November 23 - A Thankful Life 감사의 삶

November 23 - A Thankful Life

 

“He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.” – Psalm 50:23

 

Our faith in God pleases Him while our thanksgiving glorifies Him, and the one who glorifies the Father is the true worshipper who worships Him in spirit and truth. Genuine thanksgiving to the LORD is a free offering, a sacrifice of praise, a living sacrifice, and a gift of love, a sweet-smelling savor to the LORD our God. Such an offering is not merely an external display of reverent homage or a gesture of pious religiosity but an inner spirit of genuine gratefulness, a heart overflowing with adoration that springs from the man or woman deeply in love with the LORD. Indeed, no act of thanksgiving nor any form of worship that does not spring forth from the inner being that loves the LORD is acceptable to Him.

 

The whole of Psalm 50 is a song that shows the greatness of God, His never-ending righteousness, and His long-suffering grace. Still, it is also one that is a severe rebuke to His people, Israel, for their disinterested complacency and hypocritical attitude into which their external acts of sacrifices had fallen. A man may look at the externals, but God looks at the heart, and He knows the inner thoughts and the hidden attitudes of the mind, which can so often mask insincerity in the worship of a double-minded man.

 

God, Who judges the hearts of all, is not mocked and warns all inclined to cleanse their hearts, alter their ways, and dress in the robe of Christ's righteousness in sincerity and truth. 

It is never too late for any believer who has adopted a form of complacency or put on a necklace of hypocrisy to change his ways, for God is gracious and long-suffering. But He also warns us to recognize the error of our attitude, change our ways, and return to Him. Our faith in God pleases Him, while our genuine thanksgiving glorifies Him. Let us be those who glorify the Father through a sacrifice of praise as, day by day, we worship Him in spirit and truth.

 

Christians are distinguished from non-Christians by having a thankful heart in all circumstances. The Bible advises Christians to be thankful. “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:4). “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:15-16). What, then, does a thankful life look like?

 

First, we should be thankful for the people around us. And we should express thankfulness to them. We cannot live by ourselves. Therefore, we should thank people around us: family, doctors and nurses, firefighters, neighbors, police officers, Sunday school teachers, pastors, etc. We thank God by thanking people. Second, we should offer thanksgiving offerings because of our spiritual life. “For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling” (Psalm 116:8). “I will lift the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD” (Psalm 116:13). We all deserve death and judgment. But God loved us so much and sent His one and only son to carry all our sins. Therefore, anyone who receives Jesus Christ is born-again and receives eternal life. Third, we should thank God for He gives us victory in our life (2 Corinthians 2:14). We should offer thanksgiving to God for enabling us to live in victory. Even if we are born-again, we are still at war with Satan and the sin in our flesh. The LORD gives us new life to live holy and obedient lives.

 

 

Today’s Prayer: Praise God, who is light and in whom there is no darkness (1 John 1:5). Thank the LORD for being your light and your salvation (Psalm 27:1). Confess any times you have willingly hidden the light of Christ from others. Commit yourself anew to living as a child of the light (Ephesians 5:8). Ask – humbly- that you will become increasingly blameless and pure and that God will make you shine like a star in the universe (Philippians 2:15).

Prayer Pointer: Prayer is a dialog between two persons who love each other. – Rosalind Rinker

Bible Reading: Ezekiel 29-31; James 5

 

 

 

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11월 23일 - 감사의 삶

 

“감사로 제사를 드리는 자가 나를 영화롭게 하나니 그 행위를 옳게 하는 자에게 내가 하나님의 구원을 보이리라” - 시 50:23

 

우리의 믿음은 하나님을 기쁘시게 하고 그를 영화롭게 하며, 신령과 진리로 예배를 드리며 하나님께 영광을 돌리는 감사의 삶을 살아가게 합니다. 하나님께 드리는 진정한 감사는 자유 의지의 예물과 찬양의 산 제사가 되고 향기로운 사랑의 선물이 되는 것입니다. 이러한 감사의 제사는 단순히 경건하고 외적이고 의식적인 형식으로 드리는 종교적인 자세가 아니라 마음으로 하나님을 진정으로 깊이 사랑하는 마음이 흘러 넘쳐서 드리는 감사의 제사입니다. 사실, 하나님은 우리가 하나님께 예배를 드리고 제사를 드린다고 해도 주님을 진정으로 사랑하는 내적인 감사의  마음에서 흘러 넘처 나오는 어떤 감사의 행위나 어떤 예배나 제사가 아니면 하나님은 그 제사를  기쁘게 받지 않으십니다.   

