Thankful Even in the Midst of a Pandemic

Our purpose in life, the reason God created us, is to glorify Him. Isaiah 43:7 tells us why God created us, “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” 

One way we bring glory to God is to be thankful. God tells us that in Psalm 50:23, saying that “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”

But maybe today we are finding it hard to be thankful because we are living in the strangest and most difficult circumstances many of us have ever seen. 

God has a response for us about that.1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we are to “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Let us all be thankful, not just today, but every day, in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for us. 

To Whom Are You Thankful To?

One thing that has perplexed me greatly since becoming a follower of Christ is the question of Thanksgiving. It is this. For those people who live in America, who grew up here and are familiar with the holiday of Thanksgiving, yet demonstrate no belief in God, who are they thankful to?

Sure, I get it, they probably make statements about how they are thankful to their boss or the owners of the company they work for. Probably tell Grandma they appreciate the meal and the desserts. Maybe even post on Facebook that they are thankful to their wife for doing their wash and keeping the house.

But to whom are they thankful to, in the general spirit of the very holiday we gather once a year and celebrate. If you don’t believe in a creator than the only logical conclusion is to believe that all the blessings and good things are a result of your own great efforts. So, I guess that is it. I am thankful to myself for being such a wonderful survival of the fittest accomplisher of so much good. Wow. That’s a really prideful attitude.

The truth is that there is a God and He is the one to whom belongs all our thankfulness. For those who know and believe the truth of the God of the Bible, we must understand that it is He, who deserves our thanksgiving.

In John 3:27 we read this, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.” Nothing, nada, not one single thing, is ours unless God has given it to us.

In James 1:17 we see that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Every good gift comes down from above, from God. Every single one.

The unsaved world does not understand this. The truth is, they know God exists. But listen to what Romans 1:21 says, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

This failure to be thankful to God is a dangerous place to reside. It will ruin your thinking and darken your heart.

But fellow Christians. We know better.

If you can think of nothing else to thank Him for as we enter this holiday, remember this verse.

Isaiah 12:1
You will say in that day: “I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me.

God loved us so much He sent His son to pay the price and the penalty of our sin. Because of Christ, God’s anger has been turned away from his children. Now we can dwell in His comfort.

So, what should we do on this holiday we call Thanksgiving?

Psalm 95:2
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Studies in the psalms - Psalm 116

2 Timothy 3:16 boldly declares that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” but that does not mean there are not certain passages that will stand out in their individual splendor. There are even some scriptures that are embraced by those who aren’t even Christians, such as the 23^rd Psalm. It’s ok to have some favorite passages, which we often memorize or we surround ourselves with to call on in times of need. The Book of the Psalms is filled with wonderful words which bring comfort to our hearts and Psalm 116 stands out as a great psalm and is deserving of careful study.

Psalm 116:1-4
I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.  Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.  The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.  Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”

We are commanded in 1 Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing”, and why would we not? Life is difficult at best and personally, I need to be in constant touch with Jesus to get me through each hour of the day. Jesus has promised to never leave nor forsake us. He is with us in every moment and prayer is simply talking to Him.

Psalm 116:5-9
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful.  The LORD preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.  Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.  For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling;  I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

When Jesus went to the cross, He delivered us from the power of death, for the wages of sin are death. He paid the cost of our sin. But before we can take that in, we must be brought to our knees in sorrow and understanding that we are sinners. God’s holiness demands payment for sin but in His mercy, when we are brought low, He saves us. Thus in Christ, our souls find rest.

Psalm 116:10-11
I believed, even when I spoke: “I am greatly afflicted”; I said in my alarm, “All mankind are liars.”

The world lies to us. It tells us that sex, money, and things will provide us happiness. They do not. Usually it takes great affliction to awaken us to the truth of this.

Psalm 116:12-14
What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me?  I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.

The world expects repayment. It knows nothing of true mercy and grace. The world is give and take. If you want something; you must pay for it. If you have what another needs; you charge them for it. Not so with God. Our salvation was bought and paid for at the cross by Jesus. All God wants of us is to obey Him.

Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Death to the Christian is simply the final victory.

Psalm 116:16-19  

O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds.  I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD.  I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!

What must we give back to God? The sacrifice of thanksgiving. Jesus has freed us from the bondage of sin. He is worthy of our praise, our worship, and our thanksgiving.

Praise the Lord!

Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 92

Several years ago, as I was saying the prayer before our Thanksgiving meal, I was struck by the realization that I had a great number of things to be thankful to God for. I began to see that having one day a year designated as “Thanksgiving”, just wasn’t giving God His due praise. That day I committed myself to making every day, “Thanksgiving” in my heart. Every morning when I wake up, I make it a point to thank God for my life and everything in it. Psalm 92 is a wonderful psalm to start the day with.

Psalm 92:1-2

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;  to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.

Man strives in this life to find happiness. Happiness has been aptly defined as a state that is dependent on circumstances. Most of us are well aware, that life doesn’t always present itself in easy and happy circumstances. But joy is the state of being that resides in our hearts and it is not dependent on circumstance. Joy derives itself from God. The Bible tells us that joy is a fruit of the Spirit.

Psalm 92:4
For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

God’s work will make you glad and cause you to rejoice. People spend way too much time in artificial, man-made environments. Sitting inside our homes, schools, and our places of employment, do nothing to awaken in us an appreciation for God’s creation. We need to get outside more and just be in awe of God and His great creation. The reason things like fishing and hunting grab so many men’s attention has at its root, our innate need to be with God, because He is seen in the creation.

Psalm 92:5
How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!

We need to slow down. We need to stop our hurried lives and simply ponder the greatness of our creator.

Psalm 92:6-9
The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this:  that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever;  but you, O LORD, are on high forever.  For behold, your enemies, O LORD, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered.

The fool has said in in his heart there is no God. The chase for happiness in this life for those who foolishly reject God, leads only to death.

Psalm 92:10
But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil.

Verse 10 is the picture of a Christian. Oil in scripture is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. When we become Christ’s, the Spirit of God takes abode in our hearts.

Psalm 92:12-14
The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.  They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.  They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green,

They flourish. They still bear fruit in old age.

And for what purpose?

Psalm 92:15
To declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

We must stop thinking we can go to church on Sunday and then go back to our old habits and sins. We must stop thinking we are honoring God if we only worship Him for an hour on Sunday.

We must live day to day on verse 1.

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.

He is the Most High. Praise Jesus.