Thank God for the Fleas

SCRIPTURE

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV

18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

INTRODUCTION

Thank God for the Fleas

That’s the scripture verse that Betsie and Corrie ten Boom read that day in 1944 at the Ravensbruck Concentration Camp in Germany during WWII. Betsie and Corrie were sisters. They were from a Dutch family that had been caught by the Germans protecting and housing Jews during the Holocaust in a secret room they built in their house. They had managed to smuggle a small Bible into Ravensbruck. If they had been caught with the Bible by the German guards, they probably would have been killed. But they would secretly ready from it together and pray with one another.

But there was something special about this day. When they read 1 Thessalonians 5:18, something touched Betsie’s heart. She said, “God wants us to thank Him for everything!” So she began to look around and thank God for everything she could see and she made Corrie repeat it after her. “Thank God for these beds.” And Corrie would repeat it. “Thank God for the roof over our heads. Thank God for the other women here with us. Thank God for the guards.” Corrie reluctantly repeated and thanked God for the guards. Then Betsie said, “Thank God for the fleas.” Corrie looked up and said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t thank God for the fleas.” The bunk house they were assigned to had a straw floor and the straw was infested with fleas. And the fleas tormented them day and night. But Betsie said, “Corrie, we’ve got to thank God for everything, even the fleas.” Corrie finally said, “Ok, I thank God for the fleas.”

Things began to change in their bunkhouse. The fleas were still there. But other things began to change. They noticed that the guards didn’t come around as often. There were no more surprise inspections and searches. They had more freedom to read their Bible and pray openly. Soon other women began to join in with them. Before long they were having open Bible studies with the entire bunkhouse. Many women came to Christ and were saved. What changed? Why didn’t the guards harass them anymore?

Finally one day one of the guards was passing by and they called out and asked, “Hey, why don’t you guys come in our bunk house anymore?” The guard said, “because of the fleas. Everytime we come in your bunk house, we get infested with fleas.”

The very thing that was the most difficult to thank God for, was the very thing that protected them from the punishment of the guards. Betsie was right to thank God for the fleas!

What Are You Grateful For?

That story certainly puts things in perspective doesn’t it? What are you grateful for? If I were to ask you to take out a pen and piece of paper and begin to write down the things that you are grateful for in your life, what kind of things would be on your list? Probably none of us would have fleas, right? We would probably list things like family, friends, our relationship with God, our jobs, health, our church, etc.

Things I’m Grateful For

There are a lot of things I’m grateful for today:

my wife,

my children,

my mom,

my dad and step-mom,

my brother-cousin Kendell,

my aunts,

my family,

my church,

my job,

my health,

Golden Flake BBQ potato chips,

Coffee,

Good drivers,

I’m grateful for all those things and more. But you want to know what I’m most thankful for?

I’m grateful for Jesus Christ,

I’m grateful that Jesus died on the cross for my sins,

I’m grateful for the Holy Spirit,

I’m grateful I have access to all the Bibles I could ever want,

I’m grateful for a place to come and gather and worship God,

I’m grateful Jesus has gone to Heaven to prepare a place for me,

I’m grateful Jesus is coming soon to take me to where He is,

I’m grateful I have an inheritance in Heaven that is incorruptible,

I’m grateful that Jesus has given us the victory over Satan and every demonic power,

I’m grateful for my relationship with God!

MESSAGE POINTS

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things, right? It’s easy to be thankful for the things that bring us immediate comfort and joy. But what about the fleas? How easy is it to thank God for the fleas?

And I’m not just talking about literal fleas. Fleas represent those things in our lives that are not comfortable. Things that don’t bring us immediate joy. Those things that are painful, uncomfortable, annoying, and frustrating. Those things that get under our skin.

I’m grateful that truck finally got out of my way!

Thanking God for the fleas is not an easy thing to do. It is not natural. Being thankful for the fleas requires cultivating an attitude of gratitude. And we can’t cultivate an attitude of gratitude on our own. It takes us being willing to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and let Him transform us by the renewing of our minds.

This morning, I want to help us to understand how to cultivate an attitude of gratitude in our lives so that we can thank God even for the fleas!

An Attitude of Gratitude is Cultivated in God’s Presence

An attitude of gratitude will not be cultivated by acquiring more presents, but by being more aware of God’s presence.

Benefit

Psalm 103:1–5 NKJV

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Benefactor

James 1:17 NKJV

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Beneficiary

Galatians 3:29 NKJV

29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

An Attitude of Gratitude is Cultivated in Thanksgiving

An attitude of gratitude is not cultivated through negative thinking, but in sincere thanksgiving.

Two Types of Jewish Prayer

Shema

Deuteronomy 6:4–5 NKJV

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

The 18 Benedictions

Jewish tradition.

Called the Amidah (means “Standing” in Hebrew).

Prayed during the three times of prayer (morning, afternoon, and evening).

Actually contains 19 blessings.

The Lord’s Prayer is believed to be a shortened version of the Amidah.

“Blessed are you God...”

“Thank you Jesus for...”

An Attitude of Gratitude is Cultivated in Contentment

An attitude of gratitude is not cultivated through feelings of entitlement, but in humble contentment.

For a Christian, an attitude of gratitude is not just an option, it is a requirement.

Romans 1:21 NKJV

21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Ingratitude is a sin.

1 Corinthians 10:10–11 NKJV

10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

A feeling of entitlement leads to disappointment.

Disappointment leads to grumbling.

Grumbling leads to ingratitude.

Ingratitude leads to sin.

Paul Learned How to be Content

Philippians 4:11–13 NKJV

11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Godliness with Contentment is Great Gain

1 Timothy 6:6 NKJV

6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

CLOSING

Thank God for the Fleas

Betsie ten Boom died in the Ravensbruck concentration camp on December 16, 1944 at the age of 59. Before she died, Betsie told her sister Corrie, “There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still.”

Corrie miraculously survived. Twelve days after Betsie died, Corrie was released because of a clerical error on her paperwork. A week after Corrie was released, all of the women in her age group at Ravensbruck were sent to the gas chambers.

Corrie went on to be a public speaker and Christian writer. One of the books she wrote, “The Hiding Place,” recounts the amazing story from helping Jews to survive the Holocaust and her and her sister Betsie’s time in the concentration camp. And she recounts the story of thanking God for the fleas!

Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude

What about us? What are we grateful for? We’ll be celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday later this week. But for us as Christians, thankfulness and gratitude is not something that we think about or celebrate one day a year. It should be a part of our character and who we are everyday.

But it takes intentional effort on our part to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to cultivate an attitude of gratitude in our hearts. But if we are willing to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us, we can learn to be thankful even for the fleas in our lives!

And when we cultivate an attitude of gratitude, we learn to be content because we know that ultimately everything is in God’s hands:

“I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that, I still possess.”

Corrie ten Boom

“Hold everything in your hand lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open.”

Corrie ten Boom