Heaven will be an eternal Thanksgiving Day. And for me to enjoy it my harp must be tuned today to fit into the heavenly orchestra tomorrow.
Man is bon far below pitch. It is natural for him to be flat. Only the touch of god’s redeeming grace will bring him back up to pitch where he will be neither flat nor sharp, but perfectly in tune with heaven. Blessed is the man who is striving to this end. He will reach it if he strives lawfully.
The person whose heart can be melted by the attitude of praise to God will find his spirit being more and more conformed to the Divine Image. Ingratitude works spiritual numbness and brings paralysis to the soul, leaving its victim in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of Satan.
The prophet Isaiah, in chapter 12 of his book, breaks forth in thanksgiving to his God. Evidently he discovered in his day, as many a humble person has since, that walls, troops, mountains—every satanic force—must give way before the forward march of the heart that is full of praise and gratitude.
In this chapter four statements stand out in Italic type.
“O Lord, I will praise thee.” There is no defeat to the person who will make no provisions for defeat. Satan knows that a man wholly given over to God and bold enough to praise God before, during, and after every battle is invincible. He who lives by faith waves his banner of victory before the battle as well as after because Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” It is the Lord Himself that “giveth us the victory.”
“I will trust, and not be afraid.” It has been said that a dog bites only the fearful, never the man who is not afraid. Whether this is true or not (and I greatly question it) it is true that when Satan sees our knees shaking he presses in to force a final victory. He makes daily rounds among God’s ranks looking for feeble knees. He will never find them among the soldiers who have their trust in Jehovah and are marching on with Him, but he will find them among those who are standing still.
The cure for fear when the enemy is attacking is to trust in the Captain that has never lost a battle, and to begin marching. In the face of the fact that according to Scripture a darker day is coming than the one through which the Church is now going, victory is sure to every Blood-washed member of the Church who will say with the prophet, “I will trust, and not be afraid.”
“Sing unto the Lord.” In the train of simple trust in God is a song, a new song, even praise unto our God. Spiritual singing is divine joy in action. It is the true language of the heart expressing the fact that He “hath don great things…whereof we are glad.”
The man who will keep his song will never know defeat. Someone has rightfully said, “Could Miriam have kept the children of Israel singing, they would have crossed at Kadesh-barnea.”
The early Methodists sang themselves into trouble and out gain.
Our hearts thrill while reading of the thanksgiving song service when Paul and Silas, in adverse circumstances, sang songs at midnight.
Under the leadership of David, the greatest choir and orchestra leader that Israel ever knew, she marched on to victory that subdued all her surrounding enemies. Perhaps David will be leading a choir in heaven.
If we will keep our song we will always have something to sing about.
“Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion.” The shout of victory felled the walls of Jericho and brought Gideon’s little corps through with banners waving. And according to the Book of Revelation there will be shouting in heaven. How edifying and how glorifying to the Lord are the shouts of grateful praise and thanksgiving to Him.
“Praise is comely to the upright.” Better than a joyful Thanksgiving Day is a whole calendar year of heartfelt thanks to Him who has redeemed us with His own precious blood.
--Melvin E. Winkelmann
--Melvin E. Winkelmann
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