FBC Daily Devotional – November 26, 2020

Faith Baptist Church

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good day and finding much to be grateful for, giving thanks to our

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God for all that he is and all that he's done for us. By the way, just as a reminder, as an encouragement to you, it's not enough to be simply giving thanks.

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What's important is to whom we give thanks. The reason I point that out is you do see, even in the secular world, the emphasis around thanksgiving of giving thanks.

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But to whom? To whom do we give thanks? I've known of people, for example, who have food in front of them on the table in a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner, and they express thanks, but to nobody, just thanks to themselves for being able to work and to provide this food that they have on the table as if it is all their doing.

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We're to give thanks to the Lord. We're exhorted in this way in the

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Psalms on numerous occasions, and you know that full well. If you've read the Psalms, many times we're told to give thanks or to praise the

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Lord or to bless his name. Psalm 106, verse 1, for example, says, Praise the

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Lord. It says, O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

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Right in that one little verse, there is much to be thankful for.

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The Lord is good. He is good. It's talking about his character, but his character is expressed in what he does, and he shows that goodness to his people in many ways, and not the least of which, in the provision for their eternal life, in giving you eternal life, in his grace, calling you to himself, and giving you life with him without end.

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He's good, and his steadfast love endures forever. His steadfast love is that faithfulness of the

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Lord, his commitment to his covenant that he's made with you, that he will never renege on that.

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His steadfast love endures forever. One of the greatest expressions of the steadfast love of the

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Lord is in his giving of his own son to be our Savior.

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Paul talks about that gift as God's indescribable or inexpressible gift.

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The value of that gift, the immensity of that gift, cannot be fully adequately described in human, with human tongue.

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And in 2 Corinthians 9, 15, he just exclaims, thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift.

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Now, what I wanted to do for the rest of these few minutes together today is read a portion from The Valley of Vision.

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This is a little booklet I use quite often, almost every day.

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It's a collection of Puritan prayers, and it's such a blessing to read these prayers and even to express them myself as I go through them.

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But anyway, so each day there's like two pages out of this little booklet that comprises these prayers.

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Well, anyway, there's one of them that is entitled Privileges, and I wanted to share the privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus, privileges for which we can give thanks.

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Here's what he says. Without Christ, I stand far off, a stranger, an outcast.

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In him, I draw near and touch his kingly scepter. Without him,

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I dare not lift up my guilty eyes. In him, I gaze upon my

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Father God and friend. Without him, I hide my lips in trembling shame.

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In him, I open my mouth in petition and praise.

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Without him, all is wrath and consuming fire. In him is all love and the repose of my soul.

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Without him is gaping hell below me and eternal anguish. In him, its gates are barred to me by his precious blood.

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Without him, darkness spreads its horrors in front. In him, an eternity of glory is my boundless horizon.

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Without him, all within me is terror and dismay. In him, every accusation is charmed into joy and peace.

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Without him, all things external call for my condemnation. In him, they minister to my comfort and are to be enjoyed with thanksgiving.

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Praise be to thee for grace and for the unspeakable gift of Jesus.

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I hope today in your giving of thanks that you are giving thanks to your

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God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and especially for his inexpressible gift and all of the privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus.

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And so our Father and our God, we are thankful today for who you are, that you are good, and that your steadfast love endures forever.

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And we thank you for the inexpressible gift that you have given to us in Christ Jesus, and that our salvation puts us in him.

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And in him, we have such indescribable privileges.

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Thank you for these wonderful gifts. And this we pray in Jesus' name and for his sake.

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Amen. All right. Well, I trust the Lord will bless you with a good

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Thanksgiving day today. And I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow.