Giving Thanks
Scripture Reading — Ephesians 5:8-20
Sing and make music from your heart … always giving thanks to God the Father for everything …
Ephesians 5:19-20
Both joyful and sad people can sing and make music. But normally singing and music are associated with joy, and that’s the thought behind our Scripture text for today. We have been saved from darkness to live in God’s light!
In response to God’s kindness and compassion, our hearts are to be filled with gratitude. If they aren’t, perhaps we need to be admonished that they ought to be. Gratitude is a great source for singing and praise.
Joy in the Lord needs to flow from the core of our being, from our heart, to be genuine. “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” Our music-making is directed at God because he is the source of joy, gratitude, and “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17). Salvation—and the joy that comes with it—is not first about us. The reason that songs and music are dedicated to the Lord is because God is at the center of the salvation story. The Father is the originator of everything good? including our salvation.
Music and song are part of “everything” we give thanks for, and we offer thanks “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” because he is the mediator who makes our gratitude possible.
“In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” is a simple reminder that he is our life and our salvation.
Dear Lord, thank you for enabling us to sing and make music. It is a joy to sing your -praises. “In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” we -offer all our thanks to you. Amen.
About the author — Peter Borgdorff
Dr. Peter Borgdorff has been a pastor and administrator in the Christian Reformed Church for 40 years, most recently serving as executive director till his retirement in 2006. He and his wife, Janet, have five children and 14 grandchildren.
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