At all times and in every situation of life our God commands us, Ephesians 5:20: “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Are there times and situations when your gratitude is not heard in the courts of heaven? Is your thanksgiving rooted in things? Or is it that you rejoice in the God of your salvation as your strength? The question is this: If the darkest providence you could possibly imagine were to become true for you today, so that the worst possible personal horrors occurred to you, would you, could you, say “Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord, I will give thanks to the God of my salvation”? Listen to more of this message here.
The Thanksgiving Of A Poor Widow
Are you a thankful person? In whatever state you are; at all times; for all things? Or is yours a false thanksgiving, sometimes, some situations, and for some things? Are you able, by the grace of God, to say without exception: “Thanks, Lord for Thy saving grace to me. And I commit my way entirely unto Thee in praise all my days”?
This week Thursday our country will again celebrate its annual Thanksgiving holiday. Do you say, “Well, I suppose its true that there is so much to be thankful for.” But really you are not content, you are dissatisfied?
Or on that day, and always, are you humbly thankful for the rich grace of God in Jesus Christ to you? Are you secretly annoyed with God? Do you think that you need more? You are not content with His will? You are worried over the future? Or do you at all times, with a fervent heart, commit your way to your faithful Father, being patient when He sends adversity, being thankful when He grants prosperity. And are you confident that in all things you are in His hand? Do you know in this day of materialism, greed, pleasure-madness, gross disobedience, and carnality, do you know true thanksgiving? Listen to the message here!
Today I would like to give to you three examples of thanksgiving from events in our Lord’s ministry. I will put these examples into a modern context. As I describe them to you, I would have you answer two questions: Which one is an example of true thanksgiving? And, which one is true of you? Listen to the message here to learn about true thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Through Contentment
As we look forward to celebrating our nation’s Thanksgiving Day this coming Thursday, we direct our attention today to God’s Word in Philippians 4:11-13. We read a very beautiful passage: “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Obviously today we want to pause and ask the question: Am I thankful? Am I really thankful to God in my life? Does an awareness of all that God has done for me live daily in my heart?
But there is an even more basic question: Am I content with the way of the Lord? Does the grace of contentment live in me? You see, without contentment, you cannot be thankful.
Listen to more about how contentment leads to thankfulness here!