Gratitude

Please add this worship song to your online church sermon, morning devotion, or evening quiet time.
Today’s song is “Gratitude” performed by Brandon Lakes

Psalm 47:6 (NLT)
“Sing praises to God! Sing praises! Sing praises to our King! Sing praises!”

Revelation 4:11 (NLT)
“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” 

 Revelation 5:12 (NLT)
“And they sang in a mighty chorus: ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.’”

Gratitude
How is it possible that the Creator of heaven and earth, a self-existent, all-sufficient, all-knowing, all-mighty, lacking in absolutely nothing, would desire a relationship with any of His fallen, sinful, rebellious creation?

Brandon Lake’s song “Gratitude” poses a profound question, leading us to one inescapable conclusion: we can offer nothing of our own merit. Our only fitting response is a radical, unreserved, unending praise and worship to our Creator, Father, and God.

For better understanding we may ask:
Can we offer any gift He doesn’t already have? No, everything we have or are originates with and from Him alone.
Can we study a lifetime to elevate our intelligence to achieve equality with Him? No, all human intellect combined falls short of His wisdom, righteousness, and might.
Can our love match His? No, we cannot in a million lifetimes match His love displayed for us when He freely gave His one and only Son to bear the cross that was intended for us.
Can we offer a lifetime of flawless obedience to earn our salvation? No, salvation is attained by undeserved, unmerited grace offered out of God’s love and mercy, rather than something that any human effort or good works can earn.

So, then, we may ask: why would the Creator of the Heavens and Earth even want anything to do with His fallen creation?
In Genesis 1:27, we find, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” A few verses later, God claims that He is pleased with His creation. When we understand that we were created in the Image of God and He is pleased with His creation, we can find this answer. God is in love with His creation and wants a relationship with each of his sons and daughters.

But why redeem the unredeemable?
Short answer: God does find value in His creation and has paved a way for fallen man to bring true delight and pleasure to Himself.
Although we cannot offer repayment, when we acknowledge Jesus as Lord and invite Him into our hearts, He will now dwell at the center of our lives. With Christ at the center of our lives, God sees past our brokenness, sin, and rebellion; instead, He sees the perfection of His Son.
We read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God”.
This is a beautiful realization and profound mystery.
A way has been paved, through His unimaginable sacrifice, for us to offer something back to Him that brings true delight, and that is our authentic worship.

If in a concert of 10,000 or alone in your home, every chance you can, be empowered to offer a heartfelt worship. “You’ve got a lion inside of those lungs.” Yes, you have the ‘Lion of Judah’, Jesus Christ himself, the Lion from the tribe of Judah inside you.  If you are at all timid or bashful, invite the Holy Spirit to guide you into worship; He will fill you with the Glory of Christ.
Why not offer your praise at this very moment? Turn up the music, sing at the top of your lungs, and dance with joy, or perhaps, you may want to quiet yourself and move into a deep spiritual reverence of Him, regardless, of where, when, or how you praise, as often as you can, go ahead and offer an unhinged, unreserved worship from the depths of your soul, giving your Father and Creator all the Glory, Honour, and Praise He deserves. Now your Praise and Worship will bring joy and delight to your Creator, Father, and God.

God’s remarkable love for His creation was proven beyond a doubt on the wooden cross at Calvary. Through the wonder of grace, a one-way gift that demands only grateful acceptance, a relationship between a fallen, sinful, rebellious creation and its perfect and righteous Creator is not just possible; it is passionately desired.

In Christ,
Lou-Anne

If this Song of Praise was a blessing and encouragement to you, if you know someone who needs comfort, encouragement or hope, or someone who loves to sing and dance with Contemporary Christian Music, please contact me.

Gratitude
Lyric Highlights

May we grow together in the love of Christ to reflect upon the mercies and blessings upon our lives, to feel the presence of God’s living Holy Spirit through worship to sing, pray, laugh, dance, cry, but mostly to praise our Lord and Father as we were indeed created2praise.