His Unspeakable Gift

Bible Reading:  II Corinthians 9

Key Verse: Verse 15 – “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

Key Words:  unspeakable gift 

Paul had been writing to the church at Corinth to encourage them to do financially as they had promised to do for the church in Jerusalem.  He commends the church of Macedonia for fulfilling their commitment.

Chapter nine closes with Paul talking about God’s unspeakable gift.  The word unspeakable means indescribable.  This is not money Paul is talking about; he’s talking about Jesus Christ and what Christ has done for them.  We do what we do for God because of our spirit of thankfulness for His unspeakable gift of Jesus Who has given us everlasting life.

A Christian general and a judge in India were on a military expedition.  When they came to a Mohammedan area, they were met by several ladies of a Christian mission.  The Indian judge was impressed with these cultured women missionaries, and said, “I cannot understand why these ladies give up their time and risk infection working in this filthy part of town.”

 “It is rather amazing,” replied the general, “unless you realize their motive.” 

“Ah, that’s just my difficulty.”

“Their motive is gratitude.” 

“Gratitude!  What have our poor people ever done for them that these ladies should feel gratitude?  I wish you would explain it for me.” 

“To explain would involve the essential differences between our religions.” 

“I’ll listen to you,” said the judge. 

The general gave him a story of a friend in greatest difficulties over money matters, and his debt was paid by a kind stranger.  Then he explained, “Though our debts have been paid and we are free, we owe the deepest gratitude to Jesus Christ our Saviour, Who paid them for us, and that explains these missionary ladies.  They have only one motive: to prove their gratitude to Him Who paid their debts.”

Thank God for His unspeakable gift! 

                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse                                                            

What to do:

            ✞ Show others your thankfulness to God for His unspeakable gift through your actions of love and service.

I Thank My God For Them

 Bible Reading:  II Thessalonians 1

 Key Verse: Verse 3 – “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;”

            Key Words:  We are bound to thank God always  for you 

I know that there are those who can make serving the Lord burdensome; still others can be downright difficult to get along with.  The Lord tells us about all these ornery ones.  He calls them backbiters, talebearers, jealous ones, ones full of envy, malcontents, and the list goes on and on.  But in spite of all of those who get their joy out of being our thorns in the flesh, our heavenly sandpaper, there are still those God brings our way who bring great joy and blessing into our lives.

In the eighteenth century in Wales, a young man named William Williams graduated from medical school, but quickly changed his profession from medical to ministry.  God called Williams into full-time evangelism.  He said, “I remember when I announced that God had called me out of medicine into evangelism, there were those who belittled me, scoffed at me, mocked me, scorned me.  I became somewhat discouraged, but I found along the way many others who were a tremendous blessing.”

During his forty-three years in evangelism, Williams traveled over 95,000 miles, would preach to crowds ranging in number from a dozen or so to crowds larger than 60,000.  What a blessing most of these people were!

During his ministry, he said, “I was robbed, mobbed, and brutally beaten, talked about, put down, run down, and even ran out of some towns.  But I must say that those who abused me were far less than those who uplifted me; and it’s for those who encouraged me, I thank my God for them.”

And so should we all!!! 

                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

            ✞ Thank God for those who encouraged you to keep serving God.

            ✞  Pray for those who abandon you and misuse you.

            ✞ Always be right – righteousness will ultimately    prevail.

Be Content

Bible Reading:  Hebrews 13:1-9

Key Verse: Verse 5 - “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such   things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

 Key Words: Let your conversation be without   covetousness 

Most people believe that Paul is the writer of the book of Hebrews, and that he is writing to Jewish believers in the church at Jerusalem.  As he closes out his letter to them, he reminds them of five key things that they need to do to be a Christian.  First of all, don’t stifle out brotherly love, but let it continue.  Second, he tells them to be hospitable.  Thirdly, they are to remember those who are imprisoned.  Fourthly, he tells them to keep themselves sexually pure.  Last of all, in verse five he tells them to be content with what they have.

I have found that those who are not content with such things as they have are, in general, not happy people.  We fail so often to genuinely appreciate the possessions that we have.

Perhaps you have heard of the man who wished to dispose of his home.  He went to see a friend who was in the real estate business and, describing his house and grounds to the man, asked him to write an advertisement which he could put in the newspapers.  His friend did as he was requested and then read what he had written to the home-owner.

