I Praise You, Abba....

In the words of author Ann Voskamp,

From all our beginnings, we keep reliving the Garden Story.

Satan, he wanted more.  More power, more glory.  Ultimately, in his essence, Satan is an ingrate.  And he sinks his venom into the heart of Eden.  Satan’s sin becomes the first sin of all humanity: the sin of ingratitude.  Adam and Eve are, simply, painfully, ungrateful for what God gave.

Isn’t that the catalyst of all my sin?

Our fall was, has always been, and always will be, that we aren’t satisfied in God and what He gives.  We hunger for something more, something other.  {One Thousand Gifts, p. 15, Italics Mine}

Jesus lived a Life of supreme gratitude to God His Father, the Abba of Heaven and Earth.  The Scriptures recording His thanksgiving, His unashamed appreciation for Abba’s limitless largesse, are too numerous to even list.  But here are a couple.  “At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise You, Abba, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.  Yes, Father, for this was Your good pleasure” {Matt. 11:25-26}  The word for “praise” means ‘to profess, to acknowledge... openly, freely, from the heart.’

In the Feeding of the Four Thousand Mark records Peter’s eyewitness account.  He writes how Jesus “told the crowd to sit down on the ground.  When He had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, He broke them and gave them to His Disciples to set before the people, and they did so.  They had a few small fish as well; He gave thanks for them also and told the Disciples to distribute them.  The people ate and were satisfied.  Afterward the Disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over” {8:6-8}.  Just one more example of the lavish generosity of grace, which should cause us as His Followers to be immensely and eternally grateful beings.

John in Revelation 11:16-17 wrote, “And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped” Him, saying: “We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign!”

Peter say’s we “are a Chosen People, a Royal Priesthood, a Holy Nation, a People belonging to God, that” we “may declare the praises of Him who called” us “out of darkness into His wonderful Light” {1 Pet. 2:9}.

Paul goes for the trifecta in Colossians 3:15-17 and nails it.  “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one Body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Ringo said, “All you need is Love....”

HJC	Ric Webb  |  Shepherd Heart’s Journey Community 9621 Tall Timber Blvd. |  Little Rock, AR 72204 t +1.501.455.0296 | hjcommunity.org
Heart’s Journey – where the Word and the Spirit are one.