Romans 1:21-22 ....because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. NKJV
The Elixir of Life!
Well it is nearly Christmas, and that old Scrooge-like mentality is raising its ugly head within me again. Sometimes I think the Puritans had it right when they banned Christmas! That is until I get my presents on Christmas day. I am, it seems, forever fickle.
In me, the root of this Scrooge-like attitude is a spirit that is unthankful. Yes, a spirit of unthankfulness is the root cause of so many ills; bitterness, depression, refracted vision, hate, anger and all the associated physical manifestations of a multitude of spiritual ills, can trace their root cause back to a lack of thankfulness.
The antidote of course is quite simple: it is to be thankful! However, once you're in one of those Scrooge-like funks, once you're angry at God, once you're bitter at your circumstance, once you're sick both spiritually and physically, then even beginning to be thankful is a bitter pill to swallow. Indeed, I would go so far as to say, that the elixir of life, the great and brimming, full and frothing cup of thankfulness, is far too robust a drink to be swallowed by any restricted throat of praise. Yet I tell you, unless this medicine of thankfulness is taken, in it’s fullness mind you, then bitter emaciation and black and twisted death shall surely fill its abandoned place in our lives. That’s a fact that you can have for free tonight.
Now allow me to speak to many a sick puppy that might be reading these pages right now, for you MUST get thankfulness inside you tonight and there is no better time to begin this new regime than Christmas time. “Well how?” you ask, and I am glad you did, because I’m going to tell you how to do it.First, pick something you can be thankful for. Jonah was thankful for a worm and a gourd and cool east wind. There is always something you know. Begin with something little. “Thank You for this soft pillow upon which I am laying my most miserable of heads.” For the restricted soul, thankfulness is hard to swallow, but the trick is to begin with little things, sips of soft and pulpy goodness.Once you get a little thankfulness down your gullet on a regular basis it tends to open up the passageways, and larger amounts of thankfulness can then be taken into you. Over a period of time, even a short period of time, such thankful intake will bring health to the whole being.
Let me finish tonight by reiterating one most important thing. DO NOT think that thankfulness is something that you simply give out and get nothing in return! Oh no, if you think that then you will have missed the whole point of it. Thankfulness is an elixir for bitter souls, for the hardened heart, for the blind and the deaf for those who have lost their voice. Thankfulness is a medicine for the soul and an elixir par excellence, that the great curer of souls Himself insists we lay upon our lips a thousand times a day. I can assure of one thing, there is life in this frothing cup of thankfulness and it always bubbles and overflows to others. So, let me ask you tonight, have you taken your medicine today?
Listen: - And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Colossians 3:15 NKJV
Pray:- I reluctantly squeak before You Lord saying that I wish to serve you with gladness, saying that I would like to come before You with winning singing instead of whining loss, because You are God and it is You who has made me, not myself, it is You who has called me a ‘sheep of Your pasture,’ ha! So then help me to enter Your gates with thanksgiving, and go into Your courts with praise so I might be most thankful to You my God and bless Your name instead of cursing it. I ask You this, because You the Lord are good and You say that Your mercy is everlasting and that Your truth endures to all generations. So if it’s true, then do this for me, in Jesus name I ask it, just to make doubly sure, amen.
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