T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
November, 1940
407
Blessings and Mercies Thanksgiving Meditation
A
By L O U IS T. T A L B O T *
the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” What a glorious group ing of God’s doings we have here! First, He “hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” That means that we are ready right now for glory, for even the light that- emanates from God’s holy person could not reveal one spot on the soul of a believer now that the blood oi Christ has been applied. We oftentimes refer to people as “ripening.for glory.” That expression may be poetic, but it cer tainly is not Scriptural? We ripen for glory the day we put our trust in the Lord Jesus. This text says so. Then, we are also informed that the Father has taken us out of the king dom of darkness and “hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.” That is not something, brother, that God is going to do five minutes before you die. It is something that He “hath” al ready accomplished for you if you are a believer in! Christ. The Spirit of Sonship Still another rich blessing is found in Galatians 4:6: “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." This verse tells me that I have been given the' spirit of sonship, and therefore I do hot feel strange when I enter God’s presence now, nor will I feel strange when I find’ myself in the glory, either at death or at the coming of Christ. I used to think when I was a young believer that it would take me a thousand years to get used to heaven, but I do not think so ajiy longer because Galatians 4:6 tells me that our Father hath given to us the Spirit of sonship. At this Thanksgiving season let every Christian understand that he has been blessed with all spiritual' blessings and that these enumerated are only a few of those included in that word “all;” What comfort it would bring to our hearts if we meditated more frequently upon the wealth of our riches in Christ! For our own souls’ sake, let us engage in this blessed exercise, for it will fill our hearts with joy. If we understand God’s Word aright, we shall be able to sing intelligently, “ Count your many blessings, Name them one by one;' And it will Surprise you What the Lord hath done.”
cordance and note the word “hath” to see what God has already accomplished for ' every one who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me give you a few. First is the forgiveness of sins. “And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32). This is blessing number one, and please note as you read that verse that we are not to maintain this attitude in order that God might forgive us. Rather, we are exhorted to be kind because He has alreadyforgiven pur sins. Brother, is not this something better than anything that is temporal and transitory ? This is something that you will enjoy throughout all :the eternal ages. Blessing., number two is God’s choice of you. “But we are bound "to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salva tion through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thess. 2:13). You may have thought that you chose God, but no, He chose you, and He did it when He knew all about you. He knew how sinful you were. He and He alone knew the depth of. the deceitful ness of your heart; and yet, knowing it all, He hath chosen you to salvation. What a wonderful truth that is to recall when we make discoveries about our selves in regard to our sin and selfish ness! However, God does not make dis coveries. He knew all about us from the beginning, and, knowing all, He chose us. What a wonderful God of, grace ours is! Colosfiians 1:12 and 13 give to us a cluster of “haths.” “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the’ inheritance of
A S WE approach Thanksgiving, / \ it is well that Christians should 1 V recognize the distinction between blessings and mercies in order that they may give thanks to God intelligently. Many of God’s people are like an old woman who had been singing, “Count your many blessings,” and then pro ceeded to count them. She wrote on a sheet of paper what she considered blessings. Among those enumerated' were the following: a cottage free of debt, a good pair of eyes, good health, a paid- up insurance policy, and the like. That afternoon her pastor called, and she told him that she had been counting her blessings and had listed them on a sheet of paper. The pastor asked for the privilege of seeing the list, and after he read It through, he said, “ Auntie, you have not recorded, one blessing.” “Then, what are these?” the per plexed woman asked. “Why,” said the preacher,- “these are mercies, and God bestows them upon the unjust as well as upon the just, even as He causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine upon all classes. Mer cies we shall leave behind when we pass out of this world, but blessings shall endure throughout all the eternal ages. “Let us now,” he suggested, “turn to our Bibles and count our blessings.” How many of God’s people are like the old woman of the story! How many measure God’s goodness to them accord ing to the amount of material things the Lord in His providence has bestowed upon them! I have come in contact with some of God’s people who feel that the -Lord has been anything but good to them because they do not possess labor- saving devices and other conveniences of modern life. “ Blessings” Already Accomplished Paul says, in Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Spiritual blessings are bless ings for the spirit, and the declaration of the verse is that God “hath” bestowed upon each child of God all spiritual blessings. Note the word “hath,” for it refers to something that has already taken place. I would suggest that believers at this Thanksgiving time take a con-
* President , Bible Institute of Los Ángeles, anil Pastor of tbs Church of the Ooen Door.
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