Humble Thanksgiving

It seems, at this time of year it is difficult for me to post things on my Faith page. I looked back over the last almost 10 years and noticed a distinct decrease from three or four posts for the month of November to just one. There are numerous factors for this struggle to get pen to page, or fingers to keyboard including the increased busyness of the season as we move from Halloween, to Thanksgiving to Christmas. In addition, since 2021, I always seem to get sick or have a flare up of whatever this is that I regularly deal with, and it leaves me feeling fatigued and completely unmotivated; not good things to have when you are trying to get ready for the upcoming holidays.

Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

I decided this morning, after I ate my oatmeal, I would listen to Christmas music with a cup of tea and try to make something come out of my ever shrinking brain. Once again, due to the time of year, my mind comes to rest on thankfulness.

I read a short article on Facebook this morning regarding Thanksgiving. It was a good reminder to look at the true foundation of thanksgiving; not the holiday, but the attitude. Probably one of the earliest examples of giving thanks is found in Genesis 8.

“20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
21 The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.”

— Genesis 8:20-21 (NASB 1995)

Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay

While the passage itself does not use the words thanks, or thanksgiving, we are able to draw the conclusion that the altar Noah built to the Lord and sacrificed on was one of worship and thanks for all the Lord had brought them through over the last number of decades; even more specifically over the last year while they were confined to a large wooden craft bobbing around on a seascape they had never seen or experienced before.

This sacrifice to the Lord was a soothing aroma. That says something about the attitude of gratitude when it comes to us on a day to day basis. Is what comes out of my mouth, my mind, my heart, an aroma to God that soothes Him? I love this quote, and I think it goes well with having a mindset of thanksgiving.

“This is the true joy of life: the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clot of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”

— George Bernard Shaw

We certainly don’t all agree on what that mighty purpose is, but no matter what you are passionate about, you must admit being thankful makes us more likely a force of nature that is used for good, rather than one that is destructive and primarily self-serving. The Bible speaks to this as well.

“18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

— Romans 1:18-25 (NASB 1995)

This passage is clear on what will happen to those who do not honor God and are not thankful. Being thankful is not just a polite social more that we teach our children. Giving thanks is an important part of keeping the light within us. I believe this applies to all people, not just believers.

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Verse 19 tells us “that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.” We are all made in God’s image. As Genesis says, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in our image, according to Our likeness…’” (Genesis 1:26)

When we are young, we don’t naturally lean towards thankfulness. It has to be shown to us, and taught. However, a child who is secure and loved will more easily exhibit a thankful attitude. Jesus used a child to teach a very important lesson.

“1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them
3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,
6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

— Matthew 18:1-6 (ESV)

If we do not become like little children we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Why is this so, and what does it have to do with being thankful? Don’t worry, I am getting there.

We cannot enter the kingdom of heaven without humility. A child starts life from a place of humility. They don’t know pride, until it is hatched from them as part of their sin nature. What does pride say?

“I can do it myself!”

“Mine!”

“No!”

We cannot enter the kingdom of heaven until we throw away everything we ever thought we knew or believed and, like a child, accept what Christ has done for us knowing we are completely and utterly dependent on Him.

Image from Pixabay

Thanksgiving, involves humility. Whether we are thanking God for who He is and what He has done, or we are thanking our spouse for sweeping the floor, or thanking our child for picking up their room, giving thanks is a choice. This choice creates a shift, away from the darkness towards the light.

There have been numerous studies done in the last few decades on the correlation of gratitude to happiness. Generally, people who are more grateful are happier. Read this interesting article on the subject from Harvard Health Publishing, a division of Harvard Medical School. It seems that taking the time to think about what we are thankful for helps us to feel more positive about life, and may even help to make us healthier individuals. In addition, giving thanks to others in the form of spoken words, or in letters or texts adds to our sense of well being and helps us to remember how others have helped or blessed us.

All of these things are in keeping with Scripture.

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High”

— Psalm 92:1 (ESV)

“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!”

— Psalm 95:2 (ESV)

“For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”

— 2 Corinthians 4:15 (ESV)

“For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.”

