Thanksgiving / Acción de Gracias 2021

Introducción

Some families when they gather around their Thanksgiving table take a moment to express one thing they are grateful for. Some common answers are:

Health

Life

Family

Spouse

A home

Good grades, etc.

It would be very awkward to say: “You know what guys, this year has been an absolute disaster, I have zero reasons to be thankful.”

If there was ever a man that could’ve said: This last year has been an absolute disaster, and I cannot find any reason to be thankful - thank would be Job.

The Book and Life of Job / El Libro y la Vida de Job

The book of Job is likely the oldest book in the Bible, written probably even before the book of Genesis.

I would invite you to read at least the first two chapters and the last chapter (42).

It presents the life of a man named Job who lived in Uz (the Middle East).

The book of Job opens with a description of his upright character, his large family, and his great wealth:

Job 1:1–3 NIV

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

Job 1:1–3 NBLA

Hubo un hombre en la tierra de Uz llamado Job. Aquel hombre era intachable, recto, temeroso de Dios y apartado del mal. Le nacieron siete hijos y tres hijas. Su hacienda era de 7,000 ovejas, 3,000 camellos, 500 yuntas de bueyes, 500 asnas y muchísima servidumbre. Aquel hombre era el más grande de todos los hijos del oriente.

Notice that he is described as a blameless man. He walked in the fear of the Lord and dedicated his life to praising his most holy name.

He had 10 children, seven sons and three daughters. He was indeed a blessed man with a blessed family.

However, he was blessed with enormous wealth. He had such wealth that one could describe him as “the greatest man among the people of the East”.

Tragedy Strikes / La Tragedia Llega

However, all these blessings disappeared overnight.

His entire wealth, which consisted of his herds of sheep, camels, and donkeys were eliminated through nomadic tribes that robbed them overnight, and another portion was struck by fire that fell from the heavens.

His children all died in the same day when they were celebrating with their oldest sibling and a powerful wind knocked the corners of the house causing the building to collapse and killing his ten children instantly.

The Bible tells us that all off Job’s suffering was the work of Satan himself.

God himself had allowed Job to suffer this whole ordeal.

However, we tend to forget that while we are in this world we will suffer.

These last two years have truly been years of worldwide suffering.

Suffering from COVID-19.

Suffering from untimely death.

The death of our family members.

Unemployment.

Loss of health.

Loss of savings.

Depression and isolation.

None of us have been exempt from suffering.

However, we do not know nor can we pretend to know the reason for why we’ve suffered so much in these last two years; in the same way that Job did not know that Satan was working behind the scenes to cause him so much pain and suffering.

Thankfulness and Praise Prevail / La Gratitud y Alabanza Prevalecen

I invite you to imagine Job after experiencing so much loss.

We would see a completely broken man.

We see his puffy eyes and rosy cheeks from shedding so many tears.

We see a tired man, a desperate man, a man who has lost his entire wealth - but worst of all he has lost his ten beloved children.

What can we expect from a parent who has lost one child?

…no imagine what can we expect from a parent who has lost his ten children all at once?

If we were to invite Job to our Thanksgiving table, what could we expect Job to say to us when asked: Job, so what are you thankful for?

One would expect Job to start sobbing and tell us how he has lost everything; wealth and his entire family.

But that’s not it…Job also lost his health:

Job 2:7–8 NIV

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

Job 2:7–8 NBLA

Entonces Satanás salió de la presencia del Señor, e hirió a Job con llagas malignas desde la planta del pie hasta la coronilla. Y Job tomó un pedazo de teja para rascarse mientras estaba sentado entre las cenizas.

Job was afflicted with painful sores all over his body.

He could find no relief except for scraping his body with shards of broken pottery.

Surely, Job, when asked what he was thankful for…he would simply start sobbing and reliving the pain of loosing his family, his wealth, and his health.

In the same way, to many it seems unthinkable to be celebrating Thanksgiving after a year of so much suffering.

We tend to associate thankfulness with abundance and blessing.

We say “thank you” after having received something from someone.

We would hardly be saying “thank you” after experiencing loss.

However, the book of Job teaches us a great lesson in how Job responded amidst such pain, tragedy, and loss:

Job 1:21 NIV

and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

Job 1:21 NBLA

y dijo: «Desnudo salí del vientre de mi madre Y desnudo volveré allá. El Señor dio y el Señor quitó; Bendito sea el nombre del Señor».

Job 2:10 NIV

He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Job 2:10 NBLA

Pero él le dijo: «Hablas como habla cualquier mujer necia. ¿Aceptaremos el bien de Dios pero no aceptaremos el mal?». En todo esto Job no pecó con sus labios.

We see Job’s lips full of praise towards God.

Job worshipped God amidst all the loss that he was experiencing.

Job understood:

There is both blessing and loss in life - “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away”.

Job understood that he had received many blessings and ultimately it was God who had blessed him with great wealth, a large family, and health.

But ultimately, Job understood that in this fallen world, in this world where sin has entered the world - there is death, pain, tragedy, sickness, loss - and it is indeed the Lord who allows us to experience both blessing and loss, health and illness, joy and heartbreak.

But even though we will experience loss, tragedy, and suffering - God’s name is still worthy of praise, worship, and adoration.

God is still God.

Think of it this way - even though the United Kingdom was being attacked by the Nazi German army, King George 5th, did not cease to be king. He was king despite the pain and suffering that people were experiencing in the United Kingdom.

In the same way, God who is Alfa and Omega, the beginning and the end, the eternal and great King, does not cease to be God, Sovereign, and Lord over all.

For this reason Job said: “Shall we good from God, and not trouble?”

Regardless of what we experience in this life, we have a duty to praise God, thank God, and glorify him for the blessings that we have received.

Our duty as mere mortals is to echo Job’s words: May the name of the Lord be praised.

How can we praise God?

We praise God by thanking him for each of his many blessings.

Despite Job’s suffering, he was alive.

Despite Job’s suffering, he could find comfort in the reality that God was still with him and would carry him through his momentary suffering.

We praise God when we remember the blessings that we have received in this life. It is so easy to forget God’s kindness when we are suffering, and therefore we should not forget what the Lord has done for us.

Unfortunately, it is even easier to forget God’s blessings when we are experiencing a time of blessing. As Bart Simpsons once prayed at a Thanksgiving meal:

God, we paid for all this ourselves, so thanks for nothing.

Dios, nosotros pagamos por todo esto, así gracias por nada. - Bart Simpsons

Ultimate Gratitude / El Máximo Motivo de Nuestra Gratitud

You may find yourself without many reasons to give God thanks on this day.

However, let me encourage and give you the ultimate reason for giving God thanks.

God sent his innocent son, his son who had no sin, to die on the cross.

God’s son, Jesus Christ, took upon himself our sin, our guilt, our condemnation, and died on our behalf.

He died so that if we believe in him, we can be forgiven of all our sins and receive the promise of eternal life.

You see, one day we shall die and will go into eternity.

The normal course of sinful humanity would be to go into an eternity without God, without hope, receiving the just punishment for our rebellion against a holy God.

However, through God’s work on the cross, we receive the promise of eternal life, of joy unspeakable, of experiencing God’s blessing for all eternity.

…and in this life, we receive the conviction that God is with us, despite our suffering, despite what the last two years, despite the tears we have shed, despite all the pain, God has walked with us through the valley of the shadow of death.

God has been with his people. He has not abandoned us, nor has he forsaken us.

…and for this, may God’s name be praised and his people express their gratitud towards the only living God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - may his name be praised forevermore.