November 24

“Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood . . . to him he the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5,6

Every time we are reminded of our redemption through the precious blood of Christ, our hearts well up with thanksgiving and praise. Indeed, that is all we can say, since in this matter there is no need to ask for anything; and in fact it would be unfitting to do so. We cannot invite the Lord to do what he has already done; we can only thank him for it from our hearts.

Thanksgiving takes account of the Lord's work for us, but praise goes further. We praise him for what he is. At the outset gratitude overwhelmed us, but as the novelty faded a little it left no vacuum; for we deal not with an event but with a Person, not with an action merely but with the Doer of it. Gradually the Lord himself comes to fill our vision, and thanksgiving gives way to praise. “What a wonderful Savior,” we cry, “is Jesus our Lord!”