Thanksgiving is almost here, and I must admit it is one of my favorite holidays. The reason it’s special to me is because it centers around our thankfulness to God. In some years Thanksgiving even fell on my Mom’s birthday, November 28, like this year. She’s been gone for a few years now, but I’m very thankful for my Mom and my Dad and the lives that they lived. Today, I’m also thankful for my wife of 43 years, Naomi. Her name means “my sweetness” and she really is. I’m very thankful for her. I’m very thankful for my 3 wonderful children and their spouses as well as my 9 fantastic grandchildren. I’m grateful for my church family and friends, for the home that God provided, for surviving 2 hurricanes this year, and for many other things. Truly I have a lot to be thankful for and when we stop and think about it, we all have a lot to be thankful for.
But what about when things don’t go well. Can we be thankful? What do we do when we don’t have much, when our health is giving us problems, when relationships are struggling, or we find ourselves all alone. Should we be thankful for those times? After receiving some financial help from the Christians in Philippi, the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4: “10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Paul had learned to be content whether he had a lot or a little. When we have a lot, we learn to be thankful for God’s abundant provisions. When we don’t have much, we learn to lean on God and that strengthens our faith. Each end of the spectrum teaches us something, so the next time you go through a “hard” or “difficult” time, ask yourself, “What does God want me to learn?” When things are going great ask yourself the same questions, “What does God want me to learn? I think the key to contentment comes in verse 13. It comes in knowing that whatever we go through, we can survive and thrive because of God’s strength. So lean on Jesus Christ, get your strength from Him and this will be a special Thanksgiving. Actually, every day will be special because we will have Jesus with us. Happy Thanksgiving!
Pastor Steve VanAmburg
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