The poet Rudyard Kipling once penned a poem subtitled “The Elephant’s Child”.  I’ve remembered the opening line of the poem, because it speaks such truth.  Kipling wrote,

         “I keep six honest serving-men

            (They taught me all I knew);

         Their names are What and Why and When

            And How and Where and Who.”

When we think about God and relate Kipling’s poem to the questions Paul asks, the questions are all relevant.  Who of us can search and know the What, Why, When, the How, the Where, or the Who (or to Whom) of the mind of God?  And no one has ever given anything to God for which God owes them a debt.  If we accept as truth that “from God and through God and for God are all things”, then everything we have and every blessing that comes our way can only be attributed to God.  That’s especially true when we consider that being rescued from the depths of despair and trouble “at the right time” is not a matter of circumstance.  It is because God sees our dilemma, hears our cries for help, and steps in to rescue us from our dilemma.  God didn’t owe us a debt.  But our response to God should be one of praise within ourselves and among the congregation.  Perhaps it’s not a sacrifice that we make telling others of what God has done.  But it is a sacrifice that is pleasing and acceptable to God.  And it’s all that God requires in response to God’s merciful acts of grace.

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
God of all Wisdom and Mercy, we could never repay you for all Your generous acts of mercy. Accept our sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise as our only way of giving honor and glory to You.

         There is no greater comfort than that of being rescued from a situation that — from all perspectives — seems hopelessly lost.  When we’ve run out of human options and answers, it’s usually then that we seem ready to turn to God for a final solution.  What we sometimes don’t consider are the actions we took which placed us deep within that hopeless condition.  Perhaps there were times when — had we been more attentive to the voice of God leading us and guiding us away from those times of danger — that we would have found ourselves on less shaky ground.  But being who we are, those issues that would have us compromise ourselves and our faith seem so tantalizing.  And so, we bite the proverbial apple not once — but over and over again until we find ourselves in the deep torrential waters of life.  Unable to swim, it’s then that our cries scream out to God to come and save us.  And what is God’s response?  God’s love for us is so great that our death would be painful — even to God — to allow us to be harmed in such a way.  It is then that God shows up and saves us and we know from experience that our cries have been heard.  We are at one and the same time both astounded and relieved.  Knowing that God and God alone has saved us is one thing.  Telling others about is a sacrifice of praise.  It tells others how faithless we were and glorifies God for God’s faithfulness.

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, enable and empower me to have the courage to tell of Your mercy to me when I was helpless as a return to You a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

         Some people are just nice people.  They do things for you without thinking about it or without expecting anything in return. Ideally, that is how life should be.  We should do things for people — sometimes because they ask us to, but mostly because we’re motivated to  do it out of a spirit of love and kindness.  However, our lives are complicated.  There are times when we find ourselves in an shaky situation and can’t make ends meet or can’t connect the dots (you choose your own metaphor).   If someone steps in to rescue us because we’re unable to save ourselves, then what is an appropriate response?  Various cultures dictate what the appropriate response should be.  In one culture, if someone saves your life, then you essentially owe your life to them in eternal service.  But if the One who saved your life is God, there may be another response that comes out of a relationship filled with gratitude and devotion to God.  In reality, what else could you do for God that would meet God’s needs — as if God had any needs that we could meet.  On the other hand, what God seeks is recognition, praise and gratitude for the blessings we’ve received and faithfulness in relationship because of God’s faithfulness to us.  For many of us that comes with a duty of sacrifice.  In fact, the first obligation required of Christian discipleship is to “deny yourself” — or to make of ourselves a living sacrifice.  Our salvation comes because God has looked upon us and pitied our condition.  Perhaps all God expects is that we return to God the thanksgiving, honor, praise, glory, faithfulness, devotion, and service that God has shown us in our time of desperation.  One sure way we could truly repay God for God’s goodness to us is by making a sacrifice of praise.  That’s all God requires.

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious and merciful God, You listened when I cried out to You for mercy. Grant that my life may become a sacrifice of praise and that by my words, actions, and thanksgiving, I give witness to Your mercy and love each day.