Psalm 92; Luke 14

Psalm 92
This is a psalm about being thankful. You know, the idea of being thankful has almost become a cliche. We all know we should be thankful, but we often don't give it much thought. I'm sure there are several ways to look at this Psalm, but I am going to look at the times when we are to be thankful.
1.  In the morning, I am thankful for God's unfailing love as I look forward to what the day will bring.       v. 2
2.  In the evening, I thank God for His faithfulness as I look back over the activities of the day.  v. 2
3.  When I realize God's plan and His attributes, I am thankful. vv. 4-13
     a.  He does great works.
     b.  His thoughts are deep.
     c.  He will destroy the wicked
     d.  He will be exalted forever.
     e.  He will make me strong.
4.  I am thankful even for old age! vv. 14-15  I can remain fruitful, fresh, and flourishing! I like this thought. Fruitful, fresh, and flourishing rather than dried up, wrinkled, and dying.  Praising the Lord is good medicine to ward off the complaints of old age. Trust me on this one!

Yesterday in the morning sermon, my husband gave a quotation from someone (I'll have to find out who) that said something like, "We have a God who deals in futures." What a thought! The past is over and done with, and the only thing it's good for is to be a lesson to us. Even as we face the last days of our lives, however short or long they may be, we must trust God for our future.

"It does not pay to get sour as you get old. I pity a man who lives in the past. He lives on stale manna."  D.L. Moody

Luke 14
In this passage, Jesus teaches us about how we treat people.
1.  We should be kind and good to those who can give us nothing in return. vv. 1-14
2.  We should invite people to the "great feast" which is a picture of heaven. God wants His house filled, but many will reject the invitation. Our job is to keep inviting people. Often, those who to us seem most unworthy are the ones who will accept the invitation. As I write this, I think about how many times I have heard this sermon or one like it. I know it's my job to tell others about God's wonderful plan of redemption through Jesus, but in reality it is SO HARD to do! And so this is a good reminder.
3. We should follow Jesus first. Commitments to other people should fade in comparison to our dedication to Him. Again this may sound trite and easy, but it is not. Discipleship costs us everything because Jesus requires it. OK so let's be real here. Christianity has not really "cost" me much. (Maybe you have suffered losses or persecution of some kind because you are a believer.) So what does this mean? Well, for one thing, I think it means that we should consider FIRST what pleases God. I know I tend to be a people pleaser. I'm not really proud of this, but I have to admit that I want everyone to be happy and to like me. This passage is a reminder to me that I should be a "Jesus pleaser"!