May Yours Be a Blessed Thanksgiving

To all who read my Post, thank you and may you be blessed. Recently I discovered a poem I learned years ago. I share it with the hope it might inspire you as it has me over the years. Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Forgive Me When I Whine

Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely maid with golden hair; I envied her — she seemed so gay, and how, I wished I were so fair; When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle; she had one foot and wore a crutch, but as she passed, a smile. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two feet — the world is mine.

And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the lad who served me had such charm; he seemed to radiate good cheer, his manner was so kind and warm; I said, “It’s nice to deal with you, such courtesy I seldom find”; he turned and said, “Oh, thank you sir.” And then I saw that he was blind. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes, the world is mine.

Then, when walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue; he stood and watched the others play, it seemed he knew not what to do; I stopped a moment, then I said, “Why don’t you join the others, dear?” He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two ears, the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I’d go; with eyes to see the sunsets glow, with ears to hear what I would know. I am blessed indeed. The world is mine; oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

Be thankful, be blessed. Be blessed, be thankful.

Guidelines for a Lifestyle of Thankfulness: Part Four

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18).

A thankful heart is a portal for praise. We are to “give thanks.” It is an outward expression of an internal attitude.

Praise is not an option to those who want to please God. He said it is His “will,” that is, what He wants of us.

Praise spares us the pain of a bloated ego. When we learn to pass on to the Lord all the praise we receive, we are blessed.

Praise is rooted in the confidence that God can use all things for good. Those who realize that blessings often come wrapped in burdens can give thanks “in everything.”

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, as a Russian dissident, was imprisoned in Siberia. He wrote of that horror:

“It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirring of good. Gradually, it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes, not through states, nor classes, nor political parties, but right through all human hearts.  So, bless you, prison, for having been in my life.’

What are the “prisons” in your life presently for which you need to praise the Lord?

That little preposition “in” (en) means to give thanks “in connection with everything.” Knowing this prevents us from facing the adversities of life with gritted teeth, and enables  us to face them with grateful hearts.

The fact that “this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” does not mean you have to do it, but that you can do it at all times. There are many things we can’t do, but this we can do. You can pull yourself out of the shadows of life into the sunlight of His love by prayer.  Often a Psalm begins by the writer describing himself as being in a state of despondency. Read on! As he begins to praise the Lord in this state, it is as though his spirit takes wings and soars in joy.  The dove of joy rises on the wings of prayer and praise.

If circumstances leave you with little obvious in them for which to praise the Lord, take an imaginary walk around Calvary. Look into the eyes of Jesus.  Listen to His quivering, but acquitting voice. Remember the crown of thorns. Then tell yourself, “All this was done for me.” See if that gives you something for which to praise Him.

In this season of giving thanks reflect once more: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18).

Guidelines for a Lifestyle of Thankfulness: Part Three

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18).

Joy is a primary trait of giving thanks. It is enabled by having a good prayer life.  We are to “pray without ceasing….”

Prayer is the natural consequence of friendship with God.

Henry J. Thoreau said, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Perhaps this is true. For those of whom it is true, it is a revelation that they have not established the right friendship with God.

To “pray without ceasing” doesn’t mean continuously occurring prayer, BUT constantly recurring. It means never to hang up the receiver, even if you are not talking. It means to always have your antenna up. Our practice of prayer may be intermittent, but the spirit of prayer must be incessant.

Constant prayer causes our mind to conceive and the child brought forth is WISDOM.

In times of crisis, we are prone to resort to prayer. In the Cuban missile crisis, America faced a pending disaster. Russian-made missiles in Cuba were found aimed at our cities. A naval blockade was set up. Confrontation seemed inevitable. People rushed to stores to stock up on medicine, food, and batteries. President Kennedy in an address to the nation appealed to all people to pray “in your homes, churches, and schools.”  Even schools! Yes, the crisis forgets about improper laws.  If we will pray in a crisis, why not in celebration.

If you are ever on a flight preparing for a crash and the pilot has time you will hear him say: “We are beginning our final descent. At this moment, in accordance with International Aviation Codes established at Geneva, it is my obligation to inform you that if you believe in God you should commence prayer.”

Don’t wait for a nose dive to pray.

Self-confidence apart from the right relationship with the Lord is one of our greatest hindrances. Associated-confidence is a sure way to victorious living. By this is meant aligning yourself with the will of the Father through prayer.

