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Giving as of August 22, 2023

Budget for 2023 . . . . . . . .  $348,707.00
Tithes Needed to Date . . . . $227,295.93
Received to Date . . . . . . . . $158,916.60
Needed for weekly budget . . .  $6,705.91
Tithes Received this week . . . . $3,057.00

MID-WEEK DEVOTION

Don’t forget to check out Brother David’s Mid-Week Devotion in the book of Psalms. They are uploaded each Wednesday on the sermon page.

From Our Pastor

Psalm 118:1 says, “Give thanks to the Lord…”  Yet, how often do we fail to thank Him?  We allow worries, fears, and anxieties to distract us from thanksgiving.  This not only robs God of the worship He is due but also keeps us from being able to trust Him in the midst of all those issues.  Thanking God builds our faith and enables us to trust God.

The inspired writer of Psalm 118 not only calls us to thank God but also gives specific reasons to thank Him.  These reasons are applicable for us and help build our faith.

The psalmist first calls us to thank God for His goodness (verse 1-3).  He reminds us that God desires to do us good for all eternity.  He uses the word “lovingkindness” four times in four verses.  God’s goodness is so great that the Holy Spirit had to make up the word “lovingkindness” to express how good God is to us.  God wants us to experience His goodness.  What a wonderful God we have! 

Next, the psalmist speaks of God answering our prayers.  Verse 5 says, “From my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a large place.”  The psalmist prayed and God answered.  He has promised to do the same for us (Jeremiah 33:3).  Even in distress we can be thankful because God listens to and answers our prayers.

The psalmist also thanked God for His protection.  Verse 6 says, “The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”  God is always with us (Hebrews 13:5b).  Nothing can touch us without first going through Him.  Even in these days we have His protection.

Next, the psalmist thanks God for His victorious deliverance.  The psalmist wrote, “All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord, I will surely cut them off.”  The psalmist knew that God would give him victory.  God has promised us victory, over this world system (1 John 5:4) and ultimate victory at His second coming (Revelation 19).

Last, but most important, the psalmist leads us to thank God for His salvation.  This psalm is a Messianic Psalm.  It prophesies the Lord’s life and ministry.  Verse 22 says, “The stone which the builder rejected has become the chief corner stone.”  Verse 26 says, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord…”  Both of these verses speak of our Savior.  Our Lord came to save us from our sins.  What a reason to thank Him!

What a God we have!  How worthy is He of thanksgiving!  How thanksgiving leads us to trust!