1Thess 5:16-18

Rejoice evermore.  Pray without ceasing.

In every thing give thanks:

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

 

Who cares for us night and day? Who is a wall unto us? Is God ever good to us?

• Ps 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.  6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.  7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
• Ps 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.  9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.  10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

What do we owe God in return? Is it RIGHT for us to expect God’s gifts with no feeling of owing Him anything in return?

 

Is there a difference between being HAPPY with our blessings and being THANKFUL?

• Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:  13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.  14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.  15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.  17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?  18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.  19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

So here is an excellent example of the difference between the thankful and the unthankful.

What were the 9 lepers thinking? Certainly they must have been very, very happy to be free of leprosy. They no longer had a death sentence! But they were indifferent (disinterested, lacking care, unconcerned) toward the One who gave them this great gift.

What did the one leper do who was thankful?

• He glorified God with a loud voice,
• and then he inconvenienced himself to immediately turn back and find Jesus again and fell on his face before him to thank him

Only the Samaritan, a stranger, considered that he OWED a DEBT of gratitude to Jesus enough to actually DO something about it.

In other scriptures, God does use language of debt like this about giving thanks:

• 2Thess 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
• Bound: 3784 opheilo – to owe; to be under obligation (ought, must, should)

When God uses our brethren to encourage us, do we realize we OWE God thanks for that? What else do we OWE God thanks for?

 

Can we see how, if we are to thank God as we are supposed to, we would give thanks to God in EVERYTHING??? How can we do this?

What about suffering or temptation or bad situations? How can we be thankful for EVERYTHING, when some things in our lives are bad?

Look at the example of Job, as he showed great understanding when everything he had was taken away in a single moment, and all his children were killed at once:

• Job 1:20 -22 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21  And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.  22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
• Job 2:3-10 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? And still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.  5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.  6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.  7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.  8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.  9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die.  10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Notice Job’s faith and humility to accept God’s judgment, and even bless God’s name (authority)!

FERAH GLOTT

TO BE CONTINUED…