Pastor’s Ponderings Nov 2023
‘Give Thanks to the Lord, His Steadfast Love Endures Forever.’
25 Save u
s, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord. 27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. 29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 118)
What are you thankful for this year? In the United States, certain actions are causing concern among its citizens. We have concerns related to those governing cities, states, and country. We have concerns related to how someone identifies with his or her gender. We have concerns connected to food prices, fertilizer costs, the war on drugs and in Israel. We are concerned about health care, insurance coverage, and the war on our role as Christians.
What are you thankful for this year? Does your concerns crowd out your desire for giving thanks? If you are having trouble giving thanks today, consider what Martin Luther said about Psalm 118. Martin Luther considered Psalm 118 his own beloved Psalm because,
“When emperors and kings, the wise and the learned, and even the saints could not aid me, this psalm proved a friend and helped me out of many great troubles. As a result, it is dearer to me than all the wealth, honor, and power of the pope, the Turk, and the emperor. I would be most unwilling to trade this psalm for all of it.”
Martin Luther was thankful for God’s written Word. He was thankful for God’s Word (especially Psalm 118) because he had concerns about what was happening in his community, country, and church. Luther’s concerns affected how he lived, but one day, when a storm almost scared the life out of him, Luther cried out to the Lord and was rescued from his fears.
Redeemed, Luther heard and believed that he was saved by grace through faith on account of Christ and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit he praised God and could sing,
5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. 6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. (Psa 118)
What are you thankful for this year? Be thankful for your community, country, and church? Be thankful for being redeemed and forbeing renewed to live for God, to do His will, and to see what you should be truly concerned about today? Be thankful for God’s Word, the forgiveness of sin and for the Hope that is ours through Christ. And may all your fears pass, and may all your hands be folded in prayer, and may we be thankful that God’s love endures forever.
