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It’s this coming Thursday, and you’ve waited
all day long for the big event. As always, the dinner is a fashionably late
afternoon gathering. You skipped breakfast for this, and even unbuttoned
your pants in preparation as you sat down. Then a large covered food tray
is brought out to the center of the table. Everyone’s mouths are
watering...the lid is lifted unveiling...5 kernels of corn? That’s
it...it’s all we have this year.
The Pilgrim Fathers who landed at Plymouth
Rock nearly 400 years ago knew nothing of the affluent times which you and I
enjoy today in this great country of ours. The next time you and I are
tempted to complain about inflation and the state of our economy, remember
the following:
During that first long winter at Plymouth
Colony, seven times as many graves were made for the dead as homes for the
living.
The ship which was to bring food and relief
brought 35 more mouths to feed, but not an ounce of provisions.
Touching indeed is the picture of William
Brewster, rising from a scanty Plymouth dinner, consisting of a plate of
clams and a glass of cold water, to thank God “for the abundance of the sea
and the treasures hid in the sand.”
The Pilgrims didn’t have much, but they
possessed a great gratitude and it was upon this very thing that America was
built. These stalwart people, strong, devout and sincere were the timbers
upon which our nation was founded.
For many of those first thanksgivings they
had a custom of putting 5 kernels of corn upon each empty plate before
dinner was served. Each member of the family would pick up a kernel and tell
what they were thankful for. It was to remind them that the very first
Pilgrims were in such dire straits that their allowance was only 5 kernels
of corn per person each day.
We have many reasons to be thankful. Let’s
take 5 grains of corn, and using Psalm 103:1-5 as a basis, see 5 things to
praise God for.
1. The Kernel of
Forgiveness*
Verse 3a: “…who forgiveth all thine
iniquities…”
One day a fellow was visiting with his pastor
in his office. He picked up a book from his shelf and began to read.
Suddenly he shouted, “Glory!” The pastor asked, “What is it?” The visitor
replied, “This book says that in certain places the sea is 5 miles deep!”
“Yes, that’s right,” said the pastor. “What
of it?” The visitor answered, “Why, the Bible says that my sins have been
cast into the depth of the sea, and if it’s that deep, I’m not afraid of
their coming up again. The pressure of the water is so great there that if
the largest battleship could be sunk to that depth, it would be crushed like
an egg shell.”
There’s no mistaking it—God offers
forgiveness. All any person must do is repent and forsake his sin, and God
will forgive him and revoke the penalty of sin.
This
forgiveness is a…
Promise
of the Father
Provision
of the Son
Proclamation
in the Bible
Required practice
in the church
From the depths of our hearts, a sense of
gratitude should well up. We don’t deserve forgiveness, but He gives it to
us anyway.
2. The Kernel of
Redemption*
Verse 4a: “…who redeemeth thy life from
destruction…”
The London Times publishes the prices paid
for art objects in all of the salesrooms of the world. If a painting is sold
in New York or Paris or Rome or London, The Times gives the full details of
the sale. You can judge the value of the painting by the price paid for it.
And we can judge our value by the
price Jesus paid for us—the depths into which He had to reach down
into the pockets of hell in order to redeem us.
Governor Neff of Texas once spoke to the
assembled convicts of penitentiaries of that state. He finished by saying
that he would remain to listen if any man wanted to speak with him. When the
meeting was over, a large group of men remained, many of them lifers. One by
one they each told the governor that he was there through a frame-up, an
injustice, or a judicial blunder. Each asked to be freed.
Finally, one man came up and said, “Governor,
I just want to say that I’m guilty. I did what they sent me here for, but I
believe I’ve paid for it. If I were freed, I would do everything I could to
be a good citizen and prove myself worthy of your mercy.” The governor
pardoned this man. Why? Because he admitted his guilt. So it is with us if
we are to be redeemed from the awful sentence we’re under. But there is a
difference. We can’t say that we’ve paid for any of it because as the hymn
says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin has left a crimson stain, He
washed it white as snow."” If we will plead His blood, God will redeem us.
The Lord not only saved our souls from hell,
but He also redeems our lives from the clutches of the devil. Satan is bent
on damning our souls and destroying our lives. But thanks be to God who
redeems our lives from Satan’s power. All one has to do is take a look at
our penitentiaries, sanitariums, hospitals, and half-way houses. They are
filled with people whose lives are being destroyed by our enemy. Jesus said
in...
Matthew 7:13
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is
the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
But we praise God today with the Psalmist who
said,
Psalms 40:2-3 2 He brought me up also out of
an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and
established my goings. 3 And he
hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall
see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
Forgiveness, redemption...
