November 29, 2015 / Thanksgiving

Philippians 4:4-8 NIV84 - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

My prayer is that in the midst of all of your holiday feasting, you had the opportunity this week to offer genuine thanks for all that the Lord has done in your life.  

“THANKSGIVING – The act of giving thanks; a prayer expressing gratitude; a public acknowledgement or celebration of divine goodness.” --Merriam-Webster Dictionary

REAL THANKSGIVING is not simply a day on the calendar, but it is one of the essential keys to a fulfilled and healthy life, and a distinctive mark of the Christian Faith.  This is particularly important now; for in our society, UNGRATEFULNESS has become the great sin of our time…leaving a cynical, calloused, and indifferent culture that cannot recognize the GRACIOUSNESS of GRACE.

In fact, almost everything that God wants to do in our lives BEGINS with cultivating a Heart of Thanksgiving, of Gratitude.  Happiness is certainly a wonderful emotion, but Joy is a glorious decision!  The Apostle Paul commands the Philippian Believers to “rejoice in the Lord always.”  Therefore, rejoicing is something that can be governed by the Will.

Consequently, ours is to be a life filled with joy, NOT because of the absence of difficulty or even sorrow, but because we have a God who is with us in the midst of the difficulties and trials of this journey. Our Joy Flows OUT of our Thanksgiving.