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This edition of Ask the Pastor features Pastor Gary Schick.
Gary Schick
Hey, listeners, as I kind of prayed, this is what I wanted to address just briefly with you this morning as you're about your day, something to help keep our focus for the holidays. It is a mad dash till Christmas starting today, Black Friday, and it is so easy to forget the pause that we just took yesterday to give thanks. And to lose sight of what we are about to celebrate, Jesus, whose birth Christmas is at least supposed to be about it. Sometimes we kind of hear the not so funny joke about that the Christ child kinda lost in the wrapping paper of the day. And I know some of you are just starting your Christmas shopping. Some may already be done before Black Friday even arrived, others probably are gonna be making a mad dash on Christmas Eve. But whatever your Christmas season looks like, I hope that you can just pause and keep in touch with the highlights of what the season is about. You know, Thanksgiving was yesterday, and in a way, even talking about it is like eating turkey for the next couple of days. Not quite the same, is it? But yet giving thanks. What a beautiful way to enter the Christmas season. In fact, what a beautiful attitude to carry with us all through the year. And as we enter into the season of love and joy and peace and hope, let's maintain that attitude of gratitude that I hope was a part of your Thanksgiving celebration yesterday. Today, I just want to read to you one of the great Thanksgiving psalms, and then just think about it for a moment or two. Psalm 136, and you can even join me. There's a refrain that's repeated every verse or two, and I invite you to, as I'm kind of reading it, and you're going to learn what the key word is. I'll just give you a hint, "His love endures forever." And I want to invite you listening, friends, as I'm reading that to join me. And in saying it, I think there is something powerful about hearing the word of God, which is one of the wonderful things about being able to send it forth over the airways. But there's also something powerful about speaking the word and speaking it together. So join me on the refrain as I go through this powerful Psalm, Psalm 136. "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good." And here's that refrain, "His love endures forever to him who alone does great wonders. His love endures forever, who by his understanding made the heavens. His love endures forever, who spread out the earth upon the waters." Join me now, "His love endures forever. He who made the great lights; His love endures forever. The son to govern the day; His love endures forever. The moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever. To Him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt; His love endures forever, and brought Israel out from among them; His love endures forever. With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; His love endures forever. To Him who divided the Red Sea as thunder; His love endures forever. And brought Israel through the midst of it; His love endures forever. But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever. To Him who led His people through the desert; His love endures forever. Who struck down great kings; His love endures forever. And killed mighty kings; His love endures forever. Sihon, king of the Amorites; His love endures forever. And Og, king of Bashan, His love endures forever. Engrave their land as an inheritance; His love endures forever. And inheritance to His servant Israel; His love endures forever. To the one who remembered us in our low estate; His love endures forever. And freed us from our enemies; His love endures forever. And who gives food to every creature; His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever."
Over and over, this beautiful psalm tells us something about God and then repeats. And I hope you were repeating it with me, that refrain, "His love endures forever." You know, whatever's going on, here are four words for you to just repeat today. "His love endures forever." It's a powerful psalm. The psalmist looks back, first at the creation, and as he considers different aspects of God's creating, he's just reminding those who are joining with him in song and praise that this God who created, His love endures. And then he zeroed in on what was the keynote of blessing for Israel. That powerful moment when they really birthed His nation, when God led them out of Egypt. Triumph over peril, brought them through the Red Sea and into the Promised Land. Granting them the land where kings had once ruled, and now giving them, who were a slave people, and nothing and no one in the world, a place in this world. Friends, that was what Israel looked back to. What is it we're looking back to today? In this country, we're looking back yesterday to the pilgrims and how You brought them through the sea and how You brought them through a difficult winter. Allowed them to be befriended by the natives and taught to hunt and fish and plant corn and to celebrate God's faithfulness. And now, as we are just on the pivot point of entering into the Christmas season, we remember when Jesus came, walked among us, prepared the way for the Lord. Isaiah wrote, "prepare the way for the Lord. Make straight the path for Him, a highway for our God." And Jesus came and he dwelled among us, and he gave his life at the cross. And he rose again and he opened paradise. And he is Mighty God, King of King's, Everlasting Father, Counselor, Prince of Peace. All of this and more, we have so much to be thankful for. The God who Israel knew as the God whose love endures forever. The God who our pilgrim's fathers, followed to this great land of plenty and discovered His love endures forever. The love in whom Christ has come and dwelt among us; His love endures forever. He is coming again. Friends, why not take, just even each verse of this psalm as you enter into the King. Into the season before us, is a starting point for your prayer and your praise and entering His presence with thanksgiving in your heart, developing an attitude of and for your mind and a joyfulness in your spirit. If you do, I believe you're going to answer further into the joy of this season. Then perhaps ever this season that is just beginning. I'm wishing you thanksgiving. I'm wishing you joy. I'm wishing you peace. I'm wishing you the fullness of the hope that is ours in Christ, and the steadfastness of His love in your hearts. Now get out there and enjoy the gift of this day and remember his love endures forever.