Appreciation: October 22, 2014

TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22, 2014.

APPRECIATION

DEFINITION:

Thankful recognition; gratitude; recognizing the worth of; esteem duly.

SCRIPTURE:

Now to God and Father be glory forever and ever. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. Philippians 4:20-21.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Paul is closing his letter to the church at Philippi (above verses) but has one more item to cover that we can learn from. He expresses his appreciation to God and for his fellow believers. This doxology in verse 20 is Paul’s praise in direct response to the great truth that God supplies all the needs of the saints. This is Paul’s praise to the character of God and His faithfulness.

Paul wants to remind us that God is to be praised as God, the Creator and Sovereign ruler of the universe. Secondly, Paul wants to remind us that God is to be praised because He is our Father. By praising God we show Him our appreciation for all that He does for us.

As believers, God has adopted us as His sons and daughters and yet in spite of this so many believers find reason to criticize, grumble, and complain about how God does things. The unbelievers have rebelled, rejected, questioned and denied Him.  They have chosen to live as they please and to do their own thing rather than to be obedient and follow Him. What a sad commentary for the world we live in. Where is the appreciation for God and what He has done for us?

There is so much that we as believers need to be thankful for. We need to show our appreciation for who God is and all that He has given us. In I Chronicles 16:25 we read, “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise.” Praise is how we show our appreciation toward God. When we truly appreciate God we will give God all the glory as Paul did. Appreciation for God and for others changes our attitude and our outlook on life and the way we treat others.

In the world we live in today very few people show appreciation to anybody or for anything. Children show very little appreciation to their parents.  This is because they are not taught appreciation. Spouses show very little appreciation to one another and this is what the children see and follow.

In the workplace hard work and a job well done often go without a word of appreciation from a superior. Because of this every worker strives to do only what is necessary to make themselves look good even at the expense of others.

As a child of God you should always be mindful to show your appreciation to others and not take what they do for you for granted. When we appreciate others it changes their attitude toward us.

The Apostle Paul in all of his letters sets an example for his fellow believers teaching them  to show appreciation first and foremost to God for all that He has provided for us in spite of the fact that we are as mere sinners saved by grace and unworthy of His great love for us.

When we pray we usually come with a list of requests that we want God to fulfil. If we really appreciate who God is and what he has done for us shouldn’t our priority be to praise Him and give Him glory and honor? When Jesus taught His disciples to pray He gave them a model known today as “The Lord’s Prayer.” It begins by giving praise and glory to God, “Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be Thy name.” As you pray today, begin by showing your appreciation to God by giving Him praise and glory.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 100:4.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.

PRAYER:

As my God and my creator I honor You this day with my praise and appreciation. I thank You for Your great gift of my salvation through Your Son Jesus. I am so thankful for my family and friends and I ask You to bless them and meet their every need. Help me to lead my family to show appreciation to You for all that You do for us.