“Read that again,” said the man who wanted to sell his house.  His friend obliged, to hear this astonishing remark: “The house is not for sale.  All my life I’ve wanted a place just like the one you have described; but I never knew I had it until I heard what you have written about it.”

There is a grand old song: “Count your blessings, name them one by one.”  If some of us would do that very thing we should be happier Christians.

                                                                             Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞ Be thankful for what you have.

            ✞ Use what you have for God’s glory.

            ✞ Ask God daily to give you a thankful, content spirit.

Have A Happy Thanksgiving

Bible Reading:  Psalm 92

Key Verse: Verse 1 – ““It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy  name, O most High:”

Key Words:  It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD 

In God’s Word, there are a number of reasons given for us to be filled with thankfulness…just to name a few…

Ø For our friends (Romans 16:4, II Thessalonians 2:13),

Ø For God Himself (I Corinthians 15:57, Revelation 11:17),

Ø For those who have helped us in times of need (II Corinthians 1:11, 9:15),

Ø For all things (Ephesians 5:20, I Thessalonians 5:18),

Ø For heaven (Hebrews 13:15), and

Ø For our salvation.

The list goes on and on.  The problem is we tend to focus on our “problems” rather than our blessings.

When our New England colonies were first established, the settlers endured many difficulties.  They decided to lay their many distresses before God in fervent days of fasting and prayer, but constant meditation upon their difficulties kept them in discouragement and discontent even to the point of wanting to return to “their homeland” with all of its persecutions.  Again it was suggested that a day of fasting and prayer be appointed; but a plain common sense old colonist rose up in their meeting which was filled with despair and said, “It seems high time to me that we should consider the mercies of God for a change.  The colony is growing; the fields are increasing their harvest; the rivers are full of fish; and the woods are full of wildlife; the air is fresh; and our freedoms are ever before us; our families have health; and most of all, we have our religious freedom; so I suggest that we amend our resolution from a day of fasting and prayer to a day of thanksgiving.”  So they did, and the rest is history.

Thought:  A real spirit of thanksgiving depends on whether you focus on your burdens or your blessings.

I do hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving.

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

            ✞ Focus on what you have rather than what you do not have.

Thanksgiving

Bible Reading:  I Thessalonians 5:15-28

Key Verse: Verse 18 – “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Key Words:  In every thing give thanks 

Tomorrow we will be celebrating Thanksgiving, a day set aside to remember all the blessings of God, our country, and our family.  But would you not agree with me that we should be thankful everyday for the blessings of God?  Which raises the question how...how can I develop an attitude of gratitude?  Let me suggest the following.

1.       Do not focus on the material things of life but focus on the spiritual things.  Focusing on the material things will lead to being emotionally low because the flesh can never be happy; it is always wanting more.  Read Mark 10:17-21.

2.      Do not focus on what you cannot do–focus on what you can do.  Everyone has different gifts and talents.  Do what you can do.

3.      Do not focus on what you do not have–focus on what you do have.  Reminds me of an illustration I use occasionally.  It goes in part...

 

Ø  I complained about poor eyesight until I saw the man who was blind.

Ø  I complained about my poor hearing until I met the man who was deaf.

Ø  I complained about my aching legs until I saw the man who had no legs.

4.      Focus on what you have, not what you do not or cannot have.

5.      Do not focus on yourself, focus on others.  Remember J-O-Y stands for Jesus first, others second, and you last.

6.      And last of all, focus on God, not man.

Remember, a spirit of thankfulness depends on what you are focusing on.  Make sure your focus is right, and you will daily have an attitude of gratitude.

                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse  

What to do:

            ✞ Ask God to continue to give you an attitude of gratitude.

            ✞ Apply the principles found in today’s devotion, but do so daily.

Thanking God fro Nothing

Bible Reading:  Isaiah 51:1-8

Key Verse: Verse 3 – “For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.”

Key Words:  thanksgiving 

In our Bible reading for today, Isaiah is encouraging the people of Israel as they go through a major adversity.  In verse one, Isaiah says that they are in a pit, so he now reminds them in verse three that God is their Comfort.  He alone can make the wilderness they are in like the Garden of Eden.  He alone can give them joy and gladness, and bring back a heart of thanksgiving.

