Title: Thanksgiving and Blessing (Deuteronomy 26:7-19)
Contents
Today is Thanksgiving Day. I hope that it will be a festival that brings glory to God by remembering the grace that the Lord has given us. Gratitude is the secret to happiness and the ultimate in faith. A people without thanks will inevitably perish, and a person of faith without thanks is a person who does not know the mystery of God's grace and blessings well. Just as an eagle spreads its strong wings to wrinkle the firmament, gratitude is a life that flies toward the kingdom of heaven from a high level of faith. Therefore, believers should lead a life of gratitude. As we spend the first half of the year and welcome Thanksgiving, I hope it will be a day of giving glory to God.
Why should we give thanks before God? Gratitude is God's will for life. Gratitude is the Lord's command to us. This is because thanksgiving is the duty that those who receive grace should take from God. In particular, we, the members of the church who are living with grace, have to start with thanksgiving and close the curtain with thanksgiving, with the foundation of our faith life on the basis of gratitude. Without this life of thanksgiving, our life loses vitality and our faith life becomes premature. This is because of human excessive greed and pride. Through today's text, we want to think about the blessings that those who give thanks receive and to receive grace.
First, who can be thankful for?
1) People who do not forget the grace of God and always remember and live.
Psalm 103:2 says, “Praise the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits.” What benefits should we not forget? It is the benefit of forgiveness of sins, the healing of all diseases, and the saving of life from ruin. In today's text, we cried out to God, and we are thankful that the Lord heard his voice and answered him. Even though life in the wilderness was difficult and difficult, it did not become a problem as we prayed and received answers from God. I thanked God for saving me from pain and difficulties. Even though we are children of God, when we disobey and go our own way and fall into an incredible puddle and bog, we should be thankful for the grace of the Lord who rescues us with his strong hand and power and guides us on the right path. We should remember and give thanks for the grace that saved us from the oppression of Satan and sin and made us free. In verse 9, I thanked God for giving me a good foundation. “You brought me here and gave me this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I have been a slave for a long time and a sojourner in the wilderness, but I am grateful for the stable life in a land flowing with milk and honey.
Today we should be grateful for a home, a job, a stable society, and a free democracy. We should be thankful for giving us a good place to live, a family, a good church, and a prayer center. I was thankful for the grace of giving me new grains and new fruits every time. We thanked you for the blessing of grace for maintaining and lasting our life, health, and function.
2) People who abandon greed and lead a self-sufficient life can lead a grateful life.
Every environment God has given is the best life God has given us. James 1:14-15 says, "But it is that each man is tempted, being drawn away and deceived by his own lust; and when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."
Human greed has three consequences. It leads to temptation, produces sin, and leads to death. Therefore, it is possible to live a grateful life through a life of self-sufficiency by throwing away such greed.
3) He was said to be a person who renounces pride and obeys humbly.
Job 15:25 says, “For they have stretched out their hands against God, and are proud and have betrayed the Almighty.” A proud person is a person who opposes and betrays God, so it is impossible to live a life of gratitude. Those who can be truly grateful are those who are humble, realize their situation, do not forget the grace they have received, and live knowing that they are sufficient.
Second, how do you give thanks?
Gratitude is possible when we start from the heart to repay the grace God has given us.
1) A life of thanksgiving is a life that exalts and blesses the Lord.
In Psalm 145:1, the psalmist confesses, "I will exalt You, O King God, and I will praise Your name forever." A life that exalts the name of the Lord here is a life that glorifies God wherever and whenever you do anything. It is a life that praises the name of the Lord, a life that praises God. It is a life of declaring the Lord's deeds and bearing witness to and testifying of the grace, blessings, and miracles that the Lord has given us about the amazing events that the Lord has given us.
2) It is a life of obedience to the Word of God.
I used to live my own life, but when I receive grace, I try to live in obedience to God's Word and God's will. In this way, you will dedicate yourself to God and be faithful.
3) It is a life that we give generously to the Lord.
Those who truly thank God will give their body and mind. We give you time and effort. You show your love by giving.
Third, what blessings do those who give thanks receive?
The grateful person pleases and glorifies God. Giving thanks in everything is God's will and brings glory to God. I am happy to give thanks, and the conditions of gratitude overflow.
1) He gives you blessings and peace in your life.
Sorrow disappears, joy abounds, pain disappears, and peace abounds. Poverty turns into wealth. In verse 9 he says, “I pray that your holy dwelling place, descend from heaven, and bless your people, and bless the land flowing with milk and honey, which you gave to our ancestors.” When we give our bodies and minds, the Lord gives us blessings and comes down from heaven.
2) He gives you health, joy, and peace.
When you donate material things, God bless you for your living. He moves from sorrow and wretchedness to victory and glory. exalt above all nations, and make the LORD exalted above all the nations he has made with your praise and honor and glory, and make them holy people of God.
Dear saints,
Those who can be thankful are those who do not forget the grace of God and always remember and live. He is also a person who is humbly obedient, abandons greed and leads a self-sufficient life. Such people enrich a parched society. It changes the environment by living a life of light and salt. Such a life of gratitude becomes the most valuable and shining life for us. God grants this person the blessing of life and peace. Therefore, remember the grace of the Lord, give glory to God by giving the best and the best thanks, and I pray that you will have a blessed Thanksgiving Day and a life of thanksgiving.