AN ode OF thanks TO THE giver

Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the LORD , all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

As I reflect upon my life and the Thanksgiving and Holiday season that is upon us I can't help but to be overwhelmed by the bless-ed life I am fortunate to live. All my needs and most of my wants are met--my life is nearly care free. And yet it isn't. It's funny because we rich American types have an abundance that much of the world could never even fathom and yet our culture is so spiritually famished. And it seems Satan is happy to let it be as such. I am so thankful for the privelidged life I lead and yet it is that very life that fights my spirit so intensely. Many times coming out the victor. How often I trade a 2 hour film for the Word of God...I spend my day fulfilling ME not HIM. I was wondering...What if I had no material blessings to be thankful for? It seems almost impossible to imagine such a circumstance, but surely the possibility exists. My parents seem to insist, that in the early years of their marriage, such was (nearly) the case. I'm sure that guy who wrote the NT would testify to the possibility. So if we are to always be praising and thanking God than what is the essential thing that we should be thankful for? Of course the obvious answer is HIM--a true statement, no doubt. But what about our condition? What does God have to offer to us which cannot be altered with worldly circumstances? Obviously there are many different angles one could approach this...But I think the answer is PERSPECTIVE. It's what separates the spiritual man from the fleshly man. We have insight that they do not have. We are fully aware that this place is not our home...We weren't made for this world. Peter calls us 'strangers' (or 'soljourners') in the world. We're just passing through...If things aren't perfect, oh well...pretty soon they will be. Lewis has a marvelous illustration for this point (in his essay--Answers to Questions of Christianity):

Imagine a set of people all living in the same building. Half of them think it is a hotel, the other half think it is a prison. Those who think it is a hotel might regard it as quite intolerable, and those who thought it was a prison might decide that it was really surprisingly comfortable. So that what seems the ugly doctrine is one that comforts and strengthens you in the end. The people who try to hold an optimistic view of this world would become pessimists: the people who hold a pretty stern view of it become optimistic.

I praise the Almighty for making an unbearable world bearable and an the Infinite World attainable. With such a perspective in view the things of the world loose their ultimate appeal and yet they are made available for us to partake in (in a Godly fashion) for one purpose--to give us but a glimpse of the splendor that is to come. Yet when they become the goal and no longer the means...then well we shall receive that what we had wanted--infinite disappointment.

I'm twice the man I used to be. Jimi OUT.

P.S. Next time some chump cuts us off...lets try to remember that this world is more like a prison than a hotel...I think it pleases God immensely to see his people begin to give up their petty spouts of anger and resentment toward fellow man. How can we possibly blame a sinner for being what he is...maybe we should be more upset with the Believer acting like a sinner!

P.S.S. Pray for me...I am preparing a sermon (Romans 10:1-4) for my preaching class this monday. Perhaps I'll post it up on this thing.