Did you ever develop a list of things for which to be thankful? I'm not much on lists but I like this one. This is a list that will take you past Thanksgiving, the holiday. Against this list, a closet filled with clothes, an end of year bonus, or even good health, even though we appropriately give thanks to God for His provision (!) , simply fades into a secondary level altogether.
We learn in the Bible that thankfulness and joy is not simply something we do but it is who we are as a believer. Scripture keeps reminding me of this. Read Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."
Paul will point out in Romans that in this world of sin and decay, one can rejoice and be in sorrow at the same time. Lutherans understand this in the "sin/sinner" typology. Paul and Silas were in a jail, bound and shackled in the most desperate of ways and yet they were not desperate. In their physical constraints they were unconstrained spiritually, singing praises to the Living God. Peter will also say the same thing. This kind of giving of thanks and rejoicing is counter-intuitive to the natural man. It is not natural. But there it is. Rejoice always, and again, just because you need to know this, I say, rejoice.
If at this point you should be saying, "That's impossible, what he's saying is impossible, it can't be done," I agree. Giving thanks and rejoicing in a manner recorded in both the Old and New Testament is impossible, except that it is supernatural. We're not talking about giving thanks simply because something happens to be good. We are talking about a thankfulness that can only be understood by the movement of the Holy Spirit. Now, rejoicing and giving thanks is an emotional response to what I know to be true about God, His grace and His mercy. This kind of thankfulness can only be expressed by faith. That is the substance of such thanksgiving. It is the wonder of contemplating the unconditional, eternal relationship we have with God the Father through the shed blood of our Lord, Jesus the Christ.
So giving thanks is a matter of faith. Perhaps you say, as do I, "I mess up on this. I'm not thankful nor do I rejoice all that much." At such a spiritual junction, we are back to the cross, to forgiveness, to God's grace and mercy, and then, as Luther says, "All for which it is my duty, to thank, praise, serve and obey. This is most certainly true."
With that, let me suggest one list for your consideration.
One: The work of Christ.
I love the response of one man to the question, "How you doin?" He says, "Better than I deserve." As one Lutheran I know the two extremes. I recognize the depravity of sin and the work of Christ to satisfy God' wrath upon that sin. Take time to stop to realize what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for you, though you be utterly and completely unworthy, undeserving. That is why the angel said in Luke 2:10, "Do not be afraid, behold I bring you good news of a great joy." Then the angel says, "Today is born for you a savior."
John 15:11, records Jesus saying, "These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be made full." Everything Christ did is for the fullness of your joy.
Speaking of the redemptive work of Christ and His atonement on the cross, Paul tells the Christians in Rome, in the fifth chapter that "It is in this great work of Christ that we exalt, that we rejoice."
Two: The work of the Holy Spirit.
Paul writes to the Romans and says in 14:17, "You have joy in the Holy Spirit." It is the Spirit of God who is producing joy. He is interceding for you constantly according to the will of God. So says Romans 8. It is the Spirit is the one who points you to Christ. He fills you for service and strength. He enables you, He gifts you. Out of thankfulness to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we rejoice always. Nothing can touch the work of Christ and diminish it. Nothing can harm the work of the Spirit of God. The Living, Triune God is at work, drawing you to the cross and into His glory and that is plenty of reason for unceasing joy.
Three: The spiritual blessings that God has given to us.
This is big and worthy of a series of blogs in and of itself. But consider this. Ephesians tells us that We are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ. Stop to think that you have been given all things pertaining to life. In Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you are declared complete in Him by Him. Because of that you have become partakers of the divine nature. On top of that, God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. This goes on and on. These are things for which the world longs. And yet for you there is no end to the continual flow of gracious blessing in your life and that is reason enough for unceasing joy.
Four: God knows . . . (rejoice and be thankful for that)
Paul would say it this way in Romans 8:28. "All things work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to His purpose," Romans 8:28. No matter what's going on in your life, unceasing thanks and joy over the divine providence is more than appropriate. God is able to keep you from falling away from faith, and holds you fast.
Five: The certain promise of Heaven.
There is no other system of salvation (religion) that can present this with certainty, other than the Christian in Christ. Still, I have talked with so many Christians who are ambivalent on this point. They need not be. Every other form of religion says, "Maybe, if you've done enough and if God is benevolent at that moment, maybe you will be saved." Such lies! (Again, this blog is too short for me to include my conversations with non-Christians concerning the after-life but they are all over the map and their hope is always on them, not God.) We can be certain. Look at the hope of Paul. Speaking of his own dying Paul says, "I rejoice, I will rejoice." Why, Paul? "Simply for to me to live is Christ, to die is gain."
