"With Gratitude"

"For He hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen His desire upon mine enemies." (Psalms 54:7) No, I did not say attitude; although it seems that we have a lot of it sometimes. What we really need, is to add a little gratitude in with our thankfulness. There are two different ways that we can view the second portion of this verse: one that has God's desire being one of wrath, the other has God's desire being one of love; depending on your point of view of yourself, you will are more likely to pick the first, than you are the second. David was called by God, who said of him, "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after Mine own heart, which shall fulfill all of My will" (Acts 13:22). The verse in Acts is taken from Paul's first public sermon, and took place in Antioch, which was a place that many Greek Jews lived, and was the place that the believers in Christ Jesus were first called Christians. It does not take a whole lot of thought to put two and two together, not when it comes to the love that God has for the lost; which is why Jesus told us to love our enemies, because we all at one time were the enemies of God! If you remember the story, after Paul had finished his first sermon, he was asked to come back and preach again the next sabbath day, and when that day came, the Jews saw the multitudes that were assembled, and they became filled with envy (Acts 13:45). That envy which they had in their heart was the opposite of gratitude, because they were now filled with indignation against those that were not children of Abraham who might receive the promise; not that they had actually bought into what Paul had previously said, but just the thought of Gentiles being justified under the law of Moses was more than they could stomach. On the other hand, if we do come to realize the fate of those that die in their sins, then the Christian thing to do would be to have compassion in our hearts for them. It is like that old saying given by John Bradford, as he would say every day that another was put to death, "There but for the grace of God go I"; because it just might happen, depending upon the attitude of your heart... "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences. For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, not if one died for all, then were all dead: and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more." (2 Corinthians 5:11-16)