Colossians 1:3. "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you." GIVING THANKS. A name comes to mind of a place or a person As I am at my work today. That is the occasion that God brings that I In some specific way will pray For those people in some distant place, That God in His great grace will grant What they need to be successful for Him, And then for them, I give thanks.
Thanks that I know them to earnestly be Engaged in the ongoing work of the Lord. Or thanks that I came to know them in the past, And out of all the people in the world,
They and I were joined together In the bands of God's saving grace. And that together we both experience the blessing Of being called to live by faith.
Another name comes to the surface of my consciousness, It is that of my oldest grandson. It seems to me that he is committed to righteousness; I give thanks for the man he has become. I believe he is a man who loves the Lord; In my mind I see him studying hard. And I pray that he will become a man of God's Word, Not just a successful man of the world.
The members of my family arise in my mind, Like an album of all those, I love so dear. I give thanks for them all and what I find, But also, for all the good that I hear Of their actions and accomplishments in life, That gives me assurance they're in God’s family. I am thankful that they walk in the light, Giving evidence of love for God in their lives I see.
There are companies of people gathered in the Lord's name, Most of whom I hardly know. I give thanks for the testimony from whence they came, And that in their communities they can show. Their commitment to truth; to spreading the Gospel, And to worship in Spirit and in truth. I give thanks to those older ones who have been faithful, And also, the new ones who have been added to the group.
I give thanks for my wife who is faithful and true, Whose love for me has always been without question. For her service to God and His people too, And for teaching me many a good lesson - For her grace and contentment, her enthusiasm as well; Her willingness to connect with others. Yes, I have a lot of reasons for my thankfulness to tell, And for all of my Christian sisters and brothers.
"Lord God, may I always have a thankful spirit when I think of others, even though we may have areas of disagreement. I know there is much to be thankful for in every name that arises in my mind. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."
Colossians.1:3-4. “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints…”
HIS OWN. God’s people are precious to Him. They are “the apple of His eye.” We need to remember what God sees when He looks upon His loved ones. If we see them only as all the other people around, we are missing out on a key that is essential for Christian fellowship. Paul indicated that on every occasion when he prayed for the Colossian believers, he gave thanks to God for them. Even though he hadn’t seen them, he appreciated the grace of God in them. He had heard of their faith and love: two important Christian virtues I need to cultivate and appreciate in the Lord’s people. For over 70 years, I have known some of these choice people here in Flower’s Cove. In many ways, they are overlooked by the Lord’s servants who preach because their numbers aren’t large, and they are off the beaten track.
I thank God for their willingness to continue on for these many years in a faithful way of gathering for the Lord’s Day, regular weeknight meetings, monthly meetings in the community for those who are seniors, and for the occasional Gospel series. Maybe one of the best things I can do for them is to give thanks to God for them and bring them before the Lord regularly as those He has a great and loving interest in.
“Father, these are people You love. These are those You sent the Lord Jesus to die for. These are the excellent of the earth. Each in his or her own way, wants to bring pleasure and honor to Thee. May I properly estimate those among whom I work and with whom I worship! May I never get the idea that any one of them is unimportant! May I always remember that the number of people attending a gathering isn’t what makes it right! It is their desire and willingness to do what is Thy will that will make the struggle of isolation worth the effort they put forth. Bless them for their faithfulness to Thy Word and work and those among whom they live. In the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.”