meet with God NOVEMBER 2010 A Heart of Thanksgiving

Transcription

1 meet with God NOVEMBER 2010 A Heart of Thanksgiving

2 A Glorious Exression... Through the ages, God s people have read, sung, spoken and meditated on the Psalms. This collection of ancient poetry is a glorious expression of the human heart in the midst of the realities of life. The Psalms speak truth to us. They wrap us in comfort, pour joy into our lives, provide instruction, apply correction, infuse us with wisdom and, yes, even serve as a user s manual on giving thanks. This Meet with God focuses on developing your attitude and heart of thankfulness with help from the Psalms. We ll look at the source, the reasons, the reach and the daily practice of true thanksgiving. And we ll discover how this simple concept can transform your heart and your life from the inside out. P.S. The icon marks activities useful for group discussion or assignments. Feel free to use them as you choose. week one Lions and Faucets and Prayers Just like clean water doesn t come from a dirty well, our lives need to be clean before we can offer pure thanksgiving to God. Ask Him to help you clean up. If you turned on the water in your kitchen and black sludge poured out, would replacing the faucet fix the problem? 3

3 Obviously not. The problem is deeper than that. If you think about being thankful but only dark and bitter thoughts come to mind, would moving to a different town, changing churches or buying new clothes help? Maybe a little; but, like the faucet, there s a deeper problem that needs to be addressed. A moment in C.S. Lewis classic, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe touches on this. Aslan the Lion, along with Lucy and Susan, leapt over the gates of the White Witch s home. Scattered around the courtyard are dozens of helpless creatures which were turned to stone by the Witch. Aslan breathes on each creature and restores it to life. But when Aslan approaches the feet of a stone giant, Susan worries about the giant s size and Aslan s safety. It s all right! shouted Aslan joyously. Once the feet are put right, all the rest of him will follow. Our attitude of thanksgiving begins not with our feet but our heart; once the heart is put right, all the rest will follow. David understood this. Read the opening to Psalm 26: Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Examine me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind (vv. 1 2 nasb). Before David expresses any thanksgiving, he asks God to examine his heart. And note the confidence in David s tone; here was a man who had no doubt at all as to what God would find: integrity. David, of all people, could tell you that walking in integrity doesn t mean we will never fail. But it does mean taking the necessary steps to deal with our sins. David sinned, true, but David also repented; he confessed and he allowed God to make him clean again. Look at verses 6 and 7, I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O Lord, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds. Once David s heart was set right, the thanksgiving could flow forth clean and pure. This week is about what we need to set our hearts right. We may not be the most decorative faucet many of us have the deep scars and bruises of a troubled past. But it s what s on the inside that counts. renew yourself in God s Word! DAY 1: You Need Integrity Read Psalm 24:1 10 How would you define integrity? How does David define integrity? What is David thankful for in this Psalm? DAY 2: You Need Trust Read Psalm 37:1 11 How does God prove His trustworthiness? How can you become someone who is trustworthy? 4

4 DAY 3: You Need Confidence Read Psalm 46:1 11 What reason does the psalmist have for being confident in God? DAY 5: You Need Hope Read Psalm 116:1 19 Look for the things the psalmist is certain of in this psalm and what he gives back to God. List what God has done. List what you do in return. What reasons do you have to be confident in God? Take each reason and jot down a specific area of your life where you can apply that confidence. For example, if you re facing a lot of changes in your job, remember that God is right there in the middle of it with you. Why do you love the Lord? DAY 4: You Need a Song Read Psalm 9:1 20 Singing is not just for Sunday school or church or the people on the worship team. David was a king and a warrior but he also wrote many of the songs in the Bible s hymnbook the Book of Psalms. What does David sing about in Psalm 9? fun zone for kids or the kid in you Write your own song! Pick a favorite tune and create your own lyrics about God s goodness. Or borrow your favorite Bible verses and make up a new song for them. Form a family band and perform your song for your pets or better yet your neighbors. Who else do you know that needs to hear it?

