I Will Sacrifice to You with the Voice of Thanksgiving

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I Will  Sacrifice  to You  with the Voice  of Thanksgiving

What can we do  when we’re in big trouble  —  the kind of trouble  where we’re guilty  of something?     Jonah was  in trouble.     He couldn’t stand  to obey the LORD  and preach  to those nasty people  in Nineveh.     He ran away  and got on a ship,  but he couldn’t hide  from God.     The LORD sent a terrible storm  that put all the lives  on board the ship  in peril.

The sailors realized  this storm  was an act  of God  to punish someone  on board.     Jonah confessed  that he was the one  who had brought down  God’s wrath  —  and said  they needed  to throw him overboard.     The sailors didn’t want  to do that  and prayed about the matter.     Then they threw Jonah overboard  —  and a great fish swallowed him.

In the fish’s belly  for three days,  Jonah knew God’s power  was at work.     Jonah prayed  in Jonah 2:7-9,

While  I was fainting away,
I remembered  the LORD,
And my prayer came  to You,
Into Your holy temple. 

Those  who regard vain idols
Forsake their faithfulness,   

But  I will sacrifice  to You
With the voice  of thanksgiving.
That which I have vowed  I will pay.
Salvation is  from the LORD.

We,  too,  need  to remember  the LORD  and pray directly  to Him  in His  “holy temple”.     Those who  “forsake their faithfulness”  are the ones  who  “regard vain idols”.     People do that  even today.     Instead of  being faithful  to God,  they put their trust  in their strength,  intelligence,  riches  —  “vain idols”.

But,  even when we’re  ever so guilty,  we need  to pray  to the LORD,  “I will sacrifice  to You  with the voice  of thanksgiving”.     God is always wanting  to save us.     Hard as it may be  in our fearful,  dire straights,  we need  to give God  the glad  “sacrifice”  of praise and  “thanksgiving”.     His love  for us  has not changed  and we need  to face that truth.

Grateful  for God’s saving love,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Great is Your faithfulness!”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional  to glorify  the LORD of lords  and GOD of gods.

Pray for our country.

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… Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus …

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The LORD  made this day, let us rejoice  and be glad  in Him.

Psalm 118:24

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The word of the LORD is tried;

He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.

Psalm 18:30

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Sing for joy  in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;

Praise is becoming  to the upright.

Psalm 33:1

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How blessed are those  who dwell  in Thy house!

They are ever praising Thee.

Psalm 84:4

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Just as a father  has compassion  on his children,

So the LORD  has compassion  on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:13

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O give thanks  to the LORD,  for He is good;

For His lovingkindness  is everlasting.

Psalm 107:1

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Glory in His holy name;

Let the heart  of those who seek the LORD  be glad.

Psalm 105:3

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Not that I have already obtained it,  or have already  become perfect, but I press on  in order that  I may  lay hold  of that for which also  I was laid hold of  by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12

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