Gratitude
Gratitude
Most hymnals don’t include the verse of Isaac Watts’s hymn that I mentioned above, so here it is:
Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.
Sincere tears and thankfulness are two marks of the spiritual believer; dry eyes and a hard heart usually belong to the nominal Christian or the worldly one. One of the most difficult things to maintain in the spiritual life is a tender heart that is burdened enough to weep and pray as well as watch and pray.
Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea lovingly wrapped the body of Jesus in strips of linen, while sprinkling in about seventy-five pounds of spices; then they laid our Lord’s body in Joseph’s new tomb. But three days later, the wrappings were empty and the body of Jesus was gone! The neat wrappings looked like an empty cocoon after a beautiful butterfly had emerged. Jesus the “worm,” once treated so mercilessly, was now alive and wearing a robe of glory! Hallelujah!
Psalm 22:22–31 deals with the postresurrection words and ministry of Jesus, climaxing with “They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!” Some students equate the phrase “He has done it” with the Lord’s cry from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
Over the years, I’ve noticed what appears to me a decline in personal gratitude among people, as though we are entitled to what others do for us; and I fear this attitude is creeping into the church. We tend to take things for granted—until we lose them! People have many different devices today for communicating with each other, but how many times are the words thank you transmitted? I also wonder how much time we spend thanking the Lord for His bounteous grace and goodness. I say it again: Are we taking for granted the gifts and services we receive from God and others? I hope not.
If this neglected I AM does nothing else for us, it should improve our perspective on life and Christian service. “Who dares despise the day of small things?” the Lord asked the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 4:10). Everybody has a very small beginning in conception and as a baby, a new student in school, a beginning employee, a husband or wife. We all have times of failure and frustration when we can honestly say, “I am a worm,” but we need to say it more in times of success and recognition. Like David, we must pray, “Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” (2 Sam. 7:18).
Never be afraid to make a small beginning for the Lord. He is willing to meet with just two or three people (Matt. 18:20). Jesus began His earthly ministry as a baby in a manger. Many a great ministry has started with a small prayer meeting or a small offering. J. Hudson Taylor opened the China Inland Mission bank account with ten British pounds. The young lad gave his small lunch to Jesus, and He fed thousands. I used to remind my pastoral students, and I still remind myself, that there are no small churches and there are no big preachers, but we do serve a great and glorious God.