5 Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD! Psalm 117:1 2 WEEKEND: You Need No Other Read Psalm 23:1 6 Imagine if this were the only portion of the Bible you had. Take a few moments and write out what you can learn about God from this psalm alone. Use this psalm as a template for your prayers today. Go verse by verse and use what s written as the basis of your prayer. week two Singin of His Reign Throughout history, singing has been an important part of expressing thanks to God. Ask Him to give you a song to sing today. Sing. Sing a song. You re probably already singing along in your head, aren t you? Sing out loud; sing out strong. Sing of good things, not bad. Sing of happy, not sad. The lyrics are almost embarrassingly simple, yet nearly impossible to forget. And that s the point. Sing. Sing a song. Make it simple to last your whole life long. 9

6 While The Carpenters made that song a hit over 35 years ago, there s a much older song just like it that will be remembered long after all memory of Karen and Richard s hit fades away. The song is titled simply Song (or Psalm) 96. Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! (96:1 3). This psalm carries the same simple message and the same simple dream as The Carpenters hit: a dream of the whole wide world singing the same song. But while the 70 s version speaks vaguely about good things, not bad, the psalmist gives us an object and a focus to our praise: for great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods (96:4). By the end of the psalm, it s not just the people praising God, it s all of nature. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy (96:11 12). When was the last time you sang for God? When was the last time you took delight in your relationship with Him? Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! (96:7 8). You don t need to be a skilled musician; just use the one instrument God gave us all: our voice! If your voice is hoarse and cracked, sing! If your voice is weak and off-pitch, sing! If your voice can only be expressed through the movement of your hands, sing! There s no shortage of reasons God has given us to sing. This week should get you started. renew yourself in God s Word! DAY 1: God Is Good Read Psalm 31:19 24 Jot down all the ways you see God display His goodness in these verses. How does the psalmist respond to God s goodness? What evidences of God s goodness have you seen in your life? DAY 2: God Will Comfort Read Psalm 4:1 8 How does David express the comfort God brings in these verses? What things can keep you from experiencing God s comfort? 10

7 DAY 3: God Will Save Read Psalm 49:1 20 What does the psalmist need saving from? What does God do for us when we are attacked? What do you need to let God take care of? Why is it foolish to trust anyone but God in this? What do we know about the salvation of God that the psalmist didn t? DAY 4: God Will Repay Read Psalm 3:1 8 When we are wronged, what should our response be? psalms & songs! Use your Bible and a hymnal to match the psalm on the left with the song it inspired on the right. For more fun, try it with a group. Psalm 46 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty Psalm 90 Psalm 103 Psalm 126 Psalm 48 Psalm 50 Bringing in the Sheaves A Mighty Fortress Is Our God O God, Our Help in Ages Past He Owns the Cattle on a Thousand Hills Great Is the Lord

8 DAY 5: God Will Protect Read Psalm 91:1 16 Pull out the different word pictures which describe the protection God provides. Draw or put in your own words a picture that reflects how God has protected you. WEEKEND: God Will Forgive Read Psalm 51:1 19 What aspect of God s character does David appeal to when asking for forgiveness? my reason to sing! What are your reasons to sing? We ve seen a few reasons in terms of what God does for us: He forgives, He saves, He comforts, etc. Now step back and look at it from your own perspective. What is it about God s character, His actions and His Word that you are personally thankful for? What about the promises He s made? How have you experienced God at work on your behalf? Maybe you re thankful for His character traits (attributes) that give you confidence or anchor you in tough times. Or there s something in His Word that you go back to again and again. Jot a few down here; add to your list as you go through this study. Use one or two to launch your prayer time with God or pick one each day as a quick shout-out to the Lord as you develop your heart of thanksgiving. What is God really looking for in each of our lives? How does being forgiven lead to thanksgiving? 15

9 week three Every Day is Thanksgiving Day It takes more than a day to cultivate a heart of thanksgiving, and we can be thankful God gives us many days to practice! What are you thankful for today? There are two answers to the question: What day is Thanksgiving Day? There s the technically correct answer: Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November in the United States or the second Monday in October in Canada. But the right answer is that Thanksgiving Day is any day that ends with y! That s easy to say; and, honestly, it comes across as a little trite. We all know that there are some days when giving thanks is easy and some when it s the most difficult thing in the world. Developing a life of thanksgiving won t happen overnight. But it will happen over many nights and many days when we take the time to always give thanks to God. The writer of Psalm 100 gives us a good template. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! (Psalm 100:1 2). If you ve even been to a football game when your team scores a touchdown, you know what kind of joyful noise the psalmist is talking about. Maybe there s not much in your daily routine that will elicit this kind of response but try to make it a point each day to find ways God is working and show your appreciation by giving thanks. You can start by thanking Him for saving you! Or simply that He is God. Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (100:3). If you need a reason to be thankful on a bad day, look no further than this verse. This verse is fact; it s truth that won t change tomorrow and certainly not on the days you wished you d stayed in bed. Whatever else is going on today, latch on to these words like an anchor and let God s peace hold you steady until the storm passes. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations (100:4 5). It can be incredibly hard, even on Sunday mornings, to enter His sanctuary with praise. It s easier to walk in complaining about inadequate parking or slow traffic. But use these times of corporate worship to focus on the goodness of God, not the ineptitudes of man. No matter what day it is, no matter what is happening, there s a reason to be thankful. Sometimes it s hard to find; other times thanks comes naturally. But if we re to live as people characterized by thanksgiving, we need to practice it each and every day

