Houston Congregational Christian Church

Pastor James Manuel
4883 Russia-Houston Road
Houston, OH  45333
Phone:  937-295-3591
Email:  click here

Message Title:   Being Thankful

Call to Worship:   1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Scripture Reading:                                 Psalm 147:1-5

Prayer:  May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable unto You O Lord on this Your day.

Being Thankful.    Thanksgiving is much more than a big meal with family and friends.    Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on   and be thankful for,   all of the good things you have.    As 1 Thes. 5:16-18 says,  ‘Be joyful always,    pray continually,    give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’     I believe it is important to be grateful    not just on Thanksgiving    but each and every day.        Thanksgiving Day is a distinctive holiday.    It doesn’t commemorate a battle,   or someone’s birthday  or anniversary.    Thanksgiving is simply a day set aside to express our nations thanks to our nations God.

With all my heart I believe we are a people and a nation that has truly been blessed by God.    And of all those who give thanks to God and praise His Name we should be at the top.       In making a list of the things we should be thankful for   perhaps at the top of the list is----I’m thankful for my salvation,   my family,     our church family   and the mercy that God showers upon us each day.

Psalm 147 that ____ read is a psalm of praise.   A psalm of prayer.    A psalm of thanksgiving.    Ps. 147:1,  ‘Praise the Lord.   How good it is to sing praises to our God,   how pleasant and fitting to praise Him.’       And such a prayer is not uncommon throughout  Scripture.    Again and again you see men and women of God lifting up their hearts and praising God.    Giving Him thanks. 

Phil. 4:6 tell us to,  ‘Not be anxious about anything,   but in everything by prayer and petition   with thanksgiving    present your request to God.’   The Bible tells us again and again that we need to   Praise God,   Thank God,   Lift His Name on high.    Thanksgiving should be something that permeates our every prayer.    

So if it’s true   that God’s people should always be thankful   why does the Bible remind us to be thankful.    There are people who are thankful in this world    and there are people who aren’t.       You would think it’s uncharacteristic for a Christian to be an ungrateful person       and yet Christians can fall victim to a complaining and grumbling mindset.   

What could cause us to take so much for granted?    For one thing we often fail to take the advice of Scripture.   It comes down to the matter of the song we sang today---Count Your Many Blessings.    We often don’t count our blessing   naming them one by one,   seeing what God has done.    

That’s why Psalms like Psalm 147 focus,   not just on praising God,   but on WHY we should praise God.    Look again at Psalm 147:5,  ‘God heals our broken hearts   and binds up our wounds.’       V6, ‘God sustains the humble.’         V8-9,  ‘God supplies rain for the fields   and provides food for our cattle.’   V13-14,  God blesses our people   and Grants us peace.’   The Psalmist is making a list of things to be thankful for.    He’s counting his blessings---naming them one by one.      My friends we serve a great God    and He does great things for us. 

God’s people need to be filled with thanks because of the kind of God we serve.    We of all people have the greatest reason to be thankful because we serve a God who actually cares for us.    1 Peter 5:7 tells us to,  ‘Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.’      God cares so much for us that He has given us a wonderful promise in Hebrew 13:5  when God Himself said,  ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’

You see my friends God wants us to be thankful for the many blessings He has given us.     And He invites us to come into His presence with thanksgiving.   Psalm 100 is a Psalm for giving thanks.   Psalm 100:4 tells us to,   ‘Enter His gates with thanksgiving   and His courts with praise,   give thanks to Him and praise His name.      And I believe a good reason for giving thanks comes from Psalm 100:5,     ‘For the Lord is good   and His love endures forever.   His faithfulness continues through all generations.’      God’s faithfulness extends to our generations   and beyond----because God is good and faithful.     

My friends we should make every day a day of Thanksgiving and when we do     we’ll be amazed how much better our life will become.    Make an effort today to recognize the blessings you’ve come to take for granted.    Focus on what you have rather than on what you don’t have  and see if it doesn’t improve your attitude.

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you want.   If you did what would there be to look forward to?      Be thankful when you don’t know something,   this gives you the opportunity to learn.       Be thankful for the difficult times.   During those times we grow.        Be thankful for limitations   because they give you opportunities for improvement.       Be thankful for your mistakes.   They’ll teach you valuable lessons.     Be thankful when you’re tired and weary   because it means you’ve made a difference. 

My friends it’s easy to be thankful for the good things.   But a life of true fulfillment can come to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.    As hard as it may be find a way to be thankful for your troubles   and they can become your blessings.    Eph. 5:20 tells us to, ‘Always give thanks to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus.’

As we look around us at this land of plenty that we live in,   it is my prayer that we will see through new eyes each day    the way that God has blessed us    and never take God    or those blessings for granted.     This year as we celebrate Thanksgiving    may we each see God for who He really is    and see ourselves as who we really are.      People who have been blessed beyond measure     and people who need to give thanks to the giver of all good gifts.   James 1: 17 says,  ‘Every good and perfect gift is from above.’       May we now be truly thankful to the God who deserves our Thanksgiving.