— 2 Corinthians 9:12 (ESV)

“15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

— Ephesians 5:15-21 (ESV)

Image by Myléne from Pixabay

This last passage sticks out as one to remember. It is the wise person who makes the best use of their time; who understands what the will of God is; who does not get drunk; who is filled with the Spirit; who encourages others with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs; who sings and makes melody to God with their hearts (not just their mouths); who submits to others (humility), and who gives thanks always, and for everything to God.

As we head into Thanksgiving next Thursday, let’s try to focus on the real reasons we have to be thankful: that we are the creation of an amazing and loving God, and that we can choose to have a relationship with Him.

Have a great week!

Battling on our Knees

We usually associate warfare with positions of action, like running, jumping, throwing, piercing, punching and thrusting. Whoever heard of doing battle on your knees? However, that is the position we, as Christ Ones, are to assume when we are fighting spiritually. I use the word, kneel, as a metaphorical position for that of humility before God in prayer. Obviously, we are not always able to kneel, even when our prayers are the most intense. I often pace around my house, when I am in intense prayer, because it keeps me focused. I also pray out loud. 

PIxabay

Why is our posture before God so important? Humility is defined as being free from pride or arrogance. What does God say about humility?

“Thus says the Lord,
’Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that I may rest?
2 ‘For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being,’ declares the Lord.
’But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.’”

— Isaiah 66:1-2 (NASB)

God is God. There is no one who can out do Him. He is the Creator and we are His creation. How could we even come close to building a place that could house a being like God. Yet, He says that He will look..."To him who is humble and contrite of spirit..." 

Jesus said, 

“Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

— Matthew 18:4 (NASB)

Rebecca Trumbull Photography

I'll come back to that verse in a minute. Read on.

“Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: ‘He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us’?
6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

— James 4:5-10 (NASB)

So what exactly does all of this have to do with intercessory prayer? Prayer is work. I sure most of you have experienced the feeling that you need to be praying more, but so often find yourself doing everything, but praying. I know I have. However, God's word tells us to, "pray without ceasing;" (I Thessalonians 5:17). Not all of the time we are to spend praying will be for intercessory prayer, but I believe a large percent of our prayers will be for others. We can all think of people at this moment who need our prayers. We all know someone who is sick, depressed, hurt, dying, suffering a broken marriage, a lost job or a wandering child. 

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In order to pray accurately, we need to know the mind of God with regards to the person we are praying for. We should, at least in theory, desire God's will for the person or people we are praying for, even if it is difficult or painful. God is the one who knows what is best and He is the best at orchestrating life to bring people closer to Him. It seems, however, that many people do not believe in the importance of intercessory prayer. 

“And He saw that there was no man,
And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;”

— Isaiah 59:16a (NASB)

Why would God be astonished that there was no one to intercede? Because it was obvious to Him that intercessory prayer was a given. It isn't an option. We are supposed to do it and we are supposed to do it on a regular basis. 

Humility, or becoming like a child, allows us to come before God with the right mindset as we intercede. If we are prideful and arrogant, we will be trying to exert our will into the situation, rather than coming into agreement with God on how to pray for those we are led to pray for. I don't like praying, "Lord, whatever it takes..." Yet, isn't that really the mindset we need to have when we come to God in prayer for others? What is our goal? Healing, making things better, hoping it will all go away and everyone will live happily ever after? No! Our goal is the mind of Christ. Our goal is that every person we pray for would turn to Him, knowing He is God and there is no other, (Isaiah 45:22).

Humility in prayer allows us to worship God as we are coming into His presence. Worship gives us the proper perspective, not only of who God is, but who we are before Him. That proper perspective will align our minds and our hearts with how God wants us to pray. 

“Worship and intercession must go together; one is impossible without the other. Intercession means raising ourselves up to the point of getting the mind of Christ regarding the person for whom we are praying (see Philippians 2:5). Instead of worshiping God, we recite speeches to God about how prayer is supposed to work. Are we worshiping God or disputing Him when we say, “But God, I just don’t see how you are going to do this”? This is a sure sign that we are not worshiping. When we lose sight of God, we become hard and dogmatic. We throw our petitions at His throne and dictate to Him what we want Him to do. We don’t worship God, nor do we seek to conform our minds to the mind of Christ. And if we are hard toward God, we will become hard toward other people.