10 renew yourself in God s Word! DAY 2: When Life Is Bad Read Psalm 140:1 13 What is causing David s bad day? DAY 1: When Life Is Good Read Psalm 138:1 8 What specific things are going well for David in these verses? What do you have to thank God for today? What does giving thanks with a whole heart look like in your life? Thanksgiving is not something I do one day a year; it is something that, as a believer, I m going to make a part of my total experience as a person. woodrow kroll List the specific things David prays for regarding his enemies. Do these shock or surprise you? Why or why not? Even on a bad day, what did David have to be thankful for? challenge: Develop a list of at least 7 personal reasons you can give thanks. Assign one to every day of the week. Make it a point each day to express your thanks in some tangible way. Leave a note for someone; write it on your mirror; make it your Facebook status, etc. Su M T W Th F Sa

11 DAY 3: When Life Doesn t Make Sense Read Psalm 10:1 18 Describe a time in your life when you felt the same way the psalmist does. What helped you through that time? DAY 5: When Life Is Over Read Psalm 90:1 17 Psalm 90 is a prayer from Moses. As you read it, picture this mighty man of God at the end of his life, reviewing his experience with God before God s people. What does Moses say is the key to a meaningful life? What helped the psalmist? What might Moses give as a reason to be thankful even in death? What would you want to say in thanks at the end of your life? What are you doing today to make a difference at that point? DAY 4: When Life Hurts Read Psalm 6:1 10 For what reason does David say God should save him? What attributes of God give David hope? How has God given you hope when life hurts? If someone you know needs hope right now, how will you encourage them with this or another psalm? 21

12 Weekend: When Life Begins Read Psalm 139:1 24 Read Psalm 139, and write down all the things you discover about who you are and how God created you. Spend time thanking God for the intimate way He knows you and how His creation and knowledge of you determines your worth and identity. a step further... How would you share the message of this psalm with a child? With a teenager or college student? With a new mother or father? week four Thanks-giving, Not Thanks-being Thanksgiving is more than a grateful attitude; it needs to be expressed to God and to those around us. Ask God to give you opportunities to demonstrate your thankfulness. George hated giving gifts. Specifically, he hated the events when a gift was expected: a housewarming, a friend-of-a-friend s 23

13 birthday, a dinner party. But the worst time was Christmas. Not only did he have to buy gifts for his friends and family, but for all the people at his office too! It was too much. Then George had an idea. Instead of a gift, someone had once given him a card saying, A donation has been made in your name to... While George was incensed that his friend hadn t bought him an actual gift, he realized this idea was his solution. So, George printed cards with the name of a fake charity and handed them out to everyone who expected a gift from him. Maybe George didn t completely understand the reason for gift-giving, but he does have a point: Giving out of obligation is not giving at all. Much better are the gifts given from a grateful and joyful heart: a heart that wants to express gratitude and thanks, a heart that wants to practice thanksgiving. Giving thanks requires expression; you need to live it out in word and action, to give it away. That s why we call it thanksgiving, not just thanks-being. In Psalm 116, the psalmist writes, O Lord, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord (116:16 17). The ideas of servanthood and sacrifice rarely enter into our thoughts about thanksgiving, but they are at the heart of what it means to be truly grateful. Think about it: The gifts that are easiest to give are the ones you give to the people you care most about. Regardless of what it costs you, it s worth your time and effort. So, how can you give thanks both to God and those around you? That s what this week is about and you ll need to get a little creative. We ll give you some suggestions, but it s up to you to add that personal touch. The big question is, whatever you are doing, wherever you are, is your delight and thanksgiving to the Lord obvious to those around you? renew yourself in God s Word! DAY 1: In Your Family Read Psalm 128:1 6 How does God promise to bless the family? What can you do to express thanks to God and your family? You can use or adapt this psalm when you give thanks for the food as your family gathers for a meal. 24

