Not a Cold Day in November? Be Thankful Anyway!!!

Posted by on Aug 13, 2017 in Signboard | 0 comments

The following message was posted on our signboard:

DON’T WAIT UNTIL A

COLD DAY IN NOVEMBER

TO BE THANKFUL!

 

Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18…

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Always? In ALL circumstances? This is August! It’s blazing hot and you can’t walk 10 feet without sweating to death. Joyful? Thankful?!?

What if…

The Mortgage is due and the money’s not there…
You just had a car crash…
You just got a speeding ticket…
Your best friend just died…

You might be thinking a lot of things, but thankful probably isn’t one of them!

turkey-145381_640Can’t we just move all of this Thankful stuff to the last Thursday in November? It would make life a lot less complicated!

But God’s got something else in mind. He wants us to be thankful in all circumstances. AND, He wants us to be thankful on every day of the year; not just on this holiday where we watch football and eat turkey. Yes, He wants us to be thankful, even in the middle of August!

Thankful? But How???

If you think about it, if God wants us to be thankful in all circumstances, maybe He’s giving us something to be thankful about. In all circumstances, if we look to God, we’ll find things to be thankful for.

Take a look at these verses (quotations from The Message):

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.

We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort — we get a full measure of that, too.

John 11:32-36

Mary came to where Jesus was waiting and fell at his feet, saying, “Master, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her sobbing and the Jews with her sobbing, a deep anger welled up within him. He said, “Where did you put him?” “Master, come and see,” they said.

Now Jesus wept. The Jews said, “Look how deeply he loved him.”

Matthew 6:25-26

“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion.

There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

Philippians 4:11-13

Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little.

I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

Psalm 23:4

Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side.

Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us.

There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

So when things are going bad and you don’t think there’s anything to be thankful for, remember that we have a God who gives us:

  • Friends and family who come along side us during rough times. Signboard Cold Day in Nov Thanks 15-08-18 _IMG_2318
  • His own tears!
    God sees our circumstances and loves us enough to want to help.
  • The stuff we need!
    God knows us best and will give us what we need.
  • Peace.
    We don’t have to worry about not having enough.
  • Guidance.
    He’s there with us in the rough times and sends people to guide and help us.
  • Hope!
    God is in control and He will make things work out.

 

So whether it’s a cold day in November when you’re surrounded by lots of food and family… or if it’s a hot day in August when you feel you’re all alone, you can be thankful! Nehemiah 8:10 says-

“Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Look to the Lord. Take Joy in Him. Thank Him! Then you’ll find the strength you need.

 

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