05 - Thanksgiving
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
Nine Days ofTHANKSGIVING
Day 5 | A SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING
Nine Days ofTHANKSGIVING
Day 5 | A SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING
A SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING
Jonah 2:9
“But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving.”
OK, consider this. God told Jonah to go to Nineva, but Jonah didn’t want to go. Have you been there? Not Nineva, but in a tug-a-war with God and His will for you?
So, what happened? Well – and almost unbelievably (except we’re talking about the God of the universe here) – the LORD caused a giant fish to swallow Jonah whole and alive. Now, I don’t want to be gross, but can you imagine life INSIDE that Big Fish? There is no light, food, or water (except salt water). And this went on for three days. Jonah was rebellious, and God wanted to get his attention!
Then, finally, Jonah submits and says, “I called out of my distress to the LORD.” (Jonah 2:1), and eventually, today’s verse – he SACRIFICED to the LORD with his voice of thanksgiving.
Sometimes, if we’re honest, we don’t FEEL like being thankful to others OR to the LORD. We may be frustrated, upset, mad, or brokenhearted; we just don’t FEEL like thanking God for anything (In fact, we sometimes blame God for the disorders we are experiencing.)
Yet, Jonah finally comes around, SACRIFICES praise to the LORD God, and God delivers him OUT of fish and onto dry land. (Wouldn’t you love to be wearing Jonah’s clothes for the next few days?)
But the point is… God loved Jonah and knew what ultimately was BEST for Jonah. And, because He loved him, God got Jonah’s attention and allowed him to turn his attitude around. A key to Jonah’s deliverance was his being THANKFUL. Even though he didn’t feel like being thankful, he SACRIFICED a “voice of thanksgiving” to the LORD.
We can learn much from this story from Jonah.
Prayer: LORD God, forgive me for being so stubborn at times. I don’t doubt that YOU KNOW what tomorrow holds and what is best for me. Lead me, guide me, and help me live in such a way that you don’t need to use a Big Fish in my life. Amen.
Jonah 2:9
“But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving.”
OK, consider this. God told Jonah to go to Nineva, but Jonah didn’t want to go. Have you been there? Not Nineva, but in a tug-a-war with God and His will for you?
So, what happened? Well – and almost unbelievably (except we’re talking about the God of the universe here) – the LORD caused a giant fish to swallow Jonah whole and alive. Now, I don’t want to be gross, but can you imagine life INSIDE that Big Fish? There is no light, food, or water (except salt water). And this went on for three days. Jonah was rebellious, and God wanted to get his attention!
Then, finally, Jonah submits and says, “I called out of my distress to the LORD.” (Jonah 2:1), and eventually, today’s verse – he SACRIFICED to the LORD with his voice of thanksgiving.
Sometimes, if we’re honest, we don’t FEEL like being thankful to others OR to the LORD. We may be frustrated, upset, mad, or brokenhearted; we just don’t FEEL like thanking God for anything (In fact, we sometimes blame God for the disorders we are experiencing.)
Yet, Jonah finally comes around, SACRIFICES praise to the LORD God, and God delivers him OUT of fish and onto dry land. (Wouldn’t you love to be wearing Jonah’s clothes for the next few days?)
But the point is… God loved Jonah and knew what ultimately was BEST for Jonah. And, because He loved him, God got Jonah’s attention and allowed him to turn his attitude around. A key to Jonah’s deliverance was his being THANKFUL. Even though he didn’t feel like being thankful, he SACRIFICED a “voice of thanksgiving” to the LORD.
We can learn much from this story from Jonah.
Prayer: LORD God, forgive me for being so stubborn at times. I don’t doubt that YOU KNOW what tomorrow holds and what is best for me. Lead me, guide me, and help me live in such a way that you don’t need to use a Big Fish in my life. Amen.
Posted in Thanksgiving