WHAT’S THERE TO BE THANKFUL FOR?
TWO MEN WERE WALKING THROUGH A FIELD ONE DAY WHEN THEY SPOTTED AN ENRAGED BULL. INSTANTLY THEY DARTED TOWARD THE NEAREST FENCE. THE STORMING BULL FOLLOWED IN HOT PURSUIT, AND IT WAS SOON APPARENT THEY WOULDN'T MAKE IT. TERRIFIED, THE ONE SHOUTED TO THE OTHER, "PUT UP A PRAYER, JOHN. WE'RE IN FOR IT!" JOHN ANSWERED, "I CAN'T. I'VE NEVER MADE A PUBLIC PRAYER IN MY LIFE." "BUT YOU MUST!" IMPLORED HIS COMPANION. "THE BULL IS CATCHING UP TO US." "ALL RIGHT," PANTED JOHN, "I'LL SAY THE ONLY PRAYER I KNOW, THE ONE MY FATHER USED TO REPEAT AT THE TABLE: 'O LORD, FOR WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO RECEIVE, MAKE US TRULY THANKFUL.'"
"THE HARDEST ARITHMETIC TO MASTER IS THAT WHICH ENABLES US TO COUNT OUR BLESSINGS."
WELL, IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN WHEN MANY AMERICANS SET ASIDE A FEW MOMENTS TO REFLECT ON THE BLESSINGS OF GOD
BUT I SUPPOSE THERE ARE SOME WHO BELIEVE THAT THERE'S NOTHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR. THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS CLIMBING AND WE WONDER IF WE'LL HAVE JOB IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
WE STILL HAVEN’T SOLVED THE PROBLEM OF OUR NATIONAL DEBT. ONE CONGRESSMAN STATED THAT BY THE END OF THIS DECADE, EVERY AMERICAN WILL OWE $300,000 (WONDER IF THE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS VISA OR MASTERCARD). SOCIALS ILLS LIKE CRIME, ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG ADDICTION CONTINUE TO THREATEN OUR WAY OF LIFE AND THE FAITH WE ONCE HAD IN OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS HAS ALL BUT FADED. WHAT IS THERE TO BE THANKFUL FOR? WE FACE STRUGGLES THAT ARE AFFECTING OUR MARRIAGE ... HEALTH ... FAMILY ... FUTURE
SOMETIMES WE WONDER: "WHAT'S THERE TO BE THANKFUL FOR?" IN PLYMOUTH, MA., THE FIRST SETTLERS SET ASIDE A DAY OF THANKSGIVING YET WHEN YOU CONSIDER THEIR HARDSHIPS, YOU REALIZE HOW EASILY THEY COULD HAVE BECOME BITTER. AFTER ALL, THE PILGRIMS MADE SEVEN TIMES MORE GRAVES THAN HOMES IN WHICH TO LIVE. NONETHELESS, IN 1621, THEY SET ASIDE A DAY OF THANKSGIVING. AS ONE PERSON WISELY STATED: "WE DO NOT ALWAYS GET WHAT WE ASK FROM GOD, BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE REASON TO THANK HIM." IN PSALM 100, THE PSALMIST LISTED THREE REASONS WHY WE CAN ALWAYS GIVE THANKS.
FIRST, WE CAN ALWAYS GIVE THANKS BECAUSE GOD'S CHARACTER IS GOOD. THE PSALMIST DECLARED: "ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING AND HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE; GIVE THANKS TO HIM AND PRAISE HIS NAME. FOR THE LORD IS GOOD ..."
WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT, ALL OF US COULD DRAW UP A LIST OF REASONS FOR WHICH WE COULD GIVE GOD THANKS: FAMILY; FREEDOM; CHILDREN; A GOOD GRADE ON A TEST. HOWEVER, IN PSALM 100, WE'RE ASKED TO GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD SIMPLY BECAUSE HE IS GOOD. WE SHOULD HONOR GOD, FIRST AND FOREMOST, NOT FOR WHAT HE DOES BUT FOR WHO HE IS. THE PSALMIST DECLARED:
"ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING AND HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE; GIVE THANKS TO HIM AND PRAISE HIS NAME. FOR THE LORD IS GOOD ..." BECAUSE GOD IS GOOD, HE IS PATIENT AND KIND, SLOW TO ANGER, AND ABOUNDING IN LOVE.
SECONDLY, WE CAN ALWAYS GIVE THANKS BECAUSE GOD'S LOVE ENDURES FOREVER. I'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE LIVE IN A RATHER CONFUSING WORLD. LIFE USED TO BE SO MUCH SIMPLER YEARS AGO, PEOPLE KNEW HOW TO SPELL RELIEF AND IT WASN'T "ROLAIDS." AT ONE TIME, THE GIRLS WERE THE ONES WHO WORE EAR RINGS ...THE GUYS WERE THE ONES WHO WORE BOXER SHORTS ... AND THEY WORE THEM UP AROUND THEIR WAIST ... AND UNDER THEIR BLUE JEANS. THE WORD "COOL" ONCE REFERRED TO THE TEMPERATURE AND "GRASS" WAS SOMETHING WE WALKED ON. THINGS JUST DON'T MEAN WHAT THEY ONCE DID. TAKE FOR INSTANCE THE WORD "LOVE."
