Youth Chaplain’s Corner
Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me; to those who go the right way I will show the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23 (NRSV)
Examining Psalms 50 as a whole shows the characteristics of a worshiper that brings joy to the heart of God: gratitude to God, obedience, prayer, and a desire to glorify God.
But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Fa-ther seeks such as these to worship him. John 4:23 (NRSV)
This is the type of worshipper that will see the sal-vation of God.
This November as we are celebrating Thanksgiv-ing, let us examine out hearts and see how truly grateful to God we are. The Israelites were freed from slavery and were being taken to the Promise Land, but throughout their journey they were grumbling and complaining.
Being grateful is a choice. The Pilgrims did not allow their feelings or circumstances to determine whether or not they would exercise gratitude and thanksgiving. Even in the hard times they continued to believe and worship God. They knew God was in control. Even though the first few months here in America were brutal, when they experienced blessings – their first thoughts were to give thanks to God. It is easy to worship God when things are going well but the Pilgrims give us an example of trusting God and worshiping God – even in difficult times. They did not know if they would survive, but they kept their faith. They faced great challenges, but they knew that God was with them.
May God enable all of us to have a similar faith and to worship God with true thanksgiving in spirit and truth.
Rev. Shibi Abraham
Youth Chaplain