, will we all give thanks especially for Jesus Christ, who accomplished propitiation for our sins that were piled up on him on the cross? Whose words redeem and sanctify sinners? 

“Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth; Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow; Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside. Great is Thy Faithfulness!” (Hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness)