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To Whom Should We Give Thanks?
Thanksgiving Day is coming soon. For what do you feel thankful to the Lord? Let me hear what you give thanks to Him.
Our Lord Jesus expressed thanks in prayer before He gave bread and fish to 5,000 people (John 6:11). He expressed thanks to His Father by saying “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me,” before raising Lazarus from the dead. He also expressed thanks to His Father before He shared bread and juice with His disciples at the supper (Luke 22:17,19). Thus, Jesus always gave thanks to the Father first before He did some important work. Let’s open 1Thessalonians 5:16-18.
1Thess. 5:16 Rejoice always, 5:17 pray without ceasing, 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
“Everything” here in verse 18 includes all circumstances. Whether of joy or sorrow or regret, we give thanks to the Lord.
Daniel prayed to the Lord everyday. He prayed to the Lord even the degree which forbade anyone to worship anything except the king was issued. He prayed even if he knew that he would be thrown into a pit filled with lions when he violated that order. He prayed at the windows which were widely opened towards Jerusalem in an upstairs room just as he had done always, without hiding himself. He knelt down for prayer three times that day. Let’s look at Daniel 6:10. It says that Daniel “prayed and gave thanks before his God.” Surprisingly he prayed and gave thanks to the Lord under the dangerous situations.
So did Apostle Paul. Look at Acts 27. Paul was to be taken to Rome on the vessel with other criminals, they met a violent storm on the way. They wondered around on the sea and lost their hope to live. But Paul encouraged everybody to eat something. Look at verse 35. He took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it he began to eat. Despite of the desparate situations he gave thanks to God.
Now, howdo you get a spirit of giving thanks God in everything? Let’s look at 1Thessalonians 5:18. It says that this is the will of God in Chris Jesus for you to give thanks to Him. It means that God wants us to give thanks by looking up to Jesus. We look up to Jesus who took upon Himself the penalty of our sin in our behalf. We look up to Jesus who took upon Himself the sins of killing, adultery, stealing, lying, and all other sins, and was punished on the cross. We look up to Jesus who had made a plan of salvation before we were born or before we got to know Him. And we give thanks to Him.
But this is not all that Jesus had done for us. More than that, Christ, after having returned to heaven, is now standing in the heavenly judgment in our place. He is standing in our behalf to protect us when our works are scrutinized and judged before the universe. He will keep standing in our stead if we believe and accept the gift of salvation which is provided on the cross. He will keep standing in our stead as long as we stay faithful till our end. Your sins which you commit today will be forgiven because Jesus is standing in the heavenly court in our stead. Therefore nobody will condemn us as long as we trust in Him and obey Him. Satan will never charge us with a crime. Let’s open Romans 8:34.
Romans8:34Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
To whom should we give thanks in the Thanksgiving Day? Yes, we should give thanks to Jesus Christ. We should give thanks to Jesus who did everything and is still doing for our eternal salvation. Of course, we have more to say thank you to Him. We should say thank you to Him for our health, our daily food, and our church. But eternal salvation is more important than any of these things. It exceeds any worldly wealth. This our Jesus gave to us. Because of this, whatever may happen, let us remember that we have the greatest thing to give thanks to Him.
One of my favourite hymns is “When Peace Like A River, Attendeth My Way.” The song was written by Horatio Gates Spafford. He was a laywer and had a rich life. He married Anna, and had one son and four daughters. But unfortunately he lost the son in 1871. And in the same year he lost most of his real estaed which he had invested in when the Great Chicago Fire happened.
The tragedy continued. Two years later, in 1873 Horatio decided his family should take a holiday in Europe, and sent his family on a ship bound for England ahead of him. He was to catch up to them in Enlgand. But while crossing the Atlantic, the ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel and sank within 20 minutes. Two hundred and twenty six people lost their lives, including all four of Horatio's daughters. Somehow his wife, Anna, survived. On arriving in England, she sent a telegram to Horatio with only two words long "Saved alone". Soon Horatio took the next available ship to England, going past the place where his daughters had died, and wrote a hymn. That was “When Peace Like A River, Attendeth My Way.”
PEACE LIKE A RIVER
When peace like a
river, attendeth my way;
Though Satan
should buffet, though trials should come,
He lives--oh, the
bliss of this glorious thought;
And, Lord, haste
the day when our faith shall be sight
It is well, with
my soul,
Horatio Gates
Spafford
Horatio lost his property, his son and his daughters. But in the midst of the depressed experiences he wrote in the song “Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Oh my soul.” Why could he do that? It was because he believed in Jesus and hoped that He would come back again.
Phil4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 4:7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I Thessalonians 5:18. This command is an assurance that even the things which appear to be against us will work for our good. God would not bid us be thankful for that which would do us harm.
Ministry of Healing, 255 Yes, God would not bid us be thankful for that which would od us harm. He does not want us to say thank you for sufferings. Our thanksgiving should be directed to Jesus who died on the cross in our behalf; Jesus who is standing in our stead in the heavenly court; Jesus who is coming back soon to complete the plan of salvation. Our Lord Jesus will work for good in all things in the end. Even those things which appear to be against us may work out for our good in the end. All the experiences which seem to be unnecessary like rubbish will be very important to have in life. So because of this, let us give thanks to the Lord always. God bless you. Amen.
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