Very Thankful (#931)
Since this is Thanksgiving weekend, surprise surprise, we are going to talk about the importance of being thankful. And we’ll not only talk about being thankful, we’ll talk about being very thankful. The big difference between people you meet as you go about your daily life are people who are thankful for what they have and people who aren’t. And so much of that is a matter of perspective and some of it is simple optimism: the old whether you look at life as a glass half-full or a glass half-empty, but some of it is just mindfully being ignorant of where they are. Somebody made the point in something I was listening to a few weeks ago that the average American today lives better than the King of England lived three or five hundred years ago. We have running water, we have central heat and air conditioning, we have automobiles, we have refrigerators, we have wonderful medical care available, we have healthy foods, we have clean water to drink, you could just go on and on about things we have. And that is just the obvious stuff. That’s let alone God’s grace, God’s mercy, and His care for us. So, being thankful for what we have sort of sets the stage, so to speak, for God to do more for you. Because we all know that receiving answers to prayer involves believing that God will take care of us and the more we think about every problem we have, which we all have problems; and every difficulty we have, which we all have difficulties, the more we focus on them, we’ll focus on what’s gone wrong. And we’ll have a harder time that God will take care of us. But the more we push are minds to be thankful for what God has given us the more confidence we’ll have that God will take care of the next thing. Because if I can sit and be thankful for a dozen things that God has done for me, and just remember that, I’ll have a much easier time believing and being confident that He’ll do the next dozen things I need. So, thankfulness is not just sort of a Pollyanna, ignore reality attitude, its enjoy reality, because of in spite of whatever challenges and problems any of us have, we have to be honest, that the vast majority of what each of us needs God has provided abundantly. We just have a bad habit of letting the one or two things that aren’t going right come to the forefront and make us forget to be thankful for the hundreds of things God has done for us. So it is very, very important to be thankful. And let’s read about it in the Word now, let’s Psalm 107…
As taught by Bruce Mahone, 20171126 All rights reserved.
Verse Listing and Notes
Psalm 107:1      O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his mercy (steadfast love) endures forever
Daniel 6:10       When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he gave thanks three times a day
I Cor. 14:15-17  Speaking in Tongues (SIT) gives thanks well
I Cor. 15:51-57 Victory over death
II Cor. 2:14        Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ
Eph. 5:18-20     Giving thanks always for all things
Phil. 1:3-6          Be thankful when we pray for one another
Phil. 4:6-9          Let your own requests be made known to God with thanksgiving
Don’t worry over anything whatever; tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God, which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus – JB Phillips
Col. 1:3-4, 12-13 Giving thanks unto the father…partakers of the inheritance of the saints
Col. 2:6,7             Abounding with thanksgiving (overflowing with gratitude)
Col. 3:15-17        Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, and be ye thankful
Col. 4:2-4            Pray with thanksgiving for a door of utterance to open
I Thes. 1:2-3       We give thanks, making mention of you in our prayers
I Thes. 5:16-18   In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God
I Tim. 1:12-15     Paul called to ministry
I Tim. 2:1-4         Giving of thanks be made for all men
Phm 2-4              Give thanks…acknowledging every good thing which is in you
Heb. 13:14,15    No continuing city/continually giving thanks
Teaching
Very Thankful (#931)