A Thanksgiving and a Testimony: Sunday Devotion

Psalm 116: 16-19 O Lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household;  you have freed me from my chains. I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people—in the house of the Lord in the heart of Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!

As a survivor of domestic violence, I decided never to be submissive or anyone’s servant. Servant carried for me overtones of not having control over my own life, and that scared me. So I had to learn that being a servant of God was my choice. No one forced me to believe in God the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. When I accepted Jesus as my Savior and was born again into the family or body of God, I made vows to obey His commandments and follow Jesus. I promised to do my part to show the love of Jesus to others through my living and my giving.

Today, after I stood at the pulpit in my new church home and prayed, I decided to reflect on what my sacrifices to God look like and to make sure that the sacrifice of thanksgiving that I offer to God is for His glory and not for me to be seen. I am so grateful today for all the blessings in my life and that salvation is still available to all who are heavy-laden and need to rest. My testimony is that God has never forsaken me or abandoned me, and He will do the same for everyone who calls on the name of Jesus. When I called on His name, the response that I received reminded me that God still hears and answers prayer.

Today, let us reflect on all that we do for the Lord. Be sure that going to our places of worship hasn’t just become routine and obligatory. In Amos, Chapter 5, God reminds the Israelites that their sacrifices have no meaning because justice and righteousness were absent in their daily lives, for they mistreated the foreigners and the poor. Let us, instead, enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, being just, merciful, compassionate, and gracious to all people as a means of demonstrating the love of Jesus to a world that so desperately needs His love. Yes, I am a willing servant to the Lord God Almighty, whose love sustains me, guides me, and gives me hope.

Amen.