Listen to the Psalmist once again. "I have set the Lord continually before me. Therefore my heart is glad, my glory rejoices." Why? "He will never abandon my soul in the grave, He will never allow me to undergo decay. He will show me the path of life." I know that is a Messianic Psalm but it is also the resurrection. "I will be in His presence at His right hand to find the pleasures forever." The psalmist had the hope of future life.
Read the 15th chapter of first Corinthians and see what the resurrection of Christ brings.
Six: God answers prayer.
Are you thankful for answered prayer? When you cry out to God in Christ He hears and answers your prayer and shows you great and mighty things which you may not know. No matter what's going on in your life, unceasing joy is possible because in Christ your prayers are answered. God doesn't have to do that but He does it. He answers your every prayer according to His perfect will for your ultimate good in time and in eternity.
Seven: The Word of God.
The Scripture is a most incredible gift. In fact, it is more precious than gold. It is sweeter than honey in a honeycomb. (Psalm 19) And in Psalm 119:111, "I have inherited Thy testimonies forever, they are the joy of my heart." Verse 162, "I rejoice at Thy Word as one who finds great spoil." In Jeremiah 15:16, Jeremiah said, "Thy words were found, I did eat them, Thy word was in me, the joy and rejoicing of my heart." Paul says, "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly," in Colossians 3:16 he says, "As the Word is richly in you, you will speak to yourselves in psalms and hymns, you'll sing, you'll make melody." We can find joy simply in thanksgiving for the food and the nourishment of the Word of God that feeds your soul, reveals God’s grace in Christ and then is a compass and a guide to your life.
Eight: Christian fellowship (the Body of Christ)
I am so grateful for my family, past and present (and the family to come?). I hope that you are grateful for your family as well. How about the family that God has given to you? Do you give thanks for your church membership? I understand that there are times when those groups can be difficult. But in 1 Thessalonians 3:9, look at what Paul says, "What thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account?" In other words Paul says, "I don't even know words to say about how much joy there is in just knowing you...just sharing with you...just fellowshipping with you. I wish I could communicate that with you." Do you go to church with that thought? Do you establish and sustain that kind of church environment where you are? In 2 Timothy 1:4 Paul says to Timothy, "I long to see you even as I recall your tears so that I may be filled with joy." Just being with you is joy, source of joy. Or have we gotten to simply tolerate the relationships in our congregation? The love of the saints (of each other) is a source of joy. There can be joy in Christian fellowship; unceasing, unending joy. Do you thank God for your Christian fellowship? Here's the thing: the fellowship we have with one another in Christ will never be broken.
Nine: Gospel preaching.
I love to hear the clear Gospel proclaimed. Paul in Philippians 1 says, "Christ is preached and I rejoice." In Acts 15 perhaps even more focused on the point we're making, verse 3, "Therefore being sent on their way by the church Paul and Barnabas were passing through Phoenicia and Samaria describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and were bringing great joy to the all the brethren." Do you receive joy out of the fact that the Gospel is proclaimed and people come to faith and are strengthened in their faith, reminded of their baptism, called to the Lord's Supper?
I thank God for the Pastor's and teachers, for members, for family, for fathers, mothers, children, and all who honor Christ by their words and actions and thereby communicate the Gospel to people who do not yet know the things for which we are thankful, supernaturally.
Ten: God is good.
In Mark 10:18 it says, "And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." God is good. I am thankful for that and I am not alone.
2 Chronicles 7:10, "On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents rejoicing and happy of heart because of the goodness that the Lord had shown." As God's people, our delight and joy reflects God's goodness. Indeed, your list will reflect the goodness of God.
Psalm 28:7, "The Lord is my strength and my shield, my heart trusts in Him and I am helped, therefore my heart rejoices and with my song I shall thank Him." It isn't your context for living but rather the strength of the Lord that is cause for giving thanks.
Psalm 71:23, "My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to Thee and my soul which Thou hast redeemed."
Nehemiah 8:10 says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." There is strength in the Lord's joy.
I know that this list can continue and it should, but what a great God we have who as been shown to us in the Word. No matter the circumstance I say to you, Happy Thanksgiving in Christ.
