Gratitude

The Oxford English Dictionary says of gratitude, ‘The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness’.

It is commonplace in many homes at this time of the year for children to write their thank-you letters to family and friends for the recent gifts received. It is courteous to show gratitude for the generosity of those who think kindly of us and give us an acceptable gift out of love and friendship.

Material value of the gift should not necessarily flavour the receiver’s thoughts about the giver, but rather that someone had expressed their thoughtful feelings towards us, and that for this we are most thankful.

Paul wrote to Timothy and said that in the last days, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.” (2 Timothy 3:2) There are some ugly characteristics in that list of behaviour, selfish to the core with never a kind thought to anyone else. Unfortunately, this is the day that we are living in, so we should be more grateful for those who wear their heart on their sleeve and express their love in kind ways.

Being thankful and appreciative is not restricted to a particular season but should be daily seen as part of the makeup of our life.

I am so grateful that back in 1957 a man was prepared to cycle fifteen miles from Luton to the RAF station at Henlow, Bedfordshire, to come to Billet 454 and tell us airmen about the Bible, about the Son of God who came to bring salvation to sinners such as us. That man saw eight out of eighteen men that lived in that billet converted to Christ. Some of those men (including me) saw their wife saved too. That preacher’s name was Gordon Brind and he is in Heaven now. Down through the years I have thanked the Lord many times for Gordon’s selflessness and love for sinners, and failingly tried to emulate him.

Anyone that reads my column ‘Light Reflections’ in The Light newspaper will observe that every article is 454 words long, a weekly acknowledgement of what took place in Billet 454. Praise God!

George Hodge assured me that he had not edited one word out of the articles I send him, even though my grammar is not right on some occasions. To do this for me for 21 years deserves a public mention of gratitude to him for this good thing.

Looking in the Bible at the term ‘good thing’ I discovered that the first mention is in Deuteronomy 26:11 and says, “And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house” God is good and His character is to give, He gave His only begotten Son to die for us, that is the extent of His giving, there is nothing greater than this. When people receive Him as their Saviour their house and family becomes a joyous place to be. James 1:17 reads, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” There is no inconsistency with God, He is reliably good, never changing, One to whom we can trust for our souls salvation.

In John ch.9 we read of a man that was born blind. I will pause there to ask the question, “Do we ever thank the Lord for the precious gift of sight, and other faculties that He has given us?” The poor man that John tells us about had never been able to see, he had not lost his sight because of disease. He did not know colours or distances because he had never been able to see anything at all, he lived in permanent darkness. How blessed it must have been for him when Jesus sent him to the Pool of Siloam to wash the clay from his eyes that He had put on them. The man went, he washed and came back seeing. As that man stooped to wash his sight came, and the first thing he saw was his own face. He saw himself as he really was. That is what happens when we do what God tells us to do, we see things as God sees them and we see ourselves as we really are. He got his precious sight and wended his way home and the neighbours first saw the change in him, but some could not believe that Jesus had done this miracle. His parents told the Jews, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.” The religionists excommunicated him, but “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.” That man showed his gratitude to the Saviour in that act of worship, and there are millions of people since that have done the same.

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

What would Paul himself thank the Lord for? Top of his list would be his life changing experience on the road to Damascus, and then the many people who he led to Christ when he preached the gospel in so many places. Each of the Apostles would have cause to thank the Lord for, even being counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ.

If we could ask William Carey what he continually thanked the Lord for, would it be for the ability to translate the Bible into thirty-five languages in order that thousands might believe and be saved.

How would George Muller show his gratitude to the Lord for providing means for thousands of orphans to be housed, fed and educated in the ways of God? Or Livingston for opening up Africa to the gospel. Each with composer A.P.Gibbs could say,

‘ O Lord, from my heart I do thank Thee For all Thou hast borne in my room, Thine agony, dying, unsolaced, Alone in the darkness of doom, That I, in the glory of heaven, Forever and ever might be - A thousand, a thousand thanksgivings, I bring, blessed Savior, to Thee!’

HAPPY NEW YEAR and may the Lord bless you through 2012.