IN THEORY, THE MEANING OF LOVE HAS NOT CHANGED. WEBSTER STILL DEFINES IT AS: "A STRONG AFFECTION FOR OR ATTACHMENT OR DEVOTION TO A PERSON OR PERSONS." YET IN PRACTICE, OUR DEFINITION HAS RADICALLY CHANGED. WHEREAS LOVE ALWAYS EMBRACED THE CONCEPT OF DEVOTION, TODAY LOVE HAS BECOME A SYNONYM FOR PLEASURE. LOVE USED TO BE "OTHER PERSON" CENTERED NOW IT HAS BECOME "SELF-CENTERED." WE TEND TO COMMIT OURSELVES IN RELATIONSHIPS AS LONG AS IT REMAINS CONVENIENT FOR US BUT AT THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE OR DISAGREEMENT, WE'RE ON OUR WAY, SEEKING THE GREENER GRASS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE. ILLUS. I'M REMINDED OF THE PASTOR WHO ASKED THE BRIDEGROOM, "DO YOU TAKE THIS WOMAN TO BE YOUR WEDDED WIFE, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, FOR RICHER, FOR POORER, IN SICKNESS OR IN ... " "PLEASE SIR," INTERRUPTED THE BRIDE, "YOU'RE GOING TO TALK HIM RIGHT OUT OF IT!"
TODAY, THE WORD "LOVE" SEEMS TO BE DEFINED FOR A SET TIME ... FOR A SPECIFIC REASON AND FOR SELF-INTERESTS. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, WE HAVE LOST THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT LOVE REALLY IS. THE PSALMIST DECLARED: "GIVE THANKS TO HIM AND PRAISE HIS NAME. FOR THE LORD IS GOOD AND HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER ..." GOD'S LOVE IS NOT LIKE THE WEATHER ... IT IS NEVER UNCERTAIN NOR DOES IT CHANGE WITH THE SEASONS. AS RICHARD HALVERSON NOTED: "THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN TO DO MAKE GOD LOVE YOU MORE! THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE GOD LOVE YOU LESS! HIS LOVE IN UNCONDITIONAL, IMPARTIAL, EVERLASTING, INFINITE, PERFECT!" THE PSALMIST PROCLAIMED:
"GIVE THANKS TO HIM AND PRAISE HIS NAME. FOR THE LORD IS GOOD AND HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER ..."
THIRDLY, WE CAN ALWAYS GIVE THANKS BECAUSE GOD'S FAITHFULNESS NEVER CEASES. IN THE BOOK OF LAMENTATIONS, JEREMIAH WROTE: "BECAUSE OF THE LORD'S GREAT LOVE WE ARE NOT CONSUMED, FOR HIS COMPASSION’S NEVER FAIL. THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING; GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS." IN 2 TIMOTHY, PAUL DECLARED:"IF WE ARE FAITHLESS, HE WILL REMAIN FAITHFUL, FOR HE CANNOT DISOWN HIMSELF." GOD IS FAITHFUL, EVEN WHEN WE'RE NOT AND BECAUSE HE IS FAITHFUL, WE CAN FACE THE TRIBULATIONS OF LIFE KNOWING THAT THE LORD IS OUR SHEPHERD, WE SHALL NOT WANT. BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL, WE KNOW THAT HE WILL BE WITH US IN THE DARKEST HOUR OF OUR LIVES. DAVID LEARNED THAT WHEN HE FACE GOLIATH ... GIDEON WHEN HE FACED THE MIDIANITES ... PAUL WHEN HE FACED KING AGRIPPA ... STEPHEN WHEN HE FACED AN ANGRY MOB. IN PSALM 91 WE READ:
"BECAUSE HE LOVES ME," SAYS THE LORD, "I WILL RESCUE HIM; I WILL PROTECT HIM, FOR HE ACKNOWLEDGES MY NAME. HE WILL CALL UPON ME, AND I WILL ANSWER HIM; I WILL BE WITH HIM IN TROUBLE, I WILL DELIVER HIM AND HONOR HIM. WITH LONG LIFE WILL I SATISFY HIM AND SHOW HIM MY SALVATION." TO JEREMIAH, GOD DECLARED:"CALL TO ME AND I WILL ANSWER YOU AND TELL YOU GREAT AND UNSEARCHABLE THINGS YOU DO NOT KNOW." NO WONDER JEREMIAH WOULD LATER WRITE:"BECAUSE OF THE LORD'S GREAT LOVE WE ARE NOT CONSUMED, FOR HIS COMPASSION’S NEVER FAIL. THEY ARE NEW EVERY MORNING; GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS.
THERE WAS ONCE A LEGEND ABOUT A MAN WHO FOUND THE BARN WHERE SATAN KEPT HIS SEEDS TO BE SOWN IN THE HUMAN HEART. ON FINDING THE SEEDS OF DISCOURAGEMENT MORE NUMEROUS THAN THE OTHERS, HE LEARNED THAT THOSE SEEDS COULD GROW ALMOST ANYWHERE. WHEN SATAN WAS QUESTIONED, HE RELUCTANTLY ADMITTED THAT THERE WAS ONE PLACE HE COULD NEVER GET THEM TO THRIVE. "AND WHERE WAS THAT?" ASKED THE MAN. SATAN SADLY REPLIED, "IN THE HEART OF A GRATEFUL PERSON."
DURING THIS PAST YEAR YOU MAY HAVE SUFFERED LOSS OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER. PERHAPS YOU'RE WONDERING: "WHAT IS THERE TO BE THANKFUL FOR?" YET IN SPITE OF OUR HARDSHIPS, WE CAN STILL REJOICE BECAUSE THE LORD IS GOOD AND HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER; HIS FAITHFULNESS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH ALL GENERATIONS.
