"Thank You"

  We have all been there. We saw that wonderful movie that moved us in some way or we read a book that really touched our hearts in such a manner that while reading it, we didn't want to put it down but continue to the end. What did we want to do in response to such a movie or book? We wanted to share it! But it goes a little beyond that. If we could find the producer or author, we would love to just tell them "thank you"! Someone gives us something anonymously and we wonder who would give us such a gift. We think, ponder and then we want to search them out just to tell them a heart-felt "thank you"! The joy that is felt is not completed in any case until we express the fullness of our hearts. It is a joy that we didn't create but received and wants to be expressed. 

  But when we come to the worship of God, where is that desire to express what we feel? Sensitive people worship God because they want to praise God and just say "thank you" in honor of what He has done for them. People have difficulties in their lives. Some live hard lives. Is there nothing to say "thank you" for toward God? No health, no home, no water, no food, no friends, no children, no marriage? Nothing at all to express a deep "thank you"? No one to sing, "Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature"? No one to sing, "Love lifted me, when nothing else could help, love lifted me"? Here are songs that apply to everyone without exception but are we so empty that we can't express this to our Father?

  Some people worship out of duty. I was recently told that the reason this individual went to worship was because they had made it a habit to go. A habit? Is that what we have done to ourselves in our relationship with the Lord? Reduced the relationship to a habit? Have we not been touched by this wonderful gift, this blessings from heaven for our salvation? Is it better than the good book or movie? Is it better than receiving that gift from someone? We should be a people who want to say to the heavenly Father, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" When we assemble in the name of the Lord to offer our worship, there is where we express to God, as His children together and are reminded who we are and the great things that the Lord has done for us which leads to "thank you"! Praise, adoration toward God. Not praise and adoration of man nor man's abilities. And then we are struck in the heart as we sing, "My sin, O the bliss of this wonderous thought. My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul." It just doesn't get any better than that. A great big "THANK YOU LORD"! Worship God!!!