Be Ye Thankful

Thanksgiving is a time for expressing our thanks for God’s providence and blessing. I am thankful that teenagers do grow up and eventually have teenagers of their own. I am thankful I am not a Butterball turkey. There is one thing, above all, for which I give thanks, the lift of Jesus! Like the great old hymn says, love lifted me

There is a word in the prophecy of Isaiah 53 that comes out of that word “lift”….borne as in to bear or carry something.

4 Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases;

11 …he shall bear their iniquities.

12 … he bore the sin of many,

There are some things that Jesus bears, or lifts from our lives by virtue of His Lordship:

BLINDNESS v.4

Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

Spiritual blindness misses the Lord. Common sense and worldly wisdom dictate that since Jesus was born on the wrong side of the tracks, He wasn’t going very far. And in the eyes of the world, He didn’t!

Jesus lifted upon Himself our sorrows and grief, yet the world imagined He suffered because He was bad. It was MY sorrows – MY blindness He lifted, not His own. I am thankful! Besides my blindness he also lifted my…

BRUISES v.5

But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.

If there is one spiritual principle that is unchanging, it is the exchange of Christ’s grace for our goof-ups. That may not be very "theological" grammar, but it states the case. Jesus’ stripes --- (literally "beaten black-and-blue) and His bruises --- (beaten to pieces) became the acceptable punishment for our sins.

The worst thing I have in my life is my sin. Jesus took the punishment for my sin, and that which would have beaten me in little black and blue pieces is now laid on Christ.

Jesus lifted my blindness and my bruises from me! And I am thankful.

He also lifted my…

BLUNDERS v.6

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The words are most revealing in this sentence.

• “Sheep” comes a verb meaning to migrate.

• "Astray" carries with it the idea of being deceived.

• "Turned" is an action a person does deliberately, and

• "iniquity" is a form of the word "crooked".

My blunders include both those things that I ignorantly do to myself, and against other people...as well as those things I stubbornly commit with my first-degree selfishness or crooked ways.

The couple was nearing their 75th wedding anniversary. She was no spring chick, and he had almost completely lost his hearing. The bride reflected, with affection in her heart, how faithful her man had been over the years. Rocking on the front porch one evening, she remarked, Lester, I’m real proud of you.

Lester turned to her and replied, Well, Charlotte, I’m real tired of you too!

Blunders, indeed! With the coming and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, all my sins, and self-will, my blunders and first-degree sin offenses have been laid on Him. Jesus has straightened my crookedness. It was lifted from me! I am thankful!

Blindness, bruises, blunders and one other:

BANISHMENT v.10

through him the will of the LORD shall prosper.

This is a foreshadow of the Advent of Christ, His coming to die for us, His burial and resurrection. In this rests the entire hope and only true lifting of man.

The prophet looked down the time warp of eternity, and with the breath of God announced that we are standing on resurrection ground.

I don’t have to spend eternity separated from God.

I shall see Him one day because Jesus said I could!

I am not banished, separated from God’s presence, even though that’s what I deserve! I am THANKFUL!

Tomorrow, don’t settle for stuffing the turkey, and then being stuffed like a turkey…make it a totally awesome day of LIFT…let the Lord take your blindness, bruises and blunders – let Him banish your banishment. And, Be ye thankful!