 

시편 50편은 하나님은 위대하시고, 한없이 의로우시고, 오래 참으시는 하나님의 은혜를 감사하고 찬양하는 노래입니다. 그리고 또한 이 시편은 이스라엘 백성들이 하나님께 드리는 제사에 무관하고 안일과 외적인 태도로만 제사를 드리는 타락하고 위선적인 태도에 대해 하나님은 엄중한 책망을 하고 있는 말씀이기도 합니다. 사람은 겉을 보지만 하나님은 중심으로 보시고 내적인 생각과 마음에 숨겨진 자세를 알고 계십니다. 때로는 자신의 마음을 감추고 두 마음을 가지고 정직하지 않는 자세로 하나님을 예배하는 자들도 있습니다. 

 

모든 사람의 마음을 알고 심판하시는 하나님은 위선과 거짓을 받지 않으시고 마음을 깨끗이 하고, 삶을 바꾸어, 성실과 진리로 그리스도의 의의 옷을 입기 원하는 자들에게 경고하십니다. 어떤 안일하고 위선의 행위를 하는 신자가 자신의 삶이 변화하는데 너무 늦은 시간은 없습니다. 그 이유는 하나님은 은혜로우시고 오래 참으시기 때문입니다. 하나님은 또한 우리의 태도의 잘못을 아시고 우리의 삶의 태도를 바꾸어 그에게 돌아오라고 말씀하십니다. 하나님에 대한 우리의 믿음은 그를 기쁘시게 하고 진정한 감사는 영화롭게 합니다. 날마다 영과 진리로 하나님을 경배하고 찬양의 제사를 통해 영광을 돌리는 그리스도인들이 되어야 합니다. 

 

그리스도인이 불신자와 다른 점은 어떤 환경에서도 감사하는 마음을 가지는 것 입니다. 성경은 성도는 항상 범사에 감사해야 한다고 가르칩니다. “감사함으로 그 문에 들어가며 찬송함으로 그 궁정에 들어가서 그에게 감사하며 그 이름을 송축할지어다”(시 100:4).“이러므로 우리가 예수로 말미암아 항상 찬미의 제사를 하나님께 드리자 이는 그 이름을 증거하는 입술의 열매니라 오직 선을 행함과 서로 나눠 주기를 잊지 말라 이 같은 제사는 하나님이 기뻐하시느니라”(히 13:15-16). 그러면 그리스도인의 감사하는 삶이란 어떤 삶일까요?

 

첫째, 우리와 함께 살아가는 사람들에게 감사의 표현을 하는 삶입니다. 우리는 세상에서 홀로 살지 않고 가족, 의사 간호사, 소방대원, 경찰관, 교회의 주일학교 교사, 전도사, 목사, 성도들과 함꼐 살아가기에 그들에게 사해야 합니다. 하나님께 감사하는 자는 사람에게 감사합니다. 둘째, 영적인 삶을 인하여 하나님께 감사 예물을 드립니다. “주께 서 내 영혼을 사망에서, 내 눈의 눈물에서, 내 발을 넘어짐에서 건지셨나이다”(시 116:8). “내가 구원의 잔을 들고 여호와의 이름을 부르며”(시 116:13). 심판과 정죄를 받아야 할 우리를 하나님은 사랑하시고 예수님께  모든 죄를 감당케 하셨습니다. 예수 그리스도를 구주로 영접하면 죄에서 구원을 받고 영원한 생명을 얻습니다. 셋째, 항상 승리하는 삶을 살게 하시는 하나님께 감사합니다(고후 2:14). 하나님은 우리를 구원해 주시고 매일의 삶에서 승리하도록 도와 주십니다. 거듭난 하나님의 자녀라도 세상에 사는 동안 육신의 죄와 사단과 영적 싸움을 해야 합니다. 하나님께서는 거룩한 하나님의 백성으로 순종하며 살아가도록 항상 새로운 생명과 삶을 주시는 것 입니다.

 

 

오늘의 기도: 빛이시고 어두움이 전혀 없으신 하나님을 찬양하고 (요일 1:5), 주님께서 당신의 빛과 구원이 되심을 감사하십시오 (시 27:1).  다른 사람들로부터 그리스도의 빛을 의도적으로 감추려고 한 때가 있으면 고백하고, 빛의 자녀로 살아가기로 새롭게 헌신하십시오 (엡 5:8). 하나님께서 당신을 우주의 별과 같이 빛나게 하시도록 더 흠이 없고 더 순전한 자로 살아가도록 겸손히 간구하십시오.

기도 지침: “기도는 서로 사랑하는 두 사람간의 대화이다” – 로사린드 린커 

성경 읽기: 에스겔 29-31; 야고보서 5장