Four-Calendar Café

Scripture

Hebrews 13:15-16 (NIV)

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Observation

People can be so annoying, short-sighted, rude, condescending, intolerant, arrogant, and outright outlandish in their behavior to us. Sometimes there’s nothing people won’t do to get on your nerves. Am I right or what? What’s a person to do? How do we deal with these people? I’m kind, nice, thoughtful, the best a person can be, right? I’m lovable, soft, and cuddly, like the cutest of the cute. Well, except when I have to deal with those people.

Sound familiar? If you’re like me then you’ve likely have had similar thoughts make their way through you’re brain, at one time or another. They do look somewhat silly and perhaps a little embarrassing when they’re put into print though, don’t ya think? Thank God that there’s not a transcript of our thoughts anywhere.

While there’s not likely to be a transcript of our thoughts just lying around anywhere, God, however, does know our thoughts, even if they aren’t expressed and acted upon. He loves us anyway. Even in those times when we don’t love ourselves. He loves us. When we’re at our worst God still loves us and wants us to love other people.

No matter the situation, no matter the person, God desires us to do as He did for us. When Jesus suffered and died for us He did so knowing our nature, our propensity for selfishness, and our seemingly endless capacity for evil. Jesus died, once and for all that any who believe in Him would have eternal life and be saved. That sacrifice was made for our sins and the sins of the world.

It’s easy to praise God and give thanks in our lives when everything is going how we want it to go. Even non-believers will send God a “thank you” when things go their way. However, we who believe know that it is God who orders our steps. It is God who plans our way. We know that there is nothing that happens in our lives that doesn’t happen for a reason. Good or bad. Therefore, in the worst of times, when everything might appear to be lost, we must make a sacrifice of praise. You see when we stop and praise God. When we declare His goodness, His awesome power and glory we’re declaring our faith. We’re speaking the truth of life over all things. We’re looking, not to our circumstances today, but to the One above, who has delivered us from this life of death unto a life of salvation and eternity with Him.

This sacrifice pleases God. He’s also pleased when we do good to other people. Yes, people can be impossible to deal with, but when we go to God and we ask Him to help us love as He loves. To open our eyes to see, our ears to hear and our hearts to understand, then He will do it. We just have to be willing. Willing to serve with the same heart that serves us remembering that the most difficult situations and people you face in your life could be the ones that are the most rewarding.

Do you know God? God knows you and He loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. Nothing is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, right now, and He wants you to know Him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so that we could be free of guilt, be freed from death, and live eternally with Him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation today:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.