This will be my last post until after Thanksgiving and can you believe it is a Thanksgiving post? I really enjoy this holiday. It is one that is not filled with money, endless ads on buying this and that and reminder to each to be thankful.
On the flip side, it is a really sad state of mind when we have to be reminded to be thankful. The pulpits were filled with sermons on thankfulness, (which is not wrong, I just choose not to allow the world to dictate what needs to be preached), and everyone sends e-mails on being thankful and the list goes on and on. God's word reminds us to be thankful as that is the attitude of a saint (Eph. 5:3-4). The saved should always give thanks for all things (Eph. 5:20). We have been qualified by the blood of Christ to share in the inheritance for which we are to be thankful (Col. 1:12). Our lips that give thanks to his name is a sacrifice offered to God (Heb. 13:15). The bottom line is the saved are thankful because they are saved! Difficulties arise in our lives, but the blood of Christ and His salvation remains. People want to try to hurt or destroy us, but the atoning sacrifice and cleansing keep us safe in God's hands. Times may get rough, jobs may get scarce but the salvation of God does not become distracted toward us. Saved people live saved lives and saved lives are demonstrated by always giving thanks through His name. This time of year should help us see that thankfulness is not seasonal, but eternal!
2 comments:
As I have said before, I give thanks in all, both when things are good and when they are bad. Some may say, "That’s easy to say" and I would have to agree to a certain point. However, thanksgiving and being thankful is far more than just a simple state that we exist in. It is more so a complete way of life and of interacting with those around us and in our relationship to God.
If we are not careful, we allow the physical world to become the center of our lives and then we base our thanksgiving on worldly things instead of Godly things. Yes, we may have to endure, and at times significantly, but that is the physical world at hand. Truly being in Christ will lead us to be able to endure all that is physical in nature. If you have doubts of this, you only have to look back to the Apostle Paul and what he physically endured and the attitude of thanksgiving that existed in him at all times, even when in prison. Yes, I am thankful for the physical world around me and for the reason it is there, however true thanksgiving revolves around Christ and God, the spiritual world we should strive to be in while in this physical world.
As far as thanksgiving being eternal, I couldn’t agree more. Looking at Revelation 4 and 5 we are given wonderful insight as to then eternal nature of thanksgiving to God and Christ.
All I can say is 'thank you'Jim! May we learn to trust our Lord more and not look at what we see!
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