Title: Thank God (Psalm 136:24-26)
Contents
Gratitude is a sign of a noble soul.
In 1620, 102 English Puritans arrived in the United States in 65 days aboard the 'Main Flower' to live by faith.
That winter, half of that year died of starvation and disease, and the remaining were 21 long-haired men, 6 boys, and the weak.
It was only women. However, they farmed with a desperate pioneering spirit, sowed seeds in the spring despite starvation, bore fruit, and gave thanks to God for the first harvest.
This is the beginning of Thanksgiving.
Korea has been protecting it since 1904, so it has been 105 years.
Let's thank God for leading us up to this time.
Say hello to the person next to you. 'Thank God.'
In fact, in our country, the beginning of the Thanksgiving service is in the fall, when each person brings their harvest to God
There is also a record of how much it was given and how much it was built higher than the tower of the cross and thanked.
But these days, it's very rare to see that. Why?
It is because 'people don't appreciate it' in the last days.
There is a Japanese thinker, theologian, and great believer named 'Uchimura Kanjo'.
This person suffered from dysentery as a child and nearly contracted cerebral palsy at a young age.
However, his mother was a believer and always prayed by his side and read the Bible to him.
Then, one day, 'Apostle Paul' prayed with all his might to die three times for his thorn and healed him.
But God said, 'Your grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness' (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Believing the words, 'Your grace is sufficient for you', he stood up as a believer and was always in the slums.
As a result of his service, he received the title of 'Saint of Japan'.
Then there is a famous saying he left in his later years.
It's 'Why are people unhappy? Are you unhappy with not having it? Are you unhappy with what others have? no. Because of the lack of gratitude for what we have.'
In fact, how much do we have and enjoy?
But aren't we living a little bit longer, a little bit more... with a lack of gratitude?
In fact, what would happen if the world population was reduced from 6.5 billion to 100?
A Japanese man named Kayoko Ikeda said that if the world were a village of 100 people, there would be 48 men.
52 are women, of which 70 are adults, 30 are children, 7 are seniors, 33 are Christians, 19 are Muslims, 13 are Hindus, 6 are Buddhists, and 80 are below average housing. 70 people are illiterate, 50 are malnourished, 15 are obese, only 1 in 100 has a college education, 2 have a computer, and only 7 out of 100 have a car.
say that.
But don't you all have houses, cars, and computers?
He's very rich. Say hello to the person next to you. You are very rich.
But why not thank you? It's because of the lack of what you have.
In fact, Psalm 136 should be read from verses 1 to 26, but only verses 24-26 were read due to time constraints. However, I haven't read them all, but if you look at the text, you will find a lot of words.
It is the word 'thank you'. It's almost 26 times.
The word thanksgiving appears 100 times as 'Jada' in the Old Testament, but only 26 times in the text.
In the New Testament, the word 'eucharistia' is used.
But God tells us to be thankful. Why should I be so grateful?
It is 'thank you for saving me' in the text.
I haven't read it, but it's verses 1-10.
God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
He made them cross the Red Sea and led them to inherit the Promised Land despite various obstacles. But what if you are not thankful?
There is a famous first father, 'Christ Tom'.
This person has summarized 3 reasons why people don't appreciate it.
1. It is because we see things happening on this earth as coincidences. I breathe, I breathe air,
In all of these living things, God makes the sun rise, sets the sun, gives the stars and the moon, and
What is it to be grateful for by chance to see these special things that give the eye?
2. It means that I am not thankful for thinking that everything was done on my own.
Isn't that what I've been trying to achieve? Isn't that what I've been trying to do? But not.
It is God's grace.
3. Comparing yourself to others means you are not grateful. Everyone else is better off than me, so why am I this way? live like this?
But there is something God has given. Do you have unparalleled health and faith?
In particular, he saved this sinner who had no choice but to die forever and made him a child of God.
Aren't you grateful for this alone?
What is the second thanks? It is thanks to you for guiding me this far.
In verses 11-26, we see that we are thankful for bringing us out of Egypt to this place.
In particular, looking at verse 25, 'Gratitude is given for the produce of the year.'
That is, thanksgiving.
According to Leviticus 23:33-44 on this Thanksgiving Day, when God led the Israelites out of Egypt, He called them to Mount Sinai and gave them the Ten Commandments. And then he said to them, 'In addition to the Passover, you should keep the Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering (Thanksgiving Day). Hallelujah.-
This feast is also called the Feast of Tabernacles. Why? Do you mean to keep these feasts?
This is because the Harvest Festival is a thanksgiving for the harvest after harvesting the first ripe grains of the year.
Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the harvest by giving warm sunlight and rain throughout the year.
A person named 'Calinti' wrote a book called 'For Sleepless Nights', and in this book, 'Grateful people never grow old'.
In other words, a person who has become accustomed to saying "thank you" lives young in his heart.
That's right. People progress when they are grateful, but when they complain and complain, they regress.
Everyone! If you really want your life to go forward, thank you and I bless you.
But the devil has no thanks.
This is because gratitude is a unique asset that only the children of God can possess. Amen-
What if there is no gratitude in your life? You can think of that person as being conquered by the devil. Because the opposite of gratitude is complaining and resentment.
We know the miracle of 'Obyeongyi' that appears only in the four Gospels.
With five loaves of bread and two fish, he fed 5,000 elders (20,000 children and women combined), 12
The event of harvesting a baguri. However, we discover that there are three types of people in this case.
It's the one who doesn't know how to be thankful for anything (that's nathing).
These are people who just went away after seeing the miracles of Jesus.
However, there are people who give thanks, but give thanks according to their own will.
That is, people who are conditionally grateful (if thanks).
These are the people who thank you for doing this. They are disciples like Philip and Andrew.
But there are those who are grateful for everything. That is, those who are grateful for everything.
(in spife of) These are the people who nevertheless thank you.
He's like a child who gave his lunch box.
Which one are you grateful for?
A master called his disciples and gathered them. And what does it smell like when you give 'rotten fish' to the first disciple? He asked. Then the disciple smells rancid. Let the Master say that it is because your heart is corrupted. Then he gave the second disciple 'black seaweed' and asked what color it was. Then the disciple said it was black, and the teacher said that it is because your heart is black.
And what does it taste like when you give 'Joseon Soy Sauce' to the third disciple? Then the disciple rolls the head of the cup. So it tastes sweet. Let's say the master is 'one-shot' then.
Don't roll your head, just be grateful
Korea's 'Professor Lee Ryeong' said that gratitude is like table tennis.
'If you hit hard, it will come back', which means that the more you give thanks, the greater your gratitude will come. Hallelujah.
Let's thank God for protecting us throughout the year on Thanksgiving.
Let's thank God for leading us here.
Thank you for the small things and I sincerely hope that you receive the blessing of greater gratitude.