For example, the failure of Simon Peter at the time of the betrayal of Christ could not be attributed to insincerity or a lack of zeal. In good faith he loved Jesus. In good faith he would have died for Him. His failure grew out of a prayerless heart in the garden.  As a result, he trusted his own strength to do what his own will dictated.  If he had obeyed His Lord and prayed, this self-deception would have been avoided.

Prayer is not simply asking and receiving. It is also praise and thanksgiving and not just on Thanksgiving Day. Keep the communication channel open daily. It is the undergirding of joy.

Guidelines for a Lifestyle of Thankfulness: Part Two

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18).

Three aspects of thanksgiving are noted in the text. Today and the next two days consider these traits. The three we relate to are all internal aspects of inner life.

We must have the capacity to express joy. Such is encouraged at the end of verse 28 it is “the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  That is, God wants you to express joy. In each of these the modifier comes emphatically before the verb: Always rejoice, Continually pray, in everything give thanks.

Centuries earlier the prophet Nehemiah (8:10) said of Israel, in one of their greatest times of difficulty, “The joy of the Lord is thy strength.”

The angelic messenger shouted, “Joy to the world the Lord has come.” This isn’t a bonfire-pep-rally-kind-of-energy-of-the-flesh elation that soon fades. Neither is it a type of self-delusion brought about by not facing reality. Nor is it the synthetic kind mirrored by fake smiles and quoted slogans. It is a calm, consistent sense of well-being because all is well with the Father, even if ALL isn’t well in your world.

All was not well with the Christians who initially received this letter. They had “received the word in much affliction, with joy in the Holy Spirit” (I Thess. 1: 6). Notice they had “much affliction.”  They are described in 2:14 as having “also suffered.”

The exhibition of joy amid suffering was one of the distinctive traits of the young church. It still characterizes a Spirit-filled believer. 

This command is an imperative statement, an appeal to the will. It reminds us that we are in part responsible for maintaining an outlook filled with joy.  It reminds us that Christian joy is not totally dependent upon externals, but is a result of the internal presence of the Holy Spirit and His being given control of our attitude.

Don’t be disappointed with yourself if you have had difficult times and have failed to rejoice. However, never be content to let such a spirit characterize you. For a Christian to remain sad, negative, or in a complaining mood is to break a command. It shows a basic mistrust of God: either His love, wisdom, or power.

To be around some people, even on their good days, is as cheering as diving into an icy lake. Don”t let the glow and glory of your today be polluted by the garbage of someone’s gloom.  Don’t live in the valley of the humdrum. Move up to the mountains of joy.

Before His ascension our beloved Lord said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15: 11).

The elderly Apostle John wrote, “These things we write to you that your joy may be full” (I John 1:4).

Guidelines for a Lifestyle of Thankfulness: Part One

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18).

With the approach of Thanksgiving and so much for which to be thankful let’s celebrate the holiday with hearts of gratitude.

Jesus had a word for unthankful people. He was very select in choosing the proper descriptive word for ingrate. In addressing the ungrateful farmer, whose bumper crop overfilled his barns, Jesus said to him, “Thou fool…” The Greek word employed by Dr. Luke (12:20) was “aphron” meaning “the lack of common sense perception,” or signifying “without reason.”  It is simply reasonable to be thankful.

Our predecessors knew this and set aside a special day, called Thanksgiving, for the purpose of acknowledging thanks to God.

President George Washington issued the following presidential proclamation in 1789: “Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor–and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint committee requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God….”

It sounds like our first president knew the difference between separation of church and state and the employment of Biblical principles by a Christian statesman.

Jesus said it is “mindless,” the practice of a “fool” not to give thanks.

Not a theologian by any means, but a very delightful children’s character, Mr. Greenjeans, used to remind us of the two magic words: please and thank you.” They reach their zenith of meaning in regard to the Lord.

Francis Schaeffer, a true theologian once said, “The beginning of man’s rebellion against God was, and is, the lack of a thankful heart.”

There is a modification of the little chorus, “It is me, it is me O Lord, Standing in the Need of Prayer.” For some it is simply now for some egotists. “It is me or Lord, it is me O Lord standing….” False self-sufficiency is self-defeating.

In the Old Testament 13 Hebrew roots, found in 27 different words, are used primarily for some aspect of joy or joyful. The Lord is the source of joy.

Pure joy is joy in the Lord as both its source and object. The psalmist said, “You reveal the path of life to me; in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures” (Ps 16:11).