"THANKFULNESS"

During the Holidays and especially this Thanksgiving season I think that it can be very challenging for people to not be thankful, or to even know what to be thankful for? The events over the past few years have certainly caused tension and division in families and other relationships... and some people struggle finding reasons to be grateful. This is why it is very crucial for us as a church family to run to God's Word on this topic of thankfulness and gratitude.

Psalm 92:1 ESV

It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

God’s people are called to give thanks and make music to God. They are to tell of God’s ‘hesed’ (His steadfast love) and His faithfulness. These are the things Israel has depended on since God rescued them from Egypt. They have been taken from the bondage of slavery and their lives have been restored, what a reason to celebrate and give thanks.

Psalm 100:4 ESV

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

The gates and the courts here are in reference to those of the temple. The psalmist has in mind here that it is good to come to God’s house to meet with Him and with other believers and praise God and give Him thanks. So often, it is easy to make other priorities or put other things before God and no wonder we lose our attitude of gratitude.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Notice the word 'IN' all circumstances and not 'FOR' all circumstances! God would never want us to be thankful for the hurtful, evil, mean things of this world (like when evil men bombed the world trade towers on 9-11.) but instead God calls us to be especially thankful in those times. More than any time church, we need to be reminded of this word thankfulness. We need to take a look at all of the things the Father has done for us and praise God who gave us His Son who paid it all for us on the cross of calvary.

I want to get to the practical side of this as quickly as i can today. One of the things that studies have shown us is that the attitude you have for the day is set in the first eight minutes of your day. The question is, do you want to grumble, gripe, and complain your way through the day, or do you want to be grateful as you go about your time? For me one of the very first things I have to do is get alone and get into my word and to find time alone to pray. If I don’t get time alone with the Lord I find that it is so much easier for me to get caught off guard and grumble or complain about matters. So, let’s dive into God’s Word and see what it has to tell us about being Thankful. The Bible says, “Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17 ESV).

James tells us here that God is the giver of every good and perfect gift. In other words, God is the source of everything good. He helps us resist temptation when it comes our way, He allows us to be kind, loving and forgiving. He helps us to pursue a growing faith in Him, and carries us along until He calls us home. God is from above and He is the creator of lights. He orders the stars into the sky and controls the seasons, days and years. Today as we think about everything the Father has done for us, the word gratitude should come to mind. Gratitude allows us to focus on our loving Father who meets all of our needs. The take away for us today is that we need to begin every day with gratitude! Here are some things that have helped me and that I want to share with you. Think about God and his goodness. Thank him for being a good Father and for being caring, close, and consistent. Take some time and list the ways he’s been good to you. Tell him what you’re thankful for. You don’t have to worry about the right thing to say. Just say what you feel and what’s on your mind. There are several ways that Scripture shows us that we can demonstrate being thankful.

1. First we can start our day by singing. Here is what Psalm 98 tells us.

Psalm 98:1–6 ESV

Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

So, one of the ways you can start your day with thankfulness is to make a playlist of songs. Choose songs of gratitude that remind you of who God is and what he has done for you. Play it as soon as you open your eyes so that your first thoughts are of gratitude. Worship is the best way to wake up! 2. Number 2 is Remembering.

Psalm 9:1–2 ESV

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

1 Chronicles 16:8–13 ESV

Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he uttered, O offspring of Israel his servant, children of Jacob, his chosen ones!

Make a list of the things you’re thankful for and keep it near your bed or wherever you have a quiet time with Jesus. A gratitude list can help you remember the things the Lord has done for you and to help you keep your mind focused on His goodness, regardless of your circumstances. 3. This will lead us to number 3, Praying. Just like verse 8 of 1 Chronicles chapter 6 tells us, “Call upon his name.” When we begin our day calling upon the name above all other names it truly helps us to be humble and realize that everything we have comes from God. He will help us as we go about our day. Prayer should cause us to truly be thankful.

4. Finally, Giving. Scripture tells us in Acts 20:35 that Jesus himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” It is so exciting for me to be able to give someone a gift and help them out or to give God a tithe. This week someone gave me a gift and I could tell that they did it because they had been blessed. They were thankful for what God had done in their life.

