THANKSGIVING

 
November 27, 2017                                THANKSGIVING
Psalm 9:1 “I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 136:1 “Give thanks to the LORD; for He is good. His love endures forever.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
One clear, unmistakable part of God’s will for each us is that of being thankful-in all circumstances. Being thankful is one of the fruits of coming to know God in a personal way and knowing in the deepest part of our being that He is a good Father to us and that His love for us never fails. It’s not difficult to be thankful when everything is good, but even when things are not as we like, we can and should still be thankful. God has not promised that there would be no pain or discomfort in life, but He has promised “that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. If it is our desire to walk in the ways of God, then we can be assured that whatever comes our way in life, God will give us strength to endure the trial and He will use it for good. It is through the difficult times that we come to know God as the God of comfort and to know Him in a way that we would not know Him apart from the difficulty. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,” 1 Corinthians 1:3. Being thankful does not mean that we do not feel the pain of the trial we may be enduring, but our trust in God sustains us. No matter what our circumstance may be at the present, we have much that we can be thankful for. All believers can be thankful that Jesus came and died that we might be born into the family of God; that our sins are forgiven; that we will spend eternity with Him; and that He lives in us. Let us not overlook, or take for granted the many blessings that most of experience daily-the basics-food, clothing, shelter, family, friendships, etc. Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us that “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Not being thankful and grateful, is a sign that one is focused on self rather than being focused on the goodness of the Lord. Some ask how one can be thankful to God when God allows tragedy and bad things to happen-even to ‘good people.’ Even believers may find themselves asking the same question. Very simply, as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve, all or born with a sin nature, and this sin nature of man has been the source of enmity and strife in the world. We cannot blame God for the choices that Adam and Eve made, nor can we blame God for the actions of men who reject the rule of God-their choices have consequences that affect everyone. However, God knew from the beginning that Adam and Eve would sin and God had a remedy for the fall of mankind. Jesus was/is the remedy, and through Jesus, God deals with the sin issue and He redeems those who trust in Him. God, in His infinite and wisdom and knowledge, is allowing Satan to do what he does. (Satan’s power is limited). However, Satan days’ or numbered. God is in the process of restoring man, as well as all of creation. In light of that, we have every reason to thank God for the restoration that is underway-even if we for the moment are dealing with difficulties. Let us this moment express thanksgiving to God-for all He has done and for all He is doing-His kingdom is expanding and it endures forever, and we are a part of it.
Revelation 11:15 “Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”
Blessings,
Buddy