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THE FOUNDATION OF THANKFULNESS

 I will continue to post the rest of the studies on prayer later in the weeks to come, but with Thanksgiving this Thursday I am posting my article for our church bulletin regarding thankfulness. Indeed, we are not "taking a break" from the lessons on prayer, for ultimately thankfulness is essential to prayer (Phillippians 4:6). God bless.



During November, the topic of thankfulness is preached many times. The word is tossed around in daily conversations by some Christians who seek to remind themselves that they’re supposed to “buck up” and put on a smile to show a bit more gratitude for their faith. Others do not have any sort of belief regarding a sovereign authority, yet they still feel slightly compelled to muster up some appreciation for life and prepare for the coming holiday. I have often wondered why one who does not believe in God would even observe such a day, seeing that it is puzzling as to whom they are to be “giving thanks” to.
You see, true thankfulness can only come out of a heart of trust. It is trust that is solely and deeply rooted in the Lord. Think of the life of Job. He lost everything he owned, he lost his health, his wife turned against him, and the friends that he thought would be comforters became condemners. Yet, in the midst of the storm, Job declared, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him (Job 13:15a).” Are you thankful? Perhaps, the question that first must be raised is do you truly trust God?
            In services across America, most Christians enjoy singing the hymn Count your Blessings to lead up to Thanksgiving because it spurs their minds to think about the many gifts that God has given. But what about the famed hymn It is Well with my Soul? The godly man who wrote this song lost his only son at age four and later lost four daughters to a shipwreck. When he traveled to meet his wife who survived, passing by the waters where his daughters had drowned, he wrote, “When peace, like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.”
How could he still offer up a song of praise? How could his mind still reflect on the promises of God? Trust. His trust in God was unwavering. God is the anchor to our souls. Our faith and trust in the victory of Christ, the power of His Spirit, and the promises of His Word, is the chain that links our life’s boat to God. Ultimately a thankful and rejoicing life flows from a trusting and reverencing heart. Hebrews 13:5-6 states, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: (THANKFULNESS) for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. (TRUST).”

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