28th. September 2020. Daily Devotion

Beyond Thanksgiving

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.

~ Psalm 145:3

The dictionary says that to admire is to “regard with wondering esteem accompanied by pleasure and delight; to look at or upon with an elevated feeling of pleasure.” According to this definition, God has few admirers among Christians today.

Many are they who are grateful for His goodness in providing salvation. At Thanksgiving time, the churches ring with songs of gratitude that “all is safely gathered in.” Testimony meetings are mostly devoted to recitations of incidents where someone got into trouble and got out again in answer to prayer. To decry this would be uncharitable and unscriptural, for there is much of the same thing in the Book of Psalms. It is good and right to render unto God thanksgiving for all His mercies to us. But God’s admirers, where are they?

The simple truth is that worship is elementary until it begins to take on the quality of admiration. Just as long as the worshiper is engrossed with himself and his good fortune, he is a babe. We begin to grow up when our worship passes from thanksgiving to admiration. As our hearts rise to God in lofty esteem for that which He is (“I AM THAT I AM”), we begin to share a little of the selfless pleasure which is the portion of the blessed in heaven.

Almighty God, I want to be one of Your admirers. Help me to pass beyond thanksgiving even this morning to lofty esteem and selfless admiration. Amen.

~ from “That Incredible Christian” by A. W. Tozer

Praise!

The heavens proclaim your glory
through creation’s glorious song,
and all that live upon the earth
are moved to sing along,
praising your gracious provision
and glorious kingdom
established for your children,
revealed through your Son,
where we gain a foretaste
of the life that is to come.
Creator, Redeemer, Lord and King,
the heavens proclaim your glory
and we join them in their song.

A Harvest Prayer

Creator God, for daily bread,
and all who work
to bring your harvest home,
we bring our thanks today.

Forgive our ingratitude,
we who have so much,
yet waste what you have given.

For those whose harvest is poor,
whose crops have withered,
water tainted, children starve,
help those who bring relief
and bestow on us
an unaccustomed generosity,
that all might share from your garden
and all might sing your praise.

Creator God, provider of all
we bring our thanks today.

Deliver us from our fears

Lord in our present suffering from the coronavirus we call to you.
You have delivered us from our fears in the past.
Please hear us in this special time of anxiety.
But we are confident that even in this time you are watching over us.
Please give your consolation to all of us
but especially those suffering from the present uncertainty.
Give us confidence in your saving presence. Amen