Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.
—Psalm 41:12-13
Here thanksgiving to God is addressed not to a cosmic Being to whom I cannot relate except through a vague appreciation of creation, but to the God of Israel, the God who has made God's Self known in the history of a specific people through revelation, deliverance, and continued guidance. This same God is the God who entered history in the Person of Jesus Christ: God's perfect Revelation, my Deliverer and Guide. The gratitude due God has no expiration date. The religion revealed to Moses and made complete in Jesus Christ is, indeed, as alive today as it was on both Mount Sinai and Mount Calvary.
If integrity means living a life of wholeness—a life with thoughts that correspond with words and actions—then God has shown me in God's dealings with Israel and in Jesus teachings and way of life exactly what integrity is.
If integrity means living a life of wholeness—a life with thoughts that correspond with words and actions—then God has shown me in God's dealings with Israel and in Jesus teachings and way of life exactly what integrity is.
You made yourself known to my ancestors, God. And you are still known to me today: Creation is yours, but history as well, and in Christ you have redeemed both creation and history. Blessed be your Name yesterday, today, and forever more. Amen and amen.