3. The Kernel of
Healing*
Verse 3b: “…who healeth all thy diseases…”
When first considering this passage of
scripture, I was reluctant to use it because I couldn’t reconcile it with
the fact that God doesn’t heal everyone who has an “incurable” disease. But
I believe the Holy Spirit can help us to see three important truths
contained in this verse.
a. All healing is
divine healing and all recovery from sickness, injury and surgery is the result of the
healing properties that God has built into our bodies. Medicine, surgery and
therapy are merely extensions of God’s healing ministry.
b. This verse doesn’t say
that God heals everyone’s diseases, but that He heals all diseases.
There is no disease or sickness that lies beyond His healing power—not even
what we call “incurable.” He is the Great Physician!
c.
The main truth I learned is that the Psalmist
is speaking to his soul. “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” he said,
“who heals all your diseases.”
The diseases of the soul emanate from the
virus of sin. Jesus identified this virus and its symptoms and disorders in
Matthew 15:19-20 19 For out of the heart proceed
evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,
blasphemies: 20 These are the
things which defile a man...
Just as surely as some disorders of the body
can be cured by medicines and surgery, so the soul of man can be cleansed,
purged and purified—and made whole when God the Holy Spirit is allowed to
possess us completely.
4. The Kernel of
Love and Compassion*
Verse 4b: “…crowneth thee with lovingkindness
and tender mercies…”
In one of Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman’s meetings, a
man rose to give the following remarkable testimony: “I got off at the
Pennsylvania depot one day as a tramp. For a year I begged on the streets
for a living. One day I touched a man on the shoulder and said, “Mister,
please give me some money so I can have something to eat.” He turned, and as
soon as I saw his face, I recognized him – he was my father. ‘Father, don’t
you know me?’ I asked. Throwing his arms around me, he cried, ‘I’ve found
you! I’ve found you! All I have is yours!’ Think of it! That I a tramp,
stood begging my father for a few cents, when for 18 years he had been
looking for me to give me all he was worth.”
How similar this is to the loving kindness
and tender mercies of the Lord which accompany our lives every day.
Forgiveness, redemption, healing, love...
5. The Kernel of
Satisfaction and Renewal*
Verse 5: “…who satisfieth thy mouth with good
things so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
This reminds me of the words of Jesus, given
in the Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for
they shall be filled.
When we seek God’s righteousness, He grants
it.
Psalms 107:9
For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with
goodness.
A famous surgeon was seldom seen on the
streets without a beautiful, fresh rose in his lapel. His friends wondered
why these buds stayed fresh for so long a time. When they asked him his
secret, he turned back the flap of his coat and revealed a little bottle of
water into which the stem of the flower had been inserted. So it is with
believers. If our lives draw from the great resources of the Lord Jesus, who
is in us the Water of Life, we will grow more fragrant and beautiful as the
days and years go by.
But that’s not the end. Verse 5 also says
that God will renew our youth like the eagle’s. The eagle is known for three
things: size, strength, and longevity. And it’s also known for its annual
molting.
This is the result of living a fulfilled,
satisfied spiritual life. I am constantly being renewed, refreshed, and
revived in my soul and God is doing it all!
No wonder then that the Psalmist said, “Bless
the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name!”
As you sit down to your Thanksgiving meal
Thursday, separate just 5 kernels from the mountains of bounty before you
and take time to thank God for 5 things each. This is so Biblical!
I Chronicles 16:8 Give thanks unto the Lord,
call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
Psalms 50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and
pay thy vows unto the most High:
Psalms 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily
loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
Psalms 107:22 And let them sacrifice the
sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
Some people act as if they had nothing to be
thankful for! A lack of thankfulness is a lack of thoughtfulness.
Just 5 things...name them one by one. And
there’s so much more than these 5 things to be thankful for...
show movie clip [in PowerPoint]
BECAUSE OF THE PROSPERITY HE HAS GIVEN US.
Deuteronomy 8:10 When thou hast eaten and art
full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath
given thee.
BECAUSE HE HAS MADE US HIS CHILDREN.
Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks unto the
Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the
saints in light:
BECAUSE IT IS THE WILL OF GOD
I Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give
thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
BECAUSE OF HIS ENABLING US TO MINISTER.
I Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our
Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into
the ministry;
BECAUSE IT IS A GOOD THING TO DO. [AND
CHRISTIANS SHOULD DO GOOD!]
Psalms 92:1
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the
Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
BECAUSE OF THE HEALING HE HAS PROVIDED.
Luke 17:16 And fell down on his face at his
feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. [1 of 10 lepers]
BECAUSE OF THE VICTORY HE HAS GIVEN US OVER
SIN AND DEATH
I Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God,
which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
BECAUSE OF THE UNSPEAKABLE GIFT OF HIS SON
JESUS CHRIST.
II Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for
his unspeakable gift.
It’s amazing what praising will do!
[based on excellent sermon by Bruce
Howell, w/ other source material from Dr. C. David White]
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