“O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever!” (Psalm 118:1).

I trust you had a good Thanksgiving Day.

I know. For most of us, things were different this year. The Kim’s normally head up to Bothell for Thanksgiving. Typically there are five to seven families and all our kids gathered for a Thanksgiving feast. This is one of the highlights of the year as the cousins get together with our families.

This year. It was just our immediate family minus Kaitlin who is teaching in Houston, and who chose not to come up because of covid.

As I write this on Thanksgiving Day, I am reminded of several truths.

First, the phrase, “give thanks” is in the imperative. I find it interesting that the call to give thanks in both the New and the Old Testament are normally written in the imperative. Isn’t it strange to command someone to “give thanks”? Isn’t being thankful something one feels and then expresses gratitude by giving thanks?

That’s a good observation. That’s the way “thanking” works for us. We feel and then we express gratitude.

Notice that the text calls us to “give” thanks not “feel” thanks. This is important. A year like 2020 makes it difficult to always “feel” thankful. In fact, there have been lots of occasions in which there was not much to feel thankful for. It would be strange to ask us to feel thankful when we’re going through hard situations. But that’s not what the text calls for. The text calls us to “give” thanks.

The reason why the Biblical text calls us to “give” thanks is because God is the God “who brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deuteronomy 5:6), and because of all that God has done in Jesus Christ for us. That’s the foundation of gratitude. We are to give thanks because of all that God has already done for us.

As I was doing my daily devotionals, I wrote down things I was particularly thankful for in 2020 and I invite you to do the same today. Here are the things I was most thankful for 2020.

1. For God being my God and Savior. I can’t imagine how anyone can live through life without God. What would be the point? All this living, striving, struggling, toiling? If this world is all there is what is all this for? It would be so pointless. I thank God for being my God and Savior because life here would be dreadfully meaningless without God.
2. I thank God for my family. I am thankful that we are healthy and we all have the means to take care of ourselves. Not everyone is as fortunate. I am truly grateful for all my family.
3. I thank God for the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace family. I am so thankful for you. You are an amazing church. Not every church gives, shares, loves, and cares as you do. You are remarkable. We have managed to increase God’s reach and impact through 2020. Most churches are struggling and managing. The Little Church and Lakewoodgrace continues to innovate and look for new ways to increase God’s kingdom impact. That’s awesome! I love serving our amazing God with you.

No. 2020 has not gone the way I had hoped.

But 2020 has shown how amazing our God is and how resilient, open, and innovative the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace is.

Yes! 2020. I thank God for you!

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

“For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Now we’re talking. That’s clarity. No guessing what God’s will is. “This is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

So what is God’s will for you and me?

• Rejoice always
• Pray continually
• Give thanks in all circumstances

Before we look at the specifics, you should know that each of these verbs (rejoice, pray, give thanks) are all written as imperatives. These aren’t suggestions. These are commands.

The second thing you should know about each of these commands are that they are dependent on the clause, “in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus is the key to understanding why these are commands.

Rejoice always.

Why? Because, for the Christian, our joy is dependent on something that’s already done for us. Our joy is not dependent upon a future event. Our joy springs from something that’s already been done and completed on our behalf in Christ Jesus. We are commanded to rejoice because God has already done for us all that we could not do for ourselves. Jesus has already paid the debt of sin for those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior. Because of the cross of Jesus Christ, “he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

Rejoice always because in Christ we are sons and daughters of God.

Pray continually. Why? Because, for the Christian, we have direct access to the Creator of the universe through prayer. There is nothing that we face that our Father cannot handle and take care of. Whatever circumstances we face we have the ability to pray and involve the Father. So whatever it is you are going through today, through prayer, we never face our difficulties alone. Our God is always with us. Not only that, our Father has our back. We can face our present circumstances and future knowing that our Father has our back. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

Give thanks in all circumstances. We give thanks in all circumstances knowing there is “nothing in the created universe that can separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:39). We give thanks “in all circumstances because we know that all things work together for the good for those who love Jesus” (Romans 8:28).

This is great news! In fact, this is God’s will for you.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Amen!

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions” (Matthew 19:21-22).

The problem is not possessions.

Americans have enjoyed riches beyond what most people around the world and throughout human history have only dreamed about.

The problem is not possessions.

The problem is when possessions possess us instead of us using possessions as an instrument and tool of blessing for the Kingdom of God.

In the context of the above verse, the young man claims that he has kept all the laws of God and Jesus never refutes that.

• “You shall not murder”
• “You shall not commit adultery”
• “You shall not steal”
• “You shall not bear false witness”
• “Honor your father and mother”
• “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”

That is astonishing! This is the picture of an ideal follower of God.

But notice what is missing from the list of the Ten Commandments:

• “You shall have no other gods before me”
• “You shall not make yourself an idol”
• “You shall not make wrongful use of of the LORD your God”
• “Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy”

The young man was an ideal citizen, but he was not a follower of God. His god, his idol was his possessions. When possessions dictate how you manage and use your possessions, possessions are your god. And, that was Jesus’ point.

When we get this wrong, possessions and riches become a curse rather than a blessing.

The issue is not possessions. The issue is does God get to call the shots in how you use possessions, or does possessions dictate how you give to God and God’s causes?

Friends, even in the midst of covid, the reality is we are more endowed with wealth than most people around the world dream of. During this season of Thanksgiving, are we able to lay our wealth and possessions before God so that God can use wealth and possessions for his Kingdom? Or does our wealth and possessions dictate how much and what we give to God?

The problem is not possessions. The issue has to do with the placement of wealth and possessions in relation to God.

Wealth and possessions are a blessing when we steward and manage all that God has entrusted to us for his purposes.

God has no problems with rich Christians. In fact, God wants his riches in the hands of those who will steward and manage God’s riches for his Kingdom. Let us be such people.

The first place this impacts is in tithing. Giving to God ten percent is a symbolic act that demonstrates riches do not possess us.

This is the season of Thanks. Let us give thanks to God for his many blessings.