Forever Thankful

 

 

Yesterday’s preparation for Thanksgiving dinner lasted for several hours yet it was not tiresome. The glazed turkey turned out so well that my daughter-in-law teased me that I’d snuck in the Iron Chef to do it. However, the clean-up, even though it took much less time, seemed to take ‘forever.’ I’m thankful that God, with the passing of time and because of all that He does, is never exhausted and can handle ‘forever’ much better than I can!

In the OT, FOREVER is about length, either space or times. “Length of days” refers to a long life on earth. One Hebrew word can mean eternity or is translated forever. Another word used more than four hundred times means “ancient, eternal, forever, everlasting.” Whatever the context, it is far longer than it takes to clear the table, take all the remaining meat off the turkey and put it and other leftovers in the frig, get those turkey bones in a crock pot for soup, fill the dishwasher, and wash everything else that will not fit.

Some OT examples of forever as it pertains to God include:

Exodus 3:15. God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”

Exodus 15:18. “The Lord will reign forever and ever.”

Deuteronomy 32:40–41. For I lift up my hand to heaven and swear, As I live forever, if I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and will repay those who hate me.

1 Chronicles 16:34. Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 48:14. that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will guide us forever.

Psalm 111:3. Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.

Ecclesiastes 3:14. I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.

Isaiah 40:8. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.

In the NT, the Greek adjective aiōnios is used three ways. It refers to the eternity of God in the divine realm, the forever blessings of salvation, and specific conditions without beginning or end (eternal) that we often call God’s forever blessings. I’m blessed when thinking that there is no end to God therefore no end to His grace toward His people. These truths take me through down days and tough stuff.

John 14:16. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper (the Holy Spirit), to be with you forever.”

Galatians 1:3–5. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Hebrews 1:8. “But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.’ ”

Hebrews 13:8. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. The fatigue slides away when I think of how much I’ve been blessed. Peace fills my heart when God reminds me that He is a forever God who never changes and whose blessings last forever; there is no end to His goodness. One day, as Revelation 22:5 says, the dark and difficult will be gone because “night will be no more” and I will not need the light of lamp or sun because “the Lord God will be my light” and will be all that I will ever need; with Him I “will reign forever and ever.” Besides, that kind of forever also means never-ending joy!