I have found that it is easy to be thankful when God comforts us, and brings us out of our adversity; but when was the last time we thanked God for not having to go through adversity?

One day a missionary longed to see his brothers.  They agreed to meet in the remote mountains of central Italy.  After arriving and enjoying the reunion, each of the brothers began to tell about their journey and how they arrived for the reunion.

One brother who had traveled by mule said, “God protected me in a miraculous way.  When I was crossing a narrow bridge over a deep mountain gorge, the mule jumped.  I fell and narrowly escaped falling over the wall into the gorge.  God, by His love, saved my life.”

The second brother said, “I had to cross a river, and I slipped and fell.  The water carried me down the river.  But God, in His grace, provided a tree which had fallen across the river.  I grabbed a branch and pulled myself to shore, thanks to God’s mercy.”

The third brother said, “I, as well, am thankful.  I am thankful that I came across no gorge to fall into, and no river to sweep me away.  I had a most pleasant trip.  I am thankful that nothing happened on my journey.”

                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞ Thank God that He has seen or will see you through adversity.

            ✞ Thank God also for those events that never happen.

            ✞ Thank God for the times He protected you and you never knew it.

 

Beginning and Endind

Bible Reading: Nehemiah 11:3-17

Key Verse: Verse 17 – “And Mattaniah the son of  Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the  principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer: and  Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of                Jeduthun.”

 Key Words: begin the thanksgiving in prayer 

After the Babylonian captivity, Nehemiah led the nation of Israel in rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem and in restoring the temple and in restoring the worship of God.  After the restoration of the walls and temple, the people of Israel gathered together in a thanksgiving service, and Mattaniah, a leader of the tribe of Levi, began the service with a prayer of thanksgiving.

Now, this raises a question in my mind: how do we begin and end our prayers?  Do we do this by giving thanks to God?

The Rev. Leslie F. Church related the following story at the annual meeting of the British and Foreign Bible Society:

A friend of his was staying in Yorkshire one very wet Sunday with two other friends.  On the way to church he was told they would be the only people there probably, and that the service would be taken by a lay preacher who would have walked fifteen miles over the hills in the pouring rain to get there.  “Is he a great preacher?” the friend asked.  “No, but he can pray.  He always begins, continues, and ends with thanking God.”  Sure enough, they were the whole congregation, and the old man came into the pulpit, drenched through with the rain, but punctual.  He began his prayer thus: “Almighty God, we thank Thee that it is not always as bad as this.”

Let me encourage each of us to begin and end our prayer with thanksgiving to God.

                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do: 

            ✞ Always include thanksgiving to God in your prayer.

            ✞ Let others see and hear your life of thanksgiving.

            ✞ Remember, there are always reasons to be thankful.

It Turned Out Good

Bible Reading:  Jonah 2

 Key Verse: Verse 9 - “But I will sacrifice unto thee   with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I   have vowed.    Salvation is of the LORD.”

 Key Words: with the voice of thanksgiving 

Everyone knows the story of Jonah – how he attempted to flee from the presence of God, went down to Joppa and got on a ship headed for Tarshish, and how God sent a storm, and Jonah was cast overboard and swallowed by a great fish.

In our Bible reading from Jonah 2, Jonah is now praying for God’s deliverance.  That which appeared to be bad turned out to be good.  Jonah was delivered and he went to Nineveh and preached.  The city repented and turned to God.

I have found that often in life, that which appears to be bad is actually good, and that which appears to be good is often bad.  Let me explain.

A wise old Chinese gentleman lived on the troubled Mongolian border.  One day his favorite horse, a beautiful white mare, jumped the fence and was seized on the other side by the enemy.  His friends came to comfort him.  “We’re so sorry about your horse,” they said.  “That’s bad news.”

“How do you know it’s bad news?” he asked.  “It might be good news.”

A week later, the Chinaman looked out his window to see his mare returning at breakneck speed, and alongside her was a beautiful stallion.  He put both horses into the enclosure, and his friends came to admire the new addition.  “What a beautiful horse,” they said.  “That’s good news.”

“How do you know it’s good news?” replied the man.  “It might be bad news.”

The next day, the man’s only son decided to try riding the stallion.  It threw him, and he landed painfully, breaking his leg.  The friends made another visit, all of them sympathetic, saying, “We’re so sorry about this.  It’s such bad news.”