14 fun zone for kids or the kid in you The Hebrew calendar, used by the people in the Bible, was built around the religious holidays of Israel. Just as our holidays remind us of important events in the past (America s independence, for instance), the Jewish holidays reminded the Jews of how God had blessed them in the past. As a family, create your own holiday that commemorates a time God showed His goodness to your family. Discuss what you will choose to do that day and who has specific responsibilities? Set up your plan now and put that day on the calendar. DAY 3: In Your Workplace Read Psalm 90:10 17 Besides home, most of us spend of the bulk of our time at our jobs. You probably see the people there just as much, if not more, than your best friends. How have your coworkers seen your thanksgiving? What have you done to express your thanks to God for and through your job today? DAY 2: In Your Church Read Psalm 84:1 12 The psalmist reflects on his desire to be in the Lord s house. He d rather have a humble job as a doorkeeper than be anywhere else. What opportunities to serve do you see in your church? DAY 4: In Your Social Space Read Psalm 122:1 9 Fact: Jesus never mentioned Facebook in any of His sermons. Fact: More and more people every day connect with each other through social media. So, what do your friends on Facebook know about your relationship with Christ? What steps do you need to take to begin your service? Can they see an attitude of thanksgiving in the messages you post? If you already serve, how are you expressing your gratitude to God through your service? How can you make the attitudes of this psalm part of your online conversation?

15 DAY 5: In Your Neighborhood challenge: Psalm 119 Read Psalm 12:1 8 In the psalms (as in most places where neighbors are mentioned), they re painted as evil, malicious and intent on dragging us to ruin. Before we turn and point our fingers across the fence, however, let s start by asking ourselves if we re being a good neighbor. What do your neighbors see when they look at you? One of the best reasons to be thankful every day of our lives is that God has given us His Word. It expresses all He wants us to know about Him, how He loves us, how He saves us, and how He wants us to live. Psalm 119 is filled with an attitude of thankfulness, respect and even a deep delight in God s Word and His presence. Is that true in your life? How much does God s Word prompt you to praise and give thanks? Here s your challenge: Read all of Psalm 119 sometime in the next 3 or 4 days. It will take minutes to go straight through. Or you can break it down and do it in stages. If you can, read it aloud! It may feel a little strange at first, but you ll be surprised at how you hear or see it differently. Make it a family event after your evening meal, assigning sections to different members of your family. Or get together with a good friend over coffee and read back and forth. Take it outside to your backyard or go to a park (weather permitting). Do something out of the ordinary with this extraordinary section of God s Word and give Him thanks. How can you express your gratitude to God in your neighborhood? a step further... What is a good neighbor? Read the story Jesus told about a good neighbor in Luke 10:25 37.

16 Weekend: In Your City Read Psalm 125:1 5 Do you think it s an impossible goal to see your entire city worshipping God? Habakkuk 2:14 speaks of a time when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. It s a big goal, but we serve a big God! What are some ways you can worship God by serving Him in your city? sticking points renew your memory Thanksgiving begins with your heart. What needs to change in your heart to allow thanksgiving to flow freely? As you sing about everything God has done for you, remember to thank Him for who He is as your God. Circumstances and seasons should not limit your thanksgiving. What are you doing to include thankfulness even in your struggles and bad days? True thankfulness requires expression in every aspect of life that we touch. Who needs to hear your thankful heart? Meet with God, an official publication of Back to the Bible Woodrow Kroll, President Copyright 2010 The Good News Broadcasting Association, Inc. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Printed in the U.S.A. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version, unless otherwise noted. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Editor: Ben Zuehlke Project Staff: Allen Bean, Ben Zuehlke, Barbara Gerhart, Brandy Griffin, Emily Wurl, Kathy Thorne, Leisa Larson Design: Brandy Griffin Cover and Interior Photos: Back to the Bible P.O. Box Lincoln, NE 68501

17 Seasons of Thanksgiving Notepad Set The Seasons of Thanksgiving Notepad Set comes with two notepads, each with four scenes featuring the seasons of the year. The magnetic memo pad is great for todo or shopping lists. And the stationary pad is useful for those quick thank-you notes. The beautiful art and encouraging Scripture on these cards will remind you of God s goodness every time you use them. Order several as stocking stuffers or thank you gifts. $5 U.S. $5.50 Canada #49878 Shipping and Handling not included Product cost and availability subject to change. Call us, visit our online store or use the enclosed bind-in to place an order or to help offset the cost of Meet with God. With a broadcast and Internet reach to millions, Back to the Bible teaches the Word and touches the world. For questions, contact: Back to the Bible P.O. Box 82808, Lincoln, NE back to the bible - Canada P.O. Box 700 Chatham, ON N7M 5K