Are we worshiping God in a way that will raise us up to where we can take hold of Him, having such intimate contact with Him that we know His mind about the ones for whom we pray? Are we living in a holy relationship with God, or have we become hard and dogmatic?”

— Oswald Chambers - My Utmost for His Highest (March 30)

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There are times I have felt absolutely powerless. I knew and still know that I have no control over the choices that other people make. I cannot make the lost turned to Jesus. I cannot heal a sick loved one. I cannot mend a relationship that has gone awry. But, I can battle on my knees. With a mindset of humility and worship, the Lord and I can move mountains. 

Even He Called Him Lord

This morning as I was reading my devotions I was directed to a passage in Matthew. It was a familiar read, but as I started looking at it I was floored by a few words that I hadn't really noticed before. Let me show you the verses.

“At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

’Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’”

— Matthew 11:25-30 (NASB)

I'm sure most of you who read your Bible regularly are familiar with this passage. I don't know about you, but I am often reciting the last three sentences back to Jesus reminding Him that He is responsible to give me rest and help me bear the load of this life. I try to do that with humility, mind you, because He does say that I should learn from Him and we can't be teachable if our hearts are made of the granite of pride and self. 

The words that struck me this morning were these: 

“...Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth...”

— Matthew 11:25 (NASB)

Let me set the back drop for you. This is Jesus, the One who is part of the triune God-head. He, as far as we are concerned, is on the same level with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He was there at creation. He was the only person capable of taking on the sin of the world, walking into hell and coming out unscathed. Why then is He addressing His Father in this way? Couldn't He have simply said, "Father?" 

As with so many things that Jesus did, He was once again giving us an example to follow. 

1. Praise. There is something elevating about praising God. When we lift Him up we are placing Him exactly where He is supposed to be. Not only that, but praise ushers us into His presence. If we do a simple word search in the New American Standard version of the Bible we find the word praise used 256 times. Out of those 127 are used in connection with the Lord and 86 are used in connection with God. It would seem that praising God is a priority.

When Jesus was riding into Jerusalem on a donkey the crowds were shouting,

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!””

— Luke 19:38 (NASB)

The Pharisees scolded Jesus, telling him to rebuke his followers.

“But Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!’”

— Luke 19:40 (NASB)

Why then, would Jesus need to praise the Father, when in reality they are one person? Jesus is showing us that praise is an important component in a relationship with our Father. 

2. Relationship. There is no doubt that Jesus has a relationship with the Father and the Spirit. Relationships are facts of life. We have relationships with our significant others, our children, our coworkers and the people in our lives we call friends. Out of the many interactions we have with people on a daily basis the ones that are closest to us will be the ones that we invest the most time and effort in...or at least they should be. When I get together with my girlfriends we talk about what? Our families. These are the relationships that are important to us. 

Jesus made a point throughout his years on this earth to talk about His Father. Look at a few of these verses.

“And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?””

— Luke 2:49 (NASB)

““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.”

— Matthew 7:21 (NASB)

““Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”

— Matthew 10:32-33 (NASB)

“For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.””

— Matthew 12:50 (NASB)

“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.’”

— Matthew 26:39 (NASB)

“And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.”

— Luke 23:46 (NASB)

These are just a few of the many verses throughout the Gospels where Jesus makes reference to the Father. Jesus knew how important this relationship was to Him and His purpose was to make the way clear so that we could enjoy this same relationship with God. 

3. Humility. By calling God the Father, Lord, Jesus is acknowledging a hierarchy of authority that we all need to be aware of. Jesus understood humility.

“who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,”

— Philippians 2:6 (NASB)

If God's own Son chose to place Himself, humbly under the authority of His Father, then aren't we, even more so, obligated to fall at His feet? Jesus made a choice to honor His Father's perfect plan to bring salvation to His creation. Was it easy? Refer back to Jesus' time in the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed earnestly that the cup could pass from Him, but in the end said, "Your will be done." How often are we at odds with God because we do not want to do what He has laid out plainly in scripture? Yet our Savior honored His Father completely, even to the point of death on a tree. 

If you are feeling, not quite right in your walk with the Father, why not revisit these three things that Jesus did? Praise God, renew your relationship with Him and humble yourself. I know for me, when I place God first in my life and in my day, He takes care of the rest.