(photo courtesy of Vicki Mansell)
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It’s that special time of year when we are supposed to reflect on the things for which we are grateful. Many of us could write a long list about the things we are truly thankful for… family, friends, health… the list goes on and on.
Yet, for many people Thanksgiving is more about stuffing your face with food, watching football, and relaxing. Now I’m all in favor of the turkey and pumpkin pie, but this Thanksgiving season, I plan to dig a little deeper and really focus on giving thanks for what’s really important.
For many, this was a year marked by pain. Some people lost jobs. Some people said a final goodbye to loved ones. Some people faced terminal illnesses. Some people struggled to make ends meet. So how do we summon an attitude of thanksgiving?
The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Paul didn’t write that we were to give thanks FOR every thing, but that IN every things, we were to give thanks. As a Christian, I should thank God that He is with me and will see me through any and every situation. Why? Because as this verse reminds me, “…it is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”… to give thanks.
While I can list many blessings from God, I can also list many times of hardship, heartbreak, and disillusionment. If you are a Christian, God is always with you. We know that because His Word tells us so. I must confess that in times past, there have been occasions where I didn’t even remember God was there, but He was…and continues to be, and for that, I am very grateful. Even in the hard times when I didn’t feel His presence, He was faithful to be there.
When my parents divorced, God was with me. When I waved goodbye to my daughter as she left to go to a college 3000 miles away, God was with me. He was with me in every radiation and chemotherapy session during my battle with cancer. He was with me when I was told there a chance my 4-day-old son would not survive an illness. He was there when I said goodbye to my mother as she went to her heavenly home, and He was with me when I held my father’s hand as he slipped into eternity. Through it all, good or bad, God was there, and I give thanks that He was because I never would have made it through those times without Him.
Was I thankful that all these things happened? Not really… but I was thankful that God was with me through them all. He gave me strength when I was weak; He comforted me when I was in despair; He calmed me when I was afraid. Through each one, God was with me.
Matthew 28:20 records Jesus’ words to His followers. “I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” In my darkest moments, He is with me; in my times of joy, He is with me. There never is a moment when Jesus is not with me. He is faithful to His Word. This Thanksgiving season, I remember that God is with me always, and everything is under His control. For that, I am very thankful.
Psalm 106:1 says “Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” The phrase “Give thanks unto the Lord for His mercy endureth forever” occurs over and over again in the Bible. In Psalm 136, that phrase is repeated in 26 verses! Each verse in that chapter! What does it mean? What is this mercy that lasts forever?
According to the dictionary, mercy means “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.”
God’s mercy is forever. He withholds the punishment that I deserve… forever. And that is the greatest thing for which I am most thankful. I deserve nothing from God. Absolutely nothing. None of us do. But in spite of our unworthiness, in spite of the sin in our life, in spite of our pride, God still loves us. John 3:16 is a verse with which many people are familiar. It reads, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
In 1968, God’s Holy Spirit revealed to me who I really was. A sinner. One who was an enemy of God, but when He revealed my sinful state to me, He also showed me His incredible plan of redemption. He showed me how I could be reconciled to Him, and it really was nothing that I could do… only God could accomplish it, and He did it all! He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to suffer and die on an old rugged cross for me. Jesus died to take the punishment I deserved for my sin. But the glorious part is that He didn’t remain in the grave! Three days after his crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God’s Son! Now the risen Saviour of the world, Jesus was ready to forgive anyone of their sins and be welcomed into God’s family if they but seek Him and ask. That’s God’s mercy that endureth forever. I deserved the punishment, but God withheld it from me and replaced with with compassion and forgiveness. Why? Because He loves me. Jeremiah 31:3 states that God loves me “…with an everlasting love.”
This Thanksgiving season, I am so grateful for God’s mercy that endureth forever.
My salvation didn’t come because I went to church or did good deeds. It wasn’t because I donated money to charities or even because I read the Bible. It was because I chose to believe what God said in His Word, and I accepted it by asking Jesus to forgive me and become my Saviour. Once I did that, I became a child of God’s, and I have the assurance that one day I’m going to live forever with Him in heaven because of His great love for me!
The challenge for all of us is to remember who God is and what He has done for us. Life may get hard at times… it happens… but it all falls under God’s sovereign will. And because of that, we can give thanks in all things because His love and His mercy endureth forever! So this Thanksgiving season, I am most thankful for God, who loves me, saved me, and is with me every single moment of every single day of my life. Thank You, Lord!
Thank You, Lord, for saving my soul,
Thank You, Lord, for making me whole;
Thank You, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free.
(from “Thank You Lord For Saving My Soul” by Seth and Bessie Sykes)
“So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.”- Psalm 79:13
**********
For what are you grateful to God for today?