When Thanksgiving Day comes around, many of us stuff ourselves on Thanksgiving Day vittles, and that opportunity is certainly something to be thankful for. Before we begin stuffing ourselves, some of us even take the time to thank God for His providential generosity — for all the people we love and all the things He has given us. Few of us, however, stop to thank God for being our God. When we become too involved in this world, we can become forgetful of the One who made us.
Why do we exist? Why did God create us?
- There are various verses one could cite (Why God Created Man (openbible.info)).
- Some say God made us to fulfill His plan (Why Did God Create Us?(christianitytoday.com)).
- Others say God created us for His pleasure (Why did God create us? Why are we here? (gotquestions.org))
- My favorite is that God created us for His glory (Why Did God Create the World? (desiringgod.org)).
Consider.
Isaiah 43:6-7 New King James Version (NKJV)
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth—
7 Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”
How do we glorify God? What is it that He wants us to do? That is, after all, all we can do for God, choose to obey Him. Yet that the oddest and most amazing thing, a blessing of outrageous proportions. Here is what the Apostle John said about it.
1 John 3:16-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
The Outworking of Love
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we [a]know that we are of the truth, and shall [b]assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave [c]us commandment.
If we make it so, being a Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus, can seem insurmountably difficult. But it does not have to be. When we our neighbors, love one another, we have received the greatest of gifts.
I am always comforted by the idea that God will make up for our deficiencies in serving Him if we will ask Him and believe that He hears and answers prayer. Jesus said that His yoke was easy and His burden light. I find that to be true and especially so when I am in constant communication with Him through prayer about every detail of my daily walk with Him. What I am trying to say here, I think, is “When we can’t, He can!” He reads the intent of our hearts so let us make sure that the intent of our hearts is real and focused on what God wants from us both in this life and in service to Him through Jesus.
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@John
That is a good description of walking with our Lord.
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Praise Him.
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