Title: Life of Absolute Gratitude
Contents
(Hab 3:17-18) “[17] Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls [18] I will rejoice in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.”
(Hab 3:17-18) 『[17] Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, [18] yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
There are two types of gratitude. It is relative appreciation and absolute gratitude. Relative gratitude is influenced by the environment and conditions, so when it feels good, it is grateful, when it is bad, it complains, when it is good, it is grateful, and when it is bad, it complains. When things go their way, they give thanks, and when things don't go their way, they complain. However, absolute gratitude is not affected by circumstances and conditions, and is grateful in any circumstance and under any circumstances. This absolute gratitude is the true gratitude that our members should have.
In the Bible, we see genuine grateful people who gave thanks in the midst of difficulties. For example, Habakkuk, Job Daniel Paul, and many others. However, their gratitude was always absolute. I was grateful when I couldn't be grateful. It was a life-giving gratitude that overcame any obstacles. God wants us to be people of absolute gratitude. How can you do such an absolute gratitude? We want to share the grace of thanksgiving while looking at the characteristics of gratitude.
1. First, Habakkuk's thanksgiving was the thanksgiving of faith.
His thanksgiving appears in Hab 3:17-18, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls. I will rejoice in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk gave thanks before God even though he heard the news of the war and had no harvest.
When you think about it, where is there that takes people's lives and property as horribly as war? In particular, can we be grateful for the fact that he foretold that countless lives would be killed? Is it easy to farm again? I also work occasionally to feel just a little bit of how hard farmers work, but what a pity it would be if there was no crop produced by farming once a year. We can fully understand how angry farmers these days are against the WTO negotiations. Like Habakkuk, we should be able to think and give thanks to the God of salvation in any situation.
However, the deeper meaning of these words is a lesson not to think about our physical and spiritual circumstances and circumstances, but to give thanks in faith while thinking of the grace that Jesus has accomplished. When we look at our physical eyes, it seems that God does not give us anything, but when we look through the eyes of faith, God has given us all things in Jesus. Knowing this, we can think of God's grace in any situation and give thanks with absolute gratitude. And you will receive and enjoy that faith. Our Lord also had only five fish in the wilderness, but he was not bound by it and was thankful. At that time, after feeding the five thousand, there were still twelve baskets left.
2. Job's gratitude was a conscientious gratitude that came from honesty.
Job 1:20-21 “I fell down on the ground and worshiped, saying, Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave and the LORD took away; blessed be the name of the LORD. I did.
What is the secret of Job's gratitude? It is thanks to an honest conscience that knows the grace of God that has been bestowed upon us. When I see people, I lose my conscience and live. When we are prosperous, we think that we are doing well, but when difficulties arise, we blame God. If you have a really wise heart and a good conscience, you can't help but be thankful like Job. How glorious is it that God has brought us into the world? But what is it to blame God for some difficulties? I don't know how to be grateful because people are foolish or live without their conscience. Even if we restore our conscience, we cannot but give thanks to God.
3. Daniel's thanksgiving was thanks to the determination that he would die if he died.
Daniel 6:10 of the text says, “Even though Daniel knew that this decree had been signed, he went back to his house and went to Jerusalem in the room and from the window that was opened he knelt three times a day and prayed and gave thanks to God, just as he had done before.” . As a result, they are thrown into the lions' den as the conspiracy of the gods. But God sealed the lion's mouth and saved Daniel.
In this way, Daniel's thanks is the thanks of his determination to die. To be a grateful thanksgiving, you have to be determined and do it. Some say that they named the animal “thank you” in order to be a grateful person. So, “Thank you. Thank you.” And then you learn to be grateful. Wasn't Daniel's success like this the result of prayer and thanksgiving as he had decided? Daniel did not let go of this line of life. Therefore, it is Satan who fears the most in prayer and thanksgiving. So it prevents us from praying. However, if you overcome and go out to the end, God will exalt you even more.
Today we have to go to the zoo to see lions. But we have another lion. In Psalm 57:4, the lion is the wicked one. Also, in 1 Peter 5:8, it is said that the enemy the devil is a lion. That is, no matter how wicked or the devil is, it is a lesson that cannot harm a person who prays and gives thanks.
Monasteries and prisons have something in common. It is blocked from the outside. Once you get in, it's hard to get out. Both live in painful devices. However, a monastery is heaven because it has the Word of God, thanks and praise, and a prison is hell because it has complaints, dissatisfaction, resentment, lamentations, and regrets. Therefore, we must have the absolute faith that if we die while praying, like Daniel, we will die. There is another auditor.
4. The Gentile Samaritan's gratitude was a thanksgiving before God.
In Luke 17, ten lepers are healed. But there was only one person who came to give thanks, a Samaritan. Then the Lord said, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the nine?” (Luke 17:17)
Nowadays, leprosy is treated as a skin disease, but at that time it was a terrifying disease that blinded you, your fingers and toes fell off and you were paralyzed here and there. If he healed you in the midst of this, isn't it enough grace to be faithful to God by dancing every day and devoting your life to it? But when Jesus healed him, only one person came and thanked him. So it is only for the Lord to be sad.
People are really kind. If the hospital healed you, you would have to suffer the hardships and save millions of won and tens of thousands of won more. Therefore, it is said that there are many people who die without passing on this skill to their descendants, living in hiding from people, refusing to heal people who are hurt by people in the world.
But the great thing about this leper is the fact that his thanks was thanks to God, not thanks to others. It was easy to notice the rest of the group of ten people I went to, but it wasn't and I was grateful. Gratitude is entirely between God and me. It's not about looking at others. If you look into other people's eyes, that's not gratitude. We must give thanks in our relationship with God, and that is true gratitude.
Dear saints,
Today, we learned the conditions and methods of giving thanks to God. Like Habakkuk, let us give thanks for our faith. Let us give thanks for an honest conscience like Job. Like Daniel, let's give thanks for the decision to risk our lives. And let us give thanks before God without looking at people like those who have been cured of leprosy. With this absolute gratitude, I hope that we will become beloved saints who repay God who has loved us.