Deuteronomy 10:21 “He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.”
Deuteronomy 28:1-3 “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.”
General Washington closed his General Orders from December 17, 1777 (see previous two posts) with the following charge to his men:
“Tomorrow being the day set apart by the Honorable Congress for public Thanksgiving and Praise; and duty calling us devoutly to express our grateful acknowledgements to God for the manifold blessings he has granted us—The General directs that the army remain in its present quarters, and that the Chaplains perform divine service with their several Corps and brigades—And earnestly exhorts, all officers and soldiers, whose absence is not indispensably necessary, to attend with reverence the solemnities of the day.”
These men were busy as they started their time of winter lodging at Valley Forge. They lacked food; they lacked clothing; they lacked equipment. They needed to train, to drill, to exercise, and to march. They lacked shelter from the harsh elements and desperately needed to build structures to protect themselves from the brutal conditions.
Yet, they prioritized a time of thanksgiving and praise. They uplifted a period of grateful acknowledgement to God for the manifold blessing He had granted them. More than clothes, shelter, food, and training, they needed to make an investment of worship and prayer. They needed to attend with reverence the solemnities of the day.
American Christians in 2018 are busy with the endless challenges that we face. We have things to do to keep our lives on track. Some of it has to do with food, with clothing, and with equipment that we need. Some if it involves requirements to train and to exercise. Yet, we need to prioritize thanksgiving and praise. We need to uplift regular periods of grateful acknowledgement to God for the manifold blessings He has granted us. More than anything else, we need to make investments of worship and prayer.
PLEASE PRAY THAT WE WOULD PRIORITIZE WORSHIP AND PRAYER IN OUR BUSY LIVES. Our forefathers did so, and blessings overtook them. They were blessed in their cities and they were blessed in their fields. Because they prioritized Him above the practical needs of the day, He set them on high above the nations of the earth.
