This past Thursday families may have celebrated Thanksgiving following the City’s restricted guidelines and some may not have been thankful that they were restricted to be with other family members and friends.
But the origin of Thanksgiving was remembering the Pilgrims thankfulness to God for providing a plentiful harvest which they depended on to survive.
Being thankful to God comes from being content in whatever he provides for you, like Paul.
Philippians 4: 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 everything through him who gives me strength.
Paul said there is a secret to being content and that is through finding strength in God in all situations by having a godly attitude that he told Timothy to have
1 Timothy 6: 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.
Thankfulness does begin by being content, being satisfied in what God has given you.
We can look at Job, God saw him as godly and he did not get offended when he lost his children, his animals and his servants, even when he lost his health, but he was not content being separated from God and God corrected him.
An example of being content with just the little thing that comes from God is found in:
Matthew 15: 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." 23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." 25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 27"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
The woman understood Jesus’s words that he came only to God’s chosen the Jews and that as a Gentile she was considered unclean and undeserving of anything from Jesus, but she humbled herself and acknowledge that Jesus was her Lord and would accept even the crumbs that fall off the Lord’s table. Jesus recognized her faith in him and her humble attitude and healed her daughter.
Jesus looks for humble thankful heart that sees him as their Lord and accepts anything his Father provides them according to his Son’s riches.
Philippians 4: 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
The riches of Jesus wait for believers in heaven, it’s not the riches of this world. So, the secret of godly contentment is believing in what you already have in heaven, being in God’s love forever, which make a believer’s heart thankful to God in all circumstances.
1 Thessalonians 5: 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
May Jesus find a thankful heart in us. Be safe in Jesus, Ps Glenn