A. This coming Thursday is Thanksgiving. So in advance, let me say, “Happy Thanksgiving everyone.”
1. It is certainly one of my favorite days of the year, and arguably is the most important holiday of the year.
2. I’m thankful that we are a nation that still pauses one day a year to give thanks to God.
3. I won’t go into detail about the history of the holiday, but let me share one quote that goes all the way back to our first President, George Washington.
4. Here is a copy of George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation as it appeared in The Massachusetts Centinel newspaper, Wednesday, October 14, 1789.
5. “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 to 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 and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the Beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our national government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, 1789
George Washington”
6. How about that for a spiritual message from our first president!
B. I must tell you that each year I really enjoy preparing a message for Thanksgiving.
1. I think it is one of the easiest and most pleasant sermons to develop and preach, but one of the hardest ones to put into practice.
2. Gratitude is not a virtue that comes easily for most of us.
C. The story is told of a little boy who was given an orange by a man.
1. The boys’ mother said to the boy, “What do you say to the nice man?”
2. The little boy thought for a moment, handed the orange back and said, “Peel it!”
3. I don’t think that’s what his mom had in mind!
D. Another story is told of a little boy who went to a party.
1. His mother asked him, “Son, did you thank the host mother for the party?”
2. The boy answered, “Well, I was going to, but the girl ahead of me said, ‘Thank You,’ and the lady told her, ‘Don’t mention it.’ So I didn’t.”
E. God wants His people to be a thankful people.
1. The Bible says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:16)
2. Did you hear that? “This is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
3. What is “God’s will for you?”
4. It is God’s will that we be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances.
F. I think that it is very important to acknowledge that that which God commands, God enables.
1. When God wills something, then God makes a way for the thing He wills.
2. So when God commands that we be joyful always and give thanks in all circumstances, then He gives us the ability to do so.
G. So how can we give thanks in all circumstances?
1. What if those circumstances are painful and difficult – how do you give thanks for that?
2. I believe that regardless of the situation, there is always something about the Lord for which we can give thanks, and even something about the situation for which we can be grateful.
H. There’s an old story about the Scottish minister Alexander Whyte who was known for his uplifting prayers during worship.
1. Whyte always found something for which to be thankful.
2. One Sunday morning, the weather was just awful – so dark and stormy.
3. One of the deacons said to someone, The preacher won’t be able to thank God for anything on a day like this. It’s absolutely horrible outside.”
4. But much to his surprise, Alexander Whyte began the service by praying, “We thank thee, O God, that it is not always like this.”
I. One day a foursome of senior golfers were enjoying a round of golf when they began complaining.
1. One of them said, “These fairways seem to be getting longer and longer.”
2. Another said, “And these hills are getting steeper and steeper.”
3. A third said, “And the sand traps seem to be getting bigger and bigger.”
4. The oldest and wisest of the four piped up and said, “Oh my friends, just be thankful we’re still on this side of the grass.”
J. There was a family who was traveling the day before Christmas.
1. The station wagon was packed with the kids and stuff for the 400-mile trip to Grandma’s.
2. As was their custom, and ours, before leaving they asked God to bless the trip.
3. As they were cruising down interstate 75 through Ohio, they ran over some debris in the road.
4. It made a lot of noise, but didn’t seem to do any damage.
5. When they pulled off the expressway for gas a few miles later, they noticed that the two front tires were deflating and could not be repaired.
6. In reflecting upon their situation, the dad said, “We weren’t happy with having to replace the tires, but we were thankful for God’s care. We were thankful that we didn’t have an accident. Thankful that the tires stayed inflated until we exited the highway. Thankful for the tow truck sitting at the gas station. Thankful that a repair shop was open. And we were thankful for God’s answer to our prayer.”
K. See, there is always something for which to be thankful, even in the difficult situations.
1. Sometimes all that is required is a different perspective on the situation.
2. Think about these things for which to be thankful that someone wrote:
a. I’m thankful for the taxes I pay…because it mean’s I have a job.
b. I’m thankful for the clothes that fit a little too snug…because it means I have enough to eat.
c. I’m thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters than need fixing…because it means I have a home to live in.
d. I’m thankful for the person behind me in church who sings off key…because it mean I can hear.
e. I’m thankful for piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.
f. I’m thankful for the alarm that goes off early in the morning…because it means I’m alive.
L. Often times we are ungrateful because we are focusing on what we don’t have, rather than what we do have.
1. Certainly there may be things we don’t have, that we would like to have, or even that we think we need to have.
2. But if we would stop focusing on what we don’t have, and begin focusing on what we do have, we will find that we have a lot to be grateful for.
3. The old song, “Count Your Blessings” is one that we would benefit from singing, and often.
a. The first verse says, “When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”
4. Here are a few of the blessings we have that we often forget about.
5. Someone wrote:
a. “If you woke up this morning being more healthy than ill, your are better off then the 6 million who will not survive the week.” (although considering where we are going when we die, we might challenge that notion)
b. “If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, then you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.”
c. “If you can attend a church service without fear of persecution, arrest, torture, or death, then you are more blessed then 3 billion people in the world.”
d. “If you have food in the fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, then you are richer than 75% of the world.”
e. “If you have money in the bank, money in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, then you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.”
6. There is always something for which to be thankful. We are so blessed in so many ways!
M. Sometimes it is the difficult situations that turn out to be a blessing because they become God’s way of providing what we need or God’s way of helping us to become what we should be.
N. Corrie Ten Boom was a Dutch, Christian Holocaust survivor who helped many Jews escape the Nazis during World War II.
1. She co-wrote her autobiography, The Hiding Place, which was later made into a movie of the same name.
2. She describes a time when living in the concentration camp, when the fleas in their barracks were so bad it was unbearable.
