Friday, November 02, 2012
As I have been studying Romans, I have been captivated by one verse. It's Romans 1:21. Let me offer several translations.
NAS - For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened.
NLT - Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused.
Phillips - They knew all the time that there is a God, yet they refused to acknowledge him as such, or to thank him for what he is or does. Thus they became fatuous in their argumentation's, and plunged their silly minds still further into the dark.
One thing is very clear in any translation: Everyone should be thankful to God. Ingratitude leads us down a path of confusion, darkness, silliness and speculation. Ingratitude leads us away from God. Thankfulness leads us into the presence of God. It's how we can honor Him. It's how we can glorify Him. Spurgeon wrote, "I cannot say anything much worse of a man than that he is not thankful to those who have been his benefactors; and when you say that he is not thankful to God, you have said the worse thing that you can say of him."
The Bible instructs us that, "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow," (James 1:17).
The natural creation was intended to lead man to glorify God and to express his gratitude to Him.
Dr. Barnhouse in his magnum opus asked, "Will God give man brains to see these things and will man then fail to exercise his will toward that God? The sorrowful answer is that both of these things are true. God will give a man brains to smelt iron and make a hammer head and nails. God will grow a tree and give man strength to cut it down and brains to fashion a hammer handle from the wood. And when man has the hammer and the nails, God will put out His hand and let him drive nails through it and place Him on a cross in the supreme demonstration that men are without excuse."
Like the Psalmist said, "Oh give thanks to the Lord for His love endures forever."
Everyday is an opportunity to pause and be thankful to God. His love endures. He's the Giver of all good things. He's the Master Creator. He allows us to draw breath and to live.
In the hymn it says:
NAS - For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations and their foolish heart was darkened.
NLT - Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused.
Phillips - They knew all the time that there is a God, yet they refused to acknowledge him as such, or to thank him for what he is or does. Thus they became fatuous in their argumentation's, and plunged their silly minds still further into the dark.
One thing is very clear in any translation: Everyone should be thankful to God. Ingratitude leads us down a path of confusion, darkness, silliness and speculation. Ingratitude leads us away from God. Thankfulness leads us into the presence of God. It's how we can honor Him. It's how we can glorify Him. Spurgeon wrote, "I cannot say anything much worse of a man than that he is not thankful to those who have been his benefactors; and when you say that he is not thankful to God, you have said the worse thing that you can say of him."
The Bible instructs us that, "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow," (James 1:17).
The natural creation was intended to lead man to glorify God and to express his gratitude to Him.
Dr. Barnhouse in his magnum opus asked, "Will God give man brains to see these things and will man then fail to exercise his will toward that God? The sorrowful answer is that both of these things are true. God will give a man brains to smelt iron and make a hammer head and nails. God will grow a tree and give man strength to cut it down and brains to fashion a hammer handle from the wood. And when man has the hammer and the nails, God will put out His hand and let him drive nails through it and place Him on a cross in the supreme demonstration that men are without excuse."
Like the Psalmist said, "Oh give thanks to the Lord for His love endures forever."
Everyday is an opportunity to pause and be thankful to God. His love endures. He's the Giver of all good things. He's the Master Creator. He allows us to draw breath and to live.
In the hymn it says:
O Give Thanks to Him Who Made
Morning light and evening shade;
Source and Giver of all good,
Nightly sleep and daily food,
Quickener of our wearied powers,
Guard of our unconscious hours.
Gratitude is a mark of godliness.
Lord, give me eyes to see all that You are doing and all that You have done. And as I see it, may I thank You and You alone!
Post a Comment