Articles
Deep Gratitude
Have you ever been lost? Have you ever lost someone? Remember the day you learned what to do to be saved? Remember how you felt when that one you loved was restored? Both produce a gratitude that is “Mt. Everest-like.” You are just overwhelmed with gratitude to God for saving you and restoring the one you love. What can you say and do but, “Thank you!”
Gratitude grows out of needs met. They produce praise. Praise is where we speak and extol the values and greatness of one. So, we extol the greatness of God for His wonderful salvation. We see this in the song of Miriam in Exodus 15. Her song follows the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage and passage safely through the Red Sea.
The Song praises God for who He is. He is my strength, song and salvation. He is God and my warrior. It praises Him for what He has done. He has cast Pharaoh’s chariots and his army into the sea. It praises His majestic power overthrowing His enemies. He used the waters and wind to defeat Pharaoh. He is praised for being greater than all the gods. He is majestic in holiness and a worker of wonders. He caused the earth to swallow up His enemies and brought His people to His holy habitation (Ex. 15:1-12). Miriam begins with triumphant praise and ends with triumphant praise.
Only when we have been in bondage will we realize the joy of being free. After 400 plus years of bondage and slavery, Israel is now free. Shouting praise triumphantly is only a natural response. It does not require a great deal of analysis. It is a response that flows from a heart that is set free. When we have realized that freedom, like Miriam we shout praise triumphantly! When a loved one has been lost and is found, we shout praise triumphantly! We tell all the good things God has done.
Lost and then found, how could we be anything other than filled with gratitude? What rejoicing! God is so good and gracious! He is full of mercy and lovingkindness! We realize that when we learn of our salvation.
We just never know the deep love and value of a person until we lose them. We never know the deep love that God has for us until we are lost.
Rickie Jenkins
