Title: Thank You With All My Heart
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p; Psalm 138:1-8
bsp; bsp; Today we are worshiping God on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is literally the feast of thanksgiving. Some people know that I don't even farm, but some people wonder what kind of Thanksgiving is celebrated. But the harvest is not a harvest only when you have to harvest only grain. Also, farming with my own hands is not the only way to be thankful for the harvest. Truly, thanksgiving is giving thanks for giving us food and clothing, and believing and giving thanks for all that we have gathered through God's grace.
p; There is a saying that if you have even a single thread wrapped around your body, always think of the weaver's hard work, and whenever you eat three meals a day, think of the hard work of the farmer. Our life itself is made up of someone's hard work, and God is at the top of that grace of gratitude. Therefore, a heart of gratitude is a heart of humility to man and a heart of reverence to God.
p; Also, looking through a long life, life itself is something you sow and reap. Life does not come empty-handed and go empty-handed. When it comes, all come empty-handed, but when you go, you must take your life and go to God. That is the truth of life.
p; If that is the case, wouldn't this year's life also be planted and reaped just like the journey of a long life? Thinking about how you have lived the past year, you will have to think about what you sowed and reaped in this year as you look at your list of life like a farmer who reaps your life.
p; Today's text consists of a song of thanks that Daddy gives to God as he looks back on his life. I am grateful for five things. I bless this confession to be your confession.
p; 1. On the day I prayed, the Lord answered (3)
This is a song to thank you for hearing my prayers. Faith is a life of prayer and a life of receiving answers. It is because you did not pray because you did not have the experience of receiving answers from God. All prayers are answered. Some respond immediately, some tell us to wait, some say no. ‘No’ is also the answer. The answer is not only when it has to be exactly what I prayed for, but “no” is also the answer. However, the answer of ‘no’ is always answered in a different direction. I prayed that this was good, but God said no and answered it in a different direction. When that happens, it is easy to think that God has not answered. All prayers are answered in one way or another.
p; A song to thank for answering my prayer is the first part of today's text. I bless this confession to be your confession.
p; 2. You made me strong by giving strength to my soul (3b).
Looking back, our lives were not always fresh. Sometimes it was hard, sometimes it was difficult. But I am here today because God has strengthened me by giving strength to my soul. It was difficult for me, but God strengthened me to be able to handle it. I almost fell, but God took hold of me, so I am here today. That is this confession. Faith is a life that draws strength from God. For those who regard faith as an accessory, faith is not a strength. But to those of faith, the word of God is strength and power at any time.
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
It is the power of God to us who are being saved. 1 Corinthians 1:18
p; 3. Even though he is on high, he looks down on the lowly, and knows the proud from afar (6).
It is a confession that God knows me and knows my circumstances. Although God is holy, it is a confession that He takes care of our lowly and lowly circumstances, our hearts, and our difficulties.
p; Today, after Psalm 138 and Psalm 139, we confess these details in detail.
You know when I sit down and when I stand up, and you know all my deeds from afar...
Where shall I go from Your Spirit, and where shall I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
Even if I spread my wings at dawn and live and live at the edge of the sea
Even there your hand will guide me, and your right hand will uphold me. Psalm 139:2-10
Such a fact may be fearful to the proud, but how grateful is this fact to a believer who has sincere and faithful faith? Lord who knows my heart even though you are on high, thank you for knowing my sincerity, my prayers, and my loyalty. Such a confession. Truly, I bless you that Hana Nam recognizes your prayers, loyalty, and faith.
p; 4. Though I walk in trouble, the Lord makes me alive (7)
David, who is making this confession, was not just saying this as a poem. It was a confession that I made after going through several critical moments of death. When the king released his army and followed him, his spirit was truly the valley of the shadow of death. How would you feel when your son even pursued a coup d'etat to kill his father! It must have been the despair of despair. But in the midst of this, ‘You have made me alive.’ I am so grateful.
p; Sometimes in our lives there have been difficult and difficult things like tribulation. During that time, I was even truly depressed. But even in the midst of it, you did not let go of me but held me, so I am here today. I bless you that this will be your confession.
p; 5. The LORD will reward me (8)
It is a confession of thanks and trust that God will remember my faith, my devotion, my perseverance, and my loyalty, and that He will reward me. At the very end of the doctrinal declaration, our Methodist confession of faith, we confess, “We believe in the final victory of righteousness and eternal life.” Confessing that you believe in the ultimate victory of righteousness is a confession that you believe that God will recognize you, repay you, and reward you. Psalm 23, as we know it well, also confesses the reward of God.
You set a table for me in the sight of my enemies,
You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows. 23:5
Why is the feast table set before the eyes of the enemy? It means that He will repay you for suffering, hardship, and suffering because of that enemy. The enemy does not necessarily mean only a certain person, but the difficult problem itself, the event that made it difficult, and the environment that caused the despair. It means that you recognize my faith and repay it.
...whoever comes to God must know that he is
He must believe that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6
Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
p; Everyone, did you have the Thanksgiving Family Worship last week? And did you write down the 20 things I'm grateful for there? I believe that anyone who has actually done so will feel a real sense of gratitude. Families that actually hold such worship are increasingly becoming families that create a Christian culture in their homes. If you spend it carelessly, you will be left with that much empty heart. For those who had family worship and actually wrote and shared 20 thanksgiving, today's Thanksgiving service will be truly gracious. Not because of the sermon, not because of the hymns, but because the heart of gratitude that is already in itself makes worship gracious, hymns gracious, and the ears to hear the word gracious.
bsp; Although I am a family of two, we worshiped together. I even lit candles. We wrote 20 thanks and shared them with each other. It really has been a blessing. To use 20, you really look back a year. If you write and read it with thanks, ah! Yes, those things have been in the past year.... Ah! Yes, that was a very good thing..., ah! That person thinks of things I hadn't been crazy about and I'm grateful. It was a blessing to realize that many thoughts of gratitude came to mind.
p; Even if you are a member of the church who has not been able to worship, I recommend that you sit quietly by yourself and write 20 thanks. You will receive a grace you never expected.
p; Today is Thanksgiving. mind? effort? I hope you have a season of gratitude with material things, thanksgiving with service, and sincerity. Faith is gratitude. I said it last week too. If faith can be measured with a ruler, the way of faith will be as much as the way of gratitude. If faith can be restored, the amount of gratitude will be the size of faith. If faith can be weighed, the weight of gratitude will be the weight of faith.
p; Gratitude enriches life, and gratitude solves problems. Gratitude also creates greater gratitude. Even if the past is difficult and what you have gathered is not enough, believe in the blessings that will come in the future and become the faith of grace to give thanks. God will make it happen according to your faith.
p; I believe that God will be pleased with the worship of thanksgiving that we offer today. Thank you for what you have been doing so far, believe and thank you for guiding me in the future, and I pray that it will be a gracious worship service that gives thanks and believes that more grateful people will be given to you.