Be Thankful and Please God

Meditate.

When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: "Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also." This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain. Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe.” Hebrews 12:26-28

Here we are into November—the month of Thanksgiving. Give Thanks. Give thanks with a grateful heart.

Let us be thankful and please God by worshiping Him with holy fear and awe.  He is certainly worthy of our worship and praise—every day…not just on Sunday, Shabot or on Thanksgiving Day.

For what are you thankful today? Several people that I know make an annual ritual of giving thanks for something in particular each day of November. Good habit...that actually often flows over into December. I’ve always liked the custom of having three dry corn kernels on each person’s plate and passing a basket around the Thanksgiving Table with everyone adding their kernels to the basket and “giving thanks” for three things in their lives during the past year. Some years there seems more for which to be thankful…and other years people have just been so bent on getting to eat their favorite meal of the year that they can hardly wait and not be bothered with reflecting on the past year.

I think its hard to look at this past year—with the COVID tension and anxiety—but I am looking for ways to be thankful for COVID. It has been terrible for businesses and relationships—but I am hopeful that it has brought more people to the Lord than it has separated them from God. I say this because we now follow on YouTube at least four pastors who are good Bible teachers. We’ve been doing Bible studies on Daniel, Judges and Revelation, as well as a couple of overviews of Bible history. We don’t need to have a theology lesson…just truths taught and that is what we are getting. Our Small Group is studying the Jewish Feasts and with that we have delved into Leviticus, Deuteronomy and now chapter by chapter through the book of Esther. Sort of fun because a couple of our grandchildren were also studying Esther. They were surprised that we were  studying the same stories.

Mt. St. Helens - Washington State
Will it shake and erupt again?

Note that our focus scripture mentions the “shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” Have you seen the number of volcanos erupting around the world? There were twenty-eight—yes 28—occurring right now! Google it to see for yourself. And while you are at it…look at the number of earthquakes that have occurred. There were 42 earthquakes above 6.0 magnitude in the just the first couple of months this year. There are generally between 200 and 300 over 2.0 magnitude that are recorded daily. My husband and I have been watching a YouTube video that daily reports such earthquakes around the world. The earth is doing a lot of shaking! Are the heavens shaking? Well, the sun certainly gave off some energy lately that created beautiful aurora borealis effect that was enjoyed by people here in the Northern Hemisphere. I’ll admit that I spent a couple of evenings trying to see the dancing sky…but to no avail. It just wasn’t visible on the nights that I went chasing it! I remembered seeing it as a teenager growing up on a farm in eastern Washington and my husband saw it in northern Alaska when he was on a remote assignment in the USAF at Cape Lisburne. It was pretty dramatic and we’d hoped to see it again…and share it with family nearby. Yes, God is shaking things up…on the earth and in the heavens.

Are you ready for Christ’s return? His Kingdom will be unshakable. Let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. 

Prayer ~ Lord, we worship and adore You. This whole shaking of the earth is an awesome thing—and technology allows us to see the power and literally the majesty of the volcanoes live as they are erupting half-way around the world. Amazing. But I am glad that I’m not there—for some of them are very dangerous. Please be merciful to those who are living close to any of those twenty-eight active volcanoes.

Verse of Salvation ~ You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15

Bible Trivia Answer to the Question: What is the “number of completion” in the Bible? Give several examples. 
Seven is the “number of completion.” Seven is used hundreds of times in the Bible. Here are a few:
Seven days of creation.
Seven days after Noah entered the Ark it began to rain.
Seven years Jacob worked for Laban to obtain Rachel as his wife.
Seven years in Joseph’s dreams of fat and lean years…before the famine.
Seven Jewish Festivals or Feasts
Seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Seven churches.
Seven lampstands.
Seven angels, seven bowls of plagues.

Bible Trivia Question for next week: Which Gospel contains the “Sermon on the Mount” in which Jesus taught His followers on the hills above the See of Galilee?

Verse of Thanksgiving ~ Give thanks in all circumstances. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

© 2021 Text, photos and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation.

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights eserved.

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