Giving Thanks For Hope

By Paul Hardy - The Bible Revival(cropped), Public Domain

Today’s verse is taken from a chapter where David has made preparations for the moving of the Ark of the Covenant. He prepared a tent to hold it, for an appropriate temple would have to wait for Solomon to build. Still, with all the problems David had been through, plus more anticipated, he was giving thanks to God from verse 8 forward. These caught my attention:

Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. (1 Chronicles 16:10-11 KJV)

We haven’t done that, have we? Not as individuals, not as a community, not even in our churches, and most certainly not as a nation. We have not gloried in God’s holy name. Sometimes we’ve taken it in vain. We haven’t rejoiced as we sought the Lord.

Mostly, especially lately, we haven’t sought His strength.

We are starting to do so simply because a number of distractions have been removed. All of the sports now shown on television were completed some time ago. They are place fillers, since we don’t need athletes to entertain us. New movies are not being released – no one will go to the theaters to watch them. Several released in the last year with high expectations have lost money without having a virus.
Christians can’t even congregate to hold services, so we connect (with some problems) through the internet, streaming services. Some voice their displeasure at having a government that requires religion to stay out of schools is now keeping people from church buildings.

Just remember, Christ’s true church is made up of people in the congregation, not the building where the congregate. They are encouraged to meet:

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  (Hebrews 10:23-25 KJV)

Take a look at the definition of the Greek translated as “exhorting”:

Strong's #G3870
παρακαλέω
parakaleō
From G3844 and G2564; to call near, that is, invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation): - beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort (-ation), intreat, pray.

Basically, exhort means to give advice to – whether we are advising our fellow Christians, or they are advising us. We are in a position to both give and receive advice as we learn from the scriptures what God has for us to learn. The Bible is full of advice, examples, and promises for us to study. Studying together does give us comfort.

As for “the day approaching”, whenever Christ’s return might be, every day we live brings us one day closer.

This Sunday, as we did the Sunday before, we will join a live stream of our morning worship service – 11:00 am CDT from First Baptist Church Cottondale or from the church’s Facebook page. The previous services are there, too.

I have no idea what Pastor Pugh’s sermon will be. I do know that the references will come from the Bible. He will read verses and share with us a message applicable to today. He will exhort us – he will implore us to heed God’s word; he will bring us comfort from God’s word; he will lead us in prayer to help us through the coming weeks. He does this every week, at every service, and he loves doing it as much as we love hearing it.

It does give comfort and it does help us through each and every day, even when the world around us seems to be chaotic. Please accept the invitation to join us during the services.  If not, please take time later to watch – and keep your own Bible handy to read in context.

Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. (Psalms 119:116 KJV)