How Can I Say Thanks Enough?

It is only August but I think to remind ourselves to be thankful is always “in season.” We tend to get so caught up in and focused on all the life situations the enemy throws at us that we forget to be thankful to the LORD for all He has done in the past, for all He is doing today to work out good in our problems, and for the hope to know that He will never forsake us in the circumstances of the future (Heb.13:5b). We can thank Him for His precious promises and praise Him that He is the faithful, covenant keeping God, (Elohim); and that He is the sovereign God, “the strongest strong One,” “ The God Most High” (El Elyon), Who has everything under control.
I remember as a child we would gather around the big console radio to listen to Superman and then into teenage years we would watch him on television. The announcer would come on with those thrilling words, “More powerful than a locomotive; Faster than a speeding bullet; Could leap tall buildings with a single bound!” To a child’s mind Superman was the greatest! As I heard and saw the wondrous feats this man from another planet could do I loved the thrill it brought just to hear and see him rescue the downtrodden and catch the crooks singlehanded. Yet, all the while I knew he was just a fictitious character who was good for an imaginary hero but when the radio or television was turned off he was gone until the next time.

But unlike Superman we have a real, living, Almighty hero Who doesn’t come and go with a storyline but He is always there (Jehovah-Shammah)! Nor Whose power vascilates
but He is ALL-MIGHTY (El Shaddai)! Nor is He unloving but He is Love and wants a personal relationship with us.

He is Jehovah, the self-existent One Who reveals Himself to us. He is Jehovah-Rohi, our “Shepherd” (Ps.23) – When we are going through troubled waters that would seem to overflow us, “He leads us beside the still waters.” “And He makes us to lie down in green pastures” where He reveals Himself as Jehovah-Shalom – the GOD of PEACE! In this peaceful place “He restores our soul (mind, will and emotion). Our Shepherd “leads us into the right paths,” not because we earned or deserved it but “for His Name’s sake.” You see, His name is Jehovah-Tsidkenu – “He is all righteous.” And because His name is “Righteous” He cannot deny Himself. Neither could or would He ever lead us into anything but “right” paths. Then when we walk through the dark, sunless valley of the shadow of death we don’t have to fear evil from the evil one for our Shepherd, Jehovah- Rohi, is with us using His “rod” to protect us and His “staff “ to guide us when we may get off the path in the darkness, He will pull us back in onto the “right” path. We will never experience real spiritual death if Jesus is our Shepherd. Our Shepherd prepares a table of good things for us while surrounded by our enemies. The table is heaped and our cups are filled with abundance - goodness, mercy and unfailing love from the Shepherd. These good things will go with us all the days of our life. Then at the end we will live with our Shepherd in His house!

THANK YOU, KIND SHEPHERD Who is our Provider (Jehovah-Jireh) (Phil.4:19), Who is our: “Friend Who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov.18:24), Guide Who will lead us into all Truth (Jn.16:13), Deliverer Who will rescue us from the traps of the enemy (Ps.91:3), Who loves us with an everlasting love (Jer.31:3), Who gives us unspeakable joy (I Pet.1:8), Who gives us incomprehensible peace that passes understanding in the midst of the storms of life(Phil.4:7).
We could go from now to eternity thanking our Father God for all the gifts He has given us and praising Him for all He is so how could we ever grumble about any infirmity, calamity or hardship. Those all will come in life, some time or another, but we must remember God is the sovereign God Who is in control of every happening, great or small, good or bad. He takes the least and makes it the most, “Little is Much When God Is In It.” (Matt.23:12). He can take what may seem calamitous to us and make it into good for us if we will fit into His purposes (Rom.8:28).

THANK YOU! THANKYOU! THANKYOU! FOR BEING OUR SAVIOR AND GOD!

Mary Jones