“How do you know it’s bad news?” replied the man.  “It might be good news.”

Within a month, a terrible war broke out between China and Mongolia.  The Chinese recruiters came through the area, pressing all the young men into the army.  All of them perished – except for the Chinaman’s son, who couldn’t go off to war because of his broken leg.

“You see,” said the gentleman, “the things you considered good were actually bad, and the things that seemed to be bad news were actually for our good.” 

                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞ Thank God for all things, even that which appears to be bad.

         ✞ Ask God to develop in you a “no-quit” attitude, and a thankful spirit to go along with that attitude.

            ✞ Never run from rough situations, they usually turn out to be some of your greatest blessings.

 

Thanksgiving Proclamation

Bible Reading:  Psalm 148

Key Verse: Verse 1 – “Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.”

 Key Words: Praise ye the LORD 

The Psalmist David is now drawing to the end of his earthly life.  All of his days are now filled with praise and thanksgiving as he looks back over his days upon this earth, and he remembers the many blessings of God.

As we draw near to the day we designate as Thanksgiving – a day when we remember the blessings of God and hopefully thank Him for those many blessings, I am reminded of the First National Thanksgiving Proclamation, which reads as follows:

“Whereas, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; Whereas, both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness!

“Now therefore, I do recommend next, to be devoted by the people of the states to the service of that great and glorious Being, Who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be, that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country.”

~George Washington, 1779

I trust that today and everyday we will remember the blessings of God, and be thankful for them.

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse  

What to do:

            ✞ Ask each family member to name one thing and one person they are thankful for, and why they are thankful.

Ten Apples

Bible Reading:  II Chronicles 29:20-36

Key Verse: Verse 31 – “Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings.”

Key Words: thank offerings 

Hezekiah as king accomplished a number of things.  He was king when God defeated the Assyrian army.  He was king when God gave him fifteen years of additional life; but in our text Hezekiah, the king, had led the nation back into temple worship.  The people had been worshipping false gods, but through Hezekiah’s dedication to God the altars of the false gods were destroyed and worship of Jehovah was returned.  As a result of this change, Hezekiah had the priests cleanse themselves and had the people give an offering of thanksgiving to God.

Our giving, as well, is a reflection of our gratitude toward God. 

The following story sadly illustrates many believers’ gratitude toward the blessings of God.

“Once upon a time there was a man who had nothing, and God gave him ten apples.

He gave him the first three apples to eat.

He gave him the second three apples to trade for shelter from the sun and rain.

He gave him the third three apples to trade for clothing to wear.

He gave him the last apple to give back to God in order that he could show his gratitude for the other nine.

The man ate the first three apples.

He traded the second three apples for shelter from the sun and rain.

He traded the third three apples for clothing to wear.

Then he looked at the tenth apple.  It seemed bigger and juicier than the rest.  He knew that God had given him the tenth apple so that he might demonstrate his love and gratitude by returning it to God.  But it was so much bigger and juicier than the rest; and he began to reason within himself, ‘God has all the other apples in the orchard, he’ll not miss this one.’  So the man ate the apple and gave God the core.”

Now, the moral of this story is this: It is not about the apple – it is about you and me and our attitude of gratitude.  Do you demonstrate thankfulness to God through your giving?

                                                                                 Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞ Lay aside a minimum of ten percent of everything you receive and give it to God (through your local church).

            ✞ Teach this principle to your children.

Bless the Lord

Bible Reading: Psalm 104

Key Verse: Verse 35 – ““Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.”

Key Words: Bless thou the LORD, O my soul 

The psalmist starts the psalm and ends the psalm with the same words, “Bless [thou] the LORD, O my soul.” 

The psalmist is thanking God for His creation.  In verses one through four, we see days one and two of Creation while in verses five through nine, we have day three.  In verses ten through eighteen we see days four and five.  Then in verses nineteen through thirty we have day six, and in verses thirty-one through thirty-five we have day seven.

The point being that even in the day-to-day events of life, we have so much to be thankful for that we really take for granted.

