Wednesday's Word

The practice of gratitude keeps us from taking things for granted.

One of the benefits of our Thanksgiving holiday is that it makes us mindful of all the things in our life we should be grateful for. It is very easy to turn an entitled eye toward our refrigerators, pantries, families, savings accounts, and all of our other blessings - expecting them to be there day after day. A holiday like Thanksgiving forces us to slow down, look a loved one in the eye, and remember that they are a gift.

There are many things in life we easily take for granted. One of them is the Bible. There are many days when I consider the Bible almost to be an obligation. It’s the first thing I engage in when I wake up, usually followed right by exercise. It is easy for me to treat both of them like chores. I have to get through before I can get onto the rest of my day.

What if I could change that script? Imagine how much more powerful our time in the Bible could be if we treated it as a gift instead of a chore.

We are reading the book of Ezekiel and phrases like, “the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel” are sprinkled throughout the readings. Imagine what is really happening. The God of the universe, who created everything out of nothing, who created humanity out of the dust, condescends to talk to a single human being in what must be the equivalent of baby talk for God. He brings His word to a mere mortal so that he can offer it to people who won’t even listen to it. Imagine the patience and love God must have for us. Imagine how willing He is to condescend, to wait, to make very clear the path to salvation.

The Bible is not an obligation. It is a gift of grace. It is very appropriate that we are also reading Psalm 119, the longest Psalm, which is mostly a song of gratitude for the living Word of God.

 I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. And along the way, I hope you were able to pause and offer your Thanksgiving for God’s word. After a year of taking it for granted, I know that I certainly need that mindset

With you,

Pastor Tim

November 23   Ezekiel 45:13-46:24, 1 Peter 1:13-2:10, Psalm 119:33-48, Proverbs 28:11

November 24    Ezekiel 47:1-48:35, 1 Peter 2:11-3:7, Psalm 119:49-64, Proverbs 28:12-13

November 25    Daniel 1:1-2:23, 1 Peter 3:8-4:6, Psalm 119:65-80, Proverbs 28:14

November 26    Daniel 2:24-3:30, 1 Peter 4:7-5:14, Psalm 119:81-96, Proverbs 28:15-16

November 27    Daniel 4:1-37, 2 Peter 1:1-21, Psalm 119:97-112, Proverbs 28:17-18

November 28    Daniel 5:1-31, 2 Peter 2:1-22, Psalm 119:113-128, Proverbs 28:19-20

November 29    Daniel 6:1-28, 2 Peter 3:1-18, Psalm 119:129-152, Proverbs 28:21-22

November 30    Daniel 7:1-28, 1 John 1:1-10, Psalm 119:153-176, Proverbs 28:23-24