Always Give Thanks for Everything to God

“Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” –Ephesians 5:20

I love Thanksgiving Day. It is a holiday that does not require hype. Decorations are minimal, there are few songs which prepare us for it, and, for me, centers on God to whom we are to give thanks. As we look forward to filling our plates this Thursday with turkey and fixings, let us think about what we are thankful for before our God whose face we feast before.

Paul tells us, give thanks always and for everything to God. Always. There is never a moment in our lives where thanksgiving to God is inappropriate. For everything. We must always be thankful to God for every good and every bad, every comfort and every trouble, every smile and every tear.

CS Lewis once said, “We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good, if bad, because it works in us patience, humility and the contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country” (Collected Letters Volume2, Page 869).

So, let us give thanks to God for hard things. For the troubles which arise in our relationships to show His mercy and power to reconcile. For the lows in our lives to know true contentment. To find ourselves at the end of our ropes in stress, whether it is work, marriage, parenting, friends, to know our strength comes from the Lord. For anxious times to know His peace and remain constant in prayer.

However, let us also be thankful for the good because it is good, as Lewis encouraged. As the hymn goes,

“Count your blessings, name them one by one; 

Count your blessings, see what God hath done!”

Psalm65:11 says, “You crown the year with Your bounty; Your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.” His sovereign providence fills us to abundance.

In a sermon on this Psalm, Spurgeon said, “Let our hearts be warmed; let our spirits remember, meditate, and think upon this goodness of the Lord. Meditation upon this mercy may tend to nourish in you the tenderest feelings of affection, and your souls will be knit to the Father of spirits, who pitieth his children.”

Our thanksgiving is more than what benefits God gives. Our thanksgiving is highest for God’s presence with us. Spurgeon said, “the sense that Jesus Christ is with his people drowns every note of sorrow, and every heart is tuned to loudest notes of thankfulness.”

When your plate is filled this coming Thursday and you find yourself thinking about what you are thankful for, remember to give thanks always and for everything to God. Yes, for the troubles that drove you to cry out to God for mercy as well as praise for the good He has done. And above all, our hearts are always thankful for everything as Jesus Christ is with us forever.

A Nourished, Fruitful Tree

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.” –Psalm 1:3

The Psalmist pictures a tree with roots digging in on the banks beside a stream flowing fresh water. We are invited into this scene to consider the tree and the resulting fruits and leaves. The Psalm goes from start to finish rather than to think of results and ponder why this tree is so vibrant.

First, the tree is planted. The tree takes root into nourished soil for growth and life and bearing good fruit. Second, the tree is nourished because its roots drink water from the flowing stream. And here, we consider Psalm 42 and the deer panting for streams of flowing water. The Psalmist uses this illustration for personal longing for God! As the deer pants for streams of living water, so my soul pants for the living God!

So, this tree nourished by the stream is like a blessed person who meditates on God’s Word day and night (Psalm 1:1-2). We long for the living water of God’s Word, drink deeply day and night, and are blessed and delight in what we drink!

Lastly, consider the tree’s fruits in season and leaves. Spurgeon says the Christian is an evergreen who bears fruit. Drinking deeply the streams of living water, the tree is nourished to have hearty leaves and bears sweet fruits at all times.

Now, what about difficult times? Can a Christian still be so greatly nourished that the leaves remain strong and the fruit “prospers” or matures to sweet delight like an early October apple? Yes, if our meditation on the Word of God is day and night like a tree’s roots always nourished by a healthy flowing creek.

God’s Law is His wise instruction, which is the entire Bible. We are here invited to meditate like a tree drinks water from a stream. Yes, study the Word of God. But don’t just study what He says. Don’t just read through Scripture quickly. Meditate on the words as truth. Sweet truth that works upon our hearts to practice what we have learned.

The Christian’s meditation is on the Word of God, as opposed to eastern religious meditation which teaches to empty our minds to be in touch with nature or the energy that flows through us. We are to fill our minds with God’s Word to find sweet, sweet delight in our God who delights in us.

The reward for our meditation on God’s Word is delight. How can what God says become a delight in the depths of our souls simply by meditating all the time like a tree drinking nourishing, flowing water from a stream?

In God’s Word I read of God’s uncompromisingly perfect holiness and justice, as well as His wrath for rebels. I also read of God’s love sending His Son Jesus to take the wrath I deserve, pardoning me. Deeper, being adopted in Jesus given the right to be called a child of God (John 1:12-13).

Only in Jesus can you delight in the Law of God. The Father delights in us because He delights in His Son. This means, when difficult times come, I am not malnourished. No, my blessedness is from His Word and the rich promises of His supply and mercy for me even in hard seasons.

The wicked are malnourished. They are like chaff, that fragile, papery cover on top of grain. A simple wind will blow them away. Jesus warned us, ““Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up” (Matthew 15:13).

The person nourished day and night on God’s living Word is blessed according to the beginning of this Psalm, but the wicked are cursed not to be able to stand God’s judgment (Psalm 1:5). Those nourished on God’s Word live while the wicked perish (Psalm 1:6).

A famine of the Word of God the prophet Amos warned of would be most awful. This hardens a wicked heart which God gives over to their sin described in Romans 1. A people without the Word of God wither and perish into chaos, injustice, and are left without real hope from the revelation of our God who saves sinners.

Friend, will you feast or famine? I urge you, feast upon the Word of God. Join us Sundays at 9:30am and 11am to feast upon the nourishing waters of God’s Word. Join us for Bible Study Wednesdays at 6:30pm. Join a discipleship group. Feast upon the Word of God and enjoy the reward of delight, even in difficult times, for our Savior nourishes us, blesses us, and promises us a living hope.

Heavenly Father, stir our hearts to pant for Your Word like a deer pants for streams of flowing water. Give us longing to meet with You in Your Word, meditating on it day and night. Show us in Your Word, O Lord, our need of mercy and Your supply in Christ. We praise You for the Bible, for the nourishing words we delight in, and the comforts, peace, joy, and hope we find in Your Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.