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Monday
Someone To Thank
.
Whether an atheist denying the existence of God,
or a believer overlooking the blessings of God, the
contradiction is obvious, even as it is unabashedly
ignored. To overlook the good in our lives is to
state that there is no one to thank. To grumble
is to emphatically declare that there is someone
to hold responsible. But which will it be?
MORE!!!
Whether an atheist denying the existence of God,
or a believer overlooking the blessings of God, the
contradiction is obvious, even as it is unabashedly
ignored. To overlook the good in our lives is to
state that there is no one to thank. To grumble
is to emphatically declare that there is someone
to hold responsible. But which will it be?
MORE!!!
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From Whom?
Jill Carattini
The four lines of what is commonly known as the Doxology have been sung for
more than three hundred years.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
It has been said that the Doxology, which literally means words of glory,
has done more to teach the doctrine of the Trinity than all the
theological books ever written. To this day, when I sing those powerful
lines, I recall the colorful lesson of my first grade Sunday school
teacher. With something like cookie dough and bologna magically falling
down on the table before us, she read us the story of a God who made the
heavens rain bread and quail so that his grumbling people might live and
know that He is God. I was impressed. And when we sung the Doxology at
the end of the service, I thought it immensely helpful that I knew a
little more of what it means when we sing that God is a God from whom all
blessings flow.
Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. once said pointedly, "It must be an odd feeling
to be thankful to nobody in particular." He was commenting on the odd
phenomenon of finding, especially around Thanksgiving time, people
thankful "in general." To be thankful "in general" is very strange, he
concluded. "It's a little like being married in general."
Of course, his words are not dismissing the thought that it is good to
give thanks in all circumstances. Rather, Plantinga raises an important
philosophical question. Can one be thankful in general, thankful for the
blessings that flow, without acknowledging from where or from whom
they might be flowing?
In what remains a revealing look at human nature, Moses describes life
after Egypt. Rescued Israel was a grumbling people sick of manna, wailing
for meat, even longing to go back to the land God had mightily delivered
them from. And in the midst of revealing God's promise for meat, Moses
says to them, "You have rejected the Lord, who is among you" (Numbers
11:20).
How revealing these words are to our grumbling prone lips. If being
thankful is by nature being aware and appreciative of things beyond
ourselves, complaining is refusing to see anything but ourselves.
It is refusing to see the one who is among us. Moreover, it is an
expression that serves only to affirm our own expectations, whether they
are based on faulty visions of reality or not. Certainly the Israelites
didn't want to go back into captivity, but in their grumbling even
slavery began to look inviting.
Choosing not to see the glory of God, choosing not to raise our eyes to
God from whom all blessings flow is in essence to be content in blindness.
It is choosing not to wholly consider reality, choosing to overlook the
sovereign God at work beyond us, in all things, in all circumstances.
In one of his own doxologies found in Romans 11, the apostle Paul declares
the glory of God and lifts our eyes to the one worthy of our praise: "Oh,
the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable
are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind
of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all
things. To Him be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:33-36).
Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken and living before
one who is worthy of our praise, let us be thankful. Let us worship God
with reverence and awe, always remembering with praise and wonder the one
from whom all blessings flow.
Jill Carattini is senior associate writer at Ravi Zacharias
International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM)
"A Slice of Infinity" is aimed at reaching into the culture with words of
challenge, words of truth, and words of hope. If you know of others who
would enjoy receiving "A Slice of Infinity" in their email box each day,
tell them they can sign up on our website at:
Click Here
If they do not have access to the
World Wide Web, please call 1-877-88SLICE
(1-877-887-5423).
.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}
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Jill Carattini
The four lines of what is commonly known as the Doxology have been sung for
more than three hundred years.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
It has been said that the Doxology, which literally means words of glory,
has done more to teach the doctrine of the Trinity than all the
theological books ever written. To this day, when I sing those powerful
lines, I recall the colorful lesson of my first grade Sunday school
teacher. With something like cookie dough and bologna magically falling
down on the table before us, she read us the story of a God who made the
heavens rain bread and quail so that his grumbling people might live and
know that He is God. I was impressed. And when we sung the Doxology at
the end of the service, I thought it immensely helpful that I knew a
little more of what it means when we sing that God is a God from whom all
blessings flow.
Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. once said pointedly, "It must be an odd feeling
to be thankful to nobody in particular." He was commenting on the odd
phenomenon of finding, especially around Thanksgiving time, people
thankful "in general." To be thankful "in general" is very strange, he
concluded. "It's a little like being married in general."
Of course, his words are not dismissing the thought that it is good to
give thanks in all circumstances. Rather, Plantinga raises an important
philosophical question. Can one be thankful in general, thankful for the
blessings that flow, without acknowledging from where or from whom
they might be flowing?
In what remains a revealing look at human nature, Moses describes life
after Egypt. Rescued Israel was a grumbling people sick of manna, wailing
for meat, even longing to go back to the land God had mightily delivered
them from. And in the midst of revealing God's promise for meat, Moses
says to them, "You have rejected the Lord, who is among you" (Numbers
11:20).
How revealing these words are to our grumbling prone lips. If being
thankful is by nature being aware and appreciative of things beyond
ourselves, complaining is refusing to see anything but ourselves.
It is refusing to see the one who is among us. Moreover, it is an
expression that serves only to affirm our own expectations, whether they
are based on faulty visions of reality or not. Certainly the Israelites
didn't want to go back into captivity, but in their grumbling even
slavery began to look inviting.
Choosing not to see the glory of God, choosing not to raise our eyes to
God from whom all blessings flow is in essence to be content in blindness.
It is choosing not to wholly consider reality, choosing to overlook the
sovereign God at work beyond us, in all things, in all circumstances.
In one of his own doxologies found in Romans 11, the apostle Paul declares
the glory of God and lifts our eyes to the one worthy of our praise: "Oh,
the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable
are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind
of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all
things. To Him be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:33-36).
Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken and living before
one who is worthy of our praise, let us be thankful. Let us worship God
with reverence and awe, always remembering with praise and wonder the one
from whom all blessings flow.
Jill Carattini is senior associate writer at Ravi Zacharias
International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM)
"A Slice of Infinity" is aimed at reaching into the culture with words of
challenge, words of truth, and words of hope. If you know of others who
would enjoy receiving "A Slice of Infinity" in their email box each day,
tell them they can sign up on our website at:
Click Here
If they do not have access to the
World Wide Web, please call 1-877-88SLICE
(1-877-887-5423).
.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}
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