There is an imaginative story of that morning when the sun did not rise.  Six o’clock came and there was no sign of dawn.  At seven o’clock there was still no ray of light.  At noon it was as black as midnight and no bird sang.  There was only the hoot of the owl and the swoop of the bat.  Then came the black hours of the black afternoon.  No one slept that night.  Some wept, some wrung their hands in anguish.  Every church was thronged to its doors with people upon their knees.  Thus they remained the whole night through; then millions of eager, tear-wet faces were turned toward the east.  When the sky began to grow red and the sun rose once more there was a shout of great joy.  Now millions of lips said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”  Why were these people so thankful?  Just because the sun rose after one day of darkness.  The very constancy of God’s blessings sometimes seems to kill our gratitude.  Whereas the wonderful thing about the mercies of God is that they are fresh every morning and new every morning.

We all should cry out daily, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”

                                                                        Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞Ask God to guide you through His Word and help you to be Biblically correct.

            ✞Understand that political correctness can and will lead to a humanist philosophy.

 

Forgive Me When I Whine

Bible Reading:  Numbers 11:1-9

Key Verse: Verse 1 – “And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and  consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.”        

Key Words: the people complained 

How quickly we forget the blessings of God!  Israel had been led out of Egypt by God.  They had crossed the Red Sea safely – on dry ground, I might add.  They had watched as the army of the enemy had been consumed by that same sea.  God had provided food and water; their clothing and shoes were seemingly everlasting.  God had provided for them a land flowing with milk and honey, but yet they whined.  They whined for the same reasons we whine.  We focus on what we don’t have rather than on what we do have. 

I read the following and found it to be a blessing.  I trust you will as well.  The author is unknown.

 

Forgive Me When I Whine

Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with golden hair;

I envied her – she seemed so gay, and how I wished I were so fair;

When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle;

She had one foot and wore a crutch, but as she passed, she smiled.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine; I have two feet – the world is mine.

And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the lad who served me had such charm;

He seemed to radiate good cheer; his manner was so kind and warm;

I said, “It’s nice to deal with you; such courtesy I seldom find;”

He turned and said, “Oh, thank you sir.”  And then I saw that he was blind.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine; I have two eyes – the world is mine.

Then, when walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue;

He stood and watched the others play; it seemed he knew not what to do;

I stopped a moment, then I said, “Why don’t you join the others, dear?”

He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine; I have two ears – the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I’d go, with eyes to see the sunset’s glow,

With ears to hear what I would know. I am blessed indeed.

The world is mine – oh, God forgive me when I whine.

Oh Lord, forgive us when we whine!!!

                                                                                                 Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

            ✞ Put up an “I will not whine” sign in a prominent place.

            ✞ Write down all the reasons you have to whine, and then visit the cancer ward of                     Children’s Hospital.  You will stop your whining in a mega-second.

            ✞ Everyday thank God for your health. 

Investing Your Life In Others

Bible Reading: Romans 16

Key Verse: Verse 1 – “I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:”

 Key Words: I commend unto you 

As you read Romans 16, you read a seemingly long list of names that mean absolutely nothing to the casual reader; but you have to go beyond the surface and look deeply into the lives of these thirty-six people and see how Paul had invested his life in them, mentored them, prayed for them, watched after them – and now here they are, all serving God because Paul had invested his life in others. There is no greater joy than investing your life into others for the glory of God.

In his autobiography, Breaking Barriers, syndicated columnist Carl Rowan tells about a teacher who greatly influenced his life.  Rowan relates: “Miss Thompson reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a piece of paper containing a quote attributed to Chicago architect Daniel Burnham.  I listened intently as she read: ‘Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized.  Make big plans, aim high in hope and work.  Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us.’  More than thirty years later, I gave a speech in which I said that Frances Thompson had given me a desperately needed belief in myself.  A newspaper printed the story, and someone mailed the clipping to my beloved teacher.  She wrote me: ‘For years, I endured my brother’s arguments that I had wasted my life; that I should have married and had a family.  When I read that you gave me credit for helping to launch a marvelous career, I put the clipping in front of my brother.  After he’d read it, I said, ‘You see, I didn’t really waste my life, did I?’”

You never know who you are having an impact on; so never quit; never give up; always invest your life in others for God’s service.

                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse  

What to do: 

            ✞ List those who invested their lives in you and send them a card of appreciation.

            ✞ Make a list of those you want to invest your life in and list how that can be done.

            ✞ Now do it!!!