3. One night as they were studying together in the barracks, they came upon the passage “Give thanks in all circumstances,” and Corrie’s sister said, “God wants us to thank Him for the fleas.”
4. Corrie replied, “No way! That’s taking religion just a little bit too far! I’m not going to thank God for these infernal fleas!”
5. After a while, the nightly Bible study in the barracks attracted more and more women, and Corrie started to worry that they would be discovered and punished.
6. But one of the women said to her, “Don’t worry, the Nazis won’t be bothering us. They won’t come in here because the fleas are too bad.”
7. Then Corrie remembered the Bible verse and said, “God, thank you for the fleas.”
O. Most of you have heard of Michael J. Fox, right?
1. He became famous for his role of Alex P. Keaton from Family Ties, and Marty McFly from the Back To The Future movie trilogy.
2. At just 30 years-old, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, which progressed to the point that he could no longer work as an actor at age 39.
3. But listen to this startling statement he wrote, “If you made a deal with God that He would take away my Parkinson’s disease and cancel out the last ten years of my life, I would tell you to take a hike. My life is so good now. I’m helping a lot of people cope with the stigma of this disease. And it makes me appreciate life as a precious gift.”
4. While I don’t agree with some of his politics and positions on some issues, I have to admire his courage, perspective and grace in facing his situation.
P. With the right perspective, and with God’s help, we can be thankful in all circumstances.
1. And what a difference a thankful spirit makes.
2. Someone has said, “Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic.” (John Henry Jowett)
3. It is a vaccine against complaining.
4. It is an antitoxin against hopelessness.
5. It is an antiseptic against bitterness.
6. Psychologists tell us that sincere gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions.
7. Hans Selye, who is considered the father of stress studies, has said that gratitude produces more positive emotional energy than any other attitude in life.
8. A person with a grateful heart is truly a beautiful thing to behold.
Q. I think about Rudy Carlson, the oldest member of our congregation.
1. Rudy is 93 year-old and lives in his own home.
2. Rudy will joke with me. I’ll say to him, “Are you going to be home?” He’ll say, “Where I’m I going? I’ve got no girlfriend, no car, and no money!”
3. Rudy lives with a lot of physical pain. He lays in bed for about an hour and a half each morning trying to get all the parts of his body moving.
4. His back causes him a lot of trouble, and he walks around the house stooped over from the pain.
5. Nevertheless, his disposition is wonderful.
6. When it is his prayer day and he receives his card from the elders for special prayer requests, he calls me and says that his only prayer request is to thank the Lord on his behalf.
7. He says, “To be 93 and still have my mind and to be able to live on my own – I’m so blessed.”
8. Rudy, praise God for your attitude of gratitude.
R. Another person who comes to mind when I think of gratitude is Pearley Taylor.
1. Her story is so inspiring. Pearley’s husband died and left her to raise 8 children on her own.
2. After becoming a Christian she and the children caught a ride to church at every opportunity.
3. With such appreciation to the Lord and to those who gave her a ride, she has been determined to provide rides to church for as many people as she can.
4. Even though she is a single lady, she drives a 7 passenger mini-van that she uses as her church bus.
5. Pearley is someone who loves and thanks the Lord with all her heart.
6. Thank you Pearley for being such a good example.
S. The other person who comes to mind when I think of a spirit of gratitude is Charlie Vrooman.
1. How old is Charlie? I think he is 89.
2. Having had Cerebral Palsy and Polio since his youth, Charlie was not able to live with his family for much of his life.
3. In spite of those challenges, Charlie educated himself and worked hard for many years.
4. He has been one of the most faithful members of this congregation for the past 40 years.
5. The love and gratitude for God come shining through Charlie Vrooman!
6. Charlie, thank you for all that you teach us through your example.
T. So for what can we be thankful? First and foremost, for God Himself.
1. Psalm 100 summarizes it so well, “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
2. Let us never forget who God is and what God has done.
3. Let us give thanks for His goodness, His grace and His guidance.
4. God has been so good to me – so patient, so benevolent and faithful. I can’t thank Him enough!
U. So as this Thursday arrives, and we as a nation pause for a day of Thanksgiving, spend a few minutes counting your many blessings.
1. Thank God for being God – a good God and a loving God.
2. Thank God for the pleasant things and experiences of your life.
3. Thank God for the difficult and painful things you have gone through.
4. Thank Him for being your Shepherd – one who guides, provides and protects.
5. He indeed is worthy of our praise.
V. You know, this Thanksgiving may be one of the more sober ones in many years.
1. We are experiencing a worldwide financial crisis – and the worst may yet be to come.
2. The war in Iraq and the war on terror continue with no exact end in sight.
3. Hurricanes, tornados and wildfires have again left many parts of our country devastated.
4. Yet even in the midst of all these circumstances and many others like it, there is still much for which to give thanks.
W. So how do we do it? How do we develop the attitude of gratitude?
#1. Remember how much gratitude pleases God – And we want to please God, right?
#2. Avoid complaining at all costs.
a. A man named Bob Russell said, “I really believe the most important step in developing inner peace is to quit complaining and start praising.”
b. He said that he has given his wife permission to alert him when he begins to complain by saying, “Would you like cheese with your whine?”
#3. Make a choice to rejoice. We can choose to focus on thankfulness and so rejoice in our blessings.
#4. Develop the daily discipline of giving thanks.
a. As the hymn says, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”
b. We can make a daily list of that for which we are thankful, and what a difference that can make in our attitude.
X. We who are Christians can’t thank God enough for our salvation.
1. We are trying to show our gratitude each day by living for Jesus a life of love.
Y. If you’re not yet a Christian, then why not show God how much you appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus, His son, by becoming a Christian today.
Z. If we can help you in your walk with God…
Resources: How To Develop Gratitude by Aaron Burgess