When you wake up each morning, make sure the first thing you’re doing is thanking God for his consistent love and recalling all the ways that he is good to you. Get up with gratitude. It will change everything about your day!

There are always things to be grateful for—even when our lives are falling apart and we don't feel like giving thanks. The Bible shows us many things we can always be thankful for so I want to share just a few with you today. Here are the 4things you can always be thankful for: 1. You can always be thankful for the grace that God has shown to you.

1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.

What Paul does here is that he looks beyond his troubles to give praise and thanks to God. Yes, Paul had troubles in his ministry but he was able to focus on God’s grace and have a joyful perspective. Note here that Paul says, “Christ will always lead u in triumphal procession. Paul uses some imagery here from a Roman ceremony called the triumph. This is where a victorious general would be honored with a parade and he went through the streets of Rome. So, here Paul gives thanks because he is led by His God at all times and he promises us victory in and through Jesus Christ. This is a wonderful picture of the grace of God church.

2. You can always be thankful for the plans he has for your life.

Psalm 9:1–2 ESV

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

When it comes to discovering God’s will and plans for our lives, I think that many of us can live in fear wondering what is God really doing? Does he have a plan? Yes he does!!! God’s will for us is his word and every time we open it up we are reminded of his wonderful deeds. Let’s trust Him today.

3. You can always be thankful for his promise to never leave you.

Psalm 94:14 ESV

For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;

Hebrews 13:5 ESV

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

God promises to take care of His people. He promises us that He will forgive, love and take care of our needs. Even when we feel far away from God He is still there longing for us to run back to him and to be in a right relationship with the Father. It is important during this Holiday season to remember that our Father has not abandoned us, he never walks away, in fact He is near and longs to meet with us. Call out to Him today and know that He will speak to you through His word.

4. You can always be thankful for the home he's prepared for you. John 14:1-4

John 14:1–4 ESV

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”

Revelation 21:1–4 ESV

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

God has an eternal home prepared for you today. If you have trusted Christ and He has truly changed your life than today you need to remember and be thankful that someday when you draw your last breath here on earth you will wake up to a new home in heaven for ever and ever. What a wonderful celebration this will be. What good news that is for every believer today. Celebrate good times!!! Because that it will be.

I want to close with this is a short poem by Paul David Tripp. This poem reminds us of just about every area of our lives that we can be thankful.

Thank you, Lord, for the morning light reminding me of your presence and faithfulness. Thank you, Lord, for every breath I breathe reminding me of your sustaining mercies. Thank you, Lord, for physical strength reminding me that all power comes from you. Thank you, Lord, for a mind that works reminding me that all rationality starts with you. Thank you, Lord, for the coordination of the members of my body reminding me of the wisdom of your design. Thank you, Lord, for food and shelter reminding me of the generosity of your provision. Thank you, Lord, for work to do and tasks to complete reminding me of your incessant work on my behalf. Thank you, Lord, for family and friends reminding me of my welcome into your eternal family. Thank you, Lord, for the body of Christ reminding me of your promise to meet my spiritual needs. Thank you, Lord, for continuing to rescue me from me reminding me of your ongoing spiritual care. Thank you, Lord, for those who encourage, comfort, and exhort me reminding me of the faithful zeal of your grace. Thank you, Lord, for the majesty of your Word reminding me that you are my greatest teacher. Thank you, Lord, for the illumining power of your Spirit reminding me of your zeal that I would know, love, and serve you. Thank you, Lord, for the pain of conviction reminding me of my need for your sanctifying grace. Thank you, Lord, for welcoming and receiving my confession reminding me that you are slow to anger and abounding in love. Thank you, Lord, for fresh starts and new beginnings reminding me again and again of the faithfulness of your forgiving love. Thank you, Lord, for my calling as your ambassador reminding me to live with your kingdom in view. Thank you, Lord, for your guiding hand reminding me that my life moves according to your control. Thank you, Lord, for suffering and trials reminding me of my weakness and your strength. Thank you, Lord, for you empowering grace reminding me that I was not meant to live on my own. Thank you, Lord, for a destiny that is secure reminding me of the hope that is only found in you. Thank you, Lord, that you are the Lord of Lords and that by grace I am your child forever.

(Close in Prayer and lead into Communion)