Written by Stan Burditt

Listen to brief explanations about life and faith in God at www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Some new things for 2015

When the Christmas presents have been opened it is great to see the pleasure on the face of the recipient as they look at their gift. A child might squeal with delight when they see their sparkling new bicycle, or much requested toy or game. A young woman might flush with excitement when she displays her new diamond engagement ring, with all the promise that it holds for future life. Us old folks still get the tingle of Christmas having learned through life that it is better to give than to receive. However, receiving the inevitable pair of socks still brings a smile to one’s face!

The New Year’s Eve party at our Gospel Hall was special this year because of the number of families with little children (and older one’s too) enjoying fellowship together. As the chimes of Big Ben rang out on the radio, poppers exploded, hugs were engaged in and a ‘Happy New Year’ kiss given to one and all. Then it was lovely to settle down and sing a few hymns and listen to the Word of God being ministered to us assuring us that the Great God of the ages loves us and will continue to do so for all eternity.

Parents in their wisdom had brought pyjamas for their children to change into, because of the lateness of the hour. To see these little ones sitting on the floor listening to the Word of God, none of them sleeping, all alert and taking in the message, made me realise the potential and prospect for future life and service for God. I remember hearing the story of an evangelist who returned home from a preaching mission, was asked if any people had got saved. He replied, ‘Two and a half’. The enquirer said, ‘Oh yes, two adults and one child’, the preacher replied, ‘Oh no, two children and one adult’, the adult had wasted most of his life in sin whereas the children had most of their life to live for the Lord.

For many Christians a New Year sees them beginning again their daily reading of chapters in Genesis and Matthew as they seek to read the Bible from cover to cover in one year. This practice serves Christians well as they approach each day, to have the scriptures to counsel them for daily life and experience. Do you read the Bible like this? If not, why not start to do so this month.

Many unbelievers criticise the Bible but have never read it. They repeat comments that they have heard others say but do not read the good Book for themselves. Are you one of these? I was! Until January 1957 when I first heard the gospel in an RAF billet at Henlow in Bedfordshire. I got saved at the end of February that year but did not own a Bible. I asked another airman if he could get me a Bible when he went home at the weekend. He asked me what sort of Bible I wanted, I replied, ‘A black one!’ That was all I knew about the Bible, only the colour of the exterior and nothing about the interior, but I did ask him to get me two Bibles, one for me and the other for my wife for when she got saved. She was saved the last day of March, no April fool for her!

The first and last mentions of words in the Bible are important. The first mention of ‘new’ in the Bible is in Exo. 1:8 “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.” Pharaoh said in Exo. 5:2, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.” That verse tells us of Pharaoh’s arrogance, “Who is the LORD?” and his ignorance, “I know not the LORD” and his disobedience, “neither will I let Israel go.” Pharaoh may have been a new king but he had some old problems.

The last mention in the Bible of ‘new’ is in Revelation chapter 21 verse 5, “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” In that book God says that He will give to the overcomer, a new name . At present we have a name that was given to us by our parents before they knew anything about the sort of life that we would live, whereas God will give a name that is appropriate to the life that has been lived for Him.

In chapter 9 verse 5 we read, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation”. Pop songs are often repetative and have very little substance. The song they sing in heaven is a new song, sung by redeemed people, every one of them saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and cleansed by virtue of His shed blood on the cross.

In the first verse of chapter 21 we read, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea”. Some scientists attribute global warming to the discharging of carbon gases into the atmosphere, and polluting it. The oceans are polluted also by harmful waste dumped into them. The earth has its enviromental problems with waste from atomic power and other major polutants. Paul comments in Romans chapter 8 verse 22, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” The earth is groaning under the strain that sin has caused, but it will soon be relieved from the burden when Christ returns to earth. Ultimately there will be a new heaven and a new earth that sin will not spoil, that will be wonderful!

Then in chapter 21 verse 2 John says, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” In 1804 William Blake wrote ‘Jerusalem’, Parry later wrote the tune for this well known anthem. Blake wondered if Christ ever came to England? The Bible tells us that He never left Israel other than when His parents fled with Him as a baby to Egypt. He also longs that Jerusalem will be built by man in England’s green and pleasant land. Not so! Jerusalem in Israel will be rebuilt when Christ returns to earth but New Jerusalem is comprised of people that come out from heaven to occupy a position in space to administer things on earth.

New Name: New Song: New Heaven and New Earth: New Jerusalem.

All Things New. That will do for me. How about you?

Happy New Year – written by guest blogger for FTMP





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