A Thankful Heart

A Thankful Heart

Selected Scriptures

Introduction-

This morning we are going to look at Thankfulness.

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, we need to take a look at what the Bible says about being Thankful.

We express thankfulness in a variety of ways.

I have heard unbelievers “Thank Jesus” for things.

I have seen kids get what they want and say “Oh thank God”.

I don’t doubt they are words of thanksgiving, but is it being thankful?

If you would enter thanksgiving in the Google bar, you would think that something about the pilgrims and Indians getting together that first thanksgiving would appear.

Do you know what topics appear?

Thanksgiving recipes

Favorite dishes to use at thanksgiving

Walmart preparing for Black Friday Sale.

What stores will be open and closed on Thanksgiving.

There are nearly 100 verses that I found that directly or indirectly talk about thanksgiving.

30 verses directly tell us that we should be giving God thanks for the things that He has done.

There are verses that tell us to be thankful to each other.

The Bible does have a lot to say to us about thankfulness if we take the time to read it.

Let’s start with that famous last Thursday of November we call Thanksgiving.

Let me set a picture for you.

Maybe it is not like this at your house, but I think it is a typical Thanksgiving. It begins days before as someone goes to the store to get all the necessary groceries. Prep time includes baking desserts, stuffing the turkey, setting the tables, cleaning the house, keeping the kids from eating the food before thanksgiving, invitations, cancelations, making phone calls, running for all last minute things- that is what mom does.

The rest of us are in the way, placed and positioned at our favorite spot yelling when will the food will be done and that we are starving and we are ready to dig in on the food as soon as the food gun goes off.

Some are fighting over the remote between early Christmas movies, thanksgiving parade and the anticipation of the NFL game. We devour our food unmercifully until we cannot walk properly and as we are watching the game through our eye lids, we allow mom to clean up and put everything away. As soon as she get’s that done, we desire to attack the food again until we are almost in a comma. People stay and people have to go to other parties of thanksgiving and we hug at the door and tell everyone that we see them again at Christmas, and we go to our mom or spouse and say “That was a good thanksgiving”

Is that being thankful? Because to me it would depend which side of this llustration you are on wither you would be thankful or not.

I really do like thanksgiving- it usually comes with drama, yours and my dysfunctional family has its moments, but the family is together. I don’t know about you, but because I am a pastor, my family as we pray always warns me to keep it short- “Rub a dub, dub, thanks for the grub” is their prayer of choice.

Psalms 9:1-2 (Text)

“I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart, I will tell of your wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will say praise to your name, O Most High.”

This Psalm is a declaration of praise- It is praise from the heart of David expressed in a public setting because praise is not only a private matter but made public by our acts of thanksgiving.

I will praise you

I will tell others about you

I will rejoice and lift up your name

Thanks…giving!

One version of Psalms 9:1 “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”

I will recount, I will remember.

What are you thankful for?

Well, you cannot escape these verses that God has to be first in your life. You must be thankful to God for what He has done for you. (More in a minute about that)

What are you thankful for? Thankfulness to God is also expressed to the people God has put in your life to be a blessing.

I am thankful for my wife.

I am thankful for my children and the grandkids that they have given us.

I am thankful for my family, friends, church family, a place to worship, and my health.

(None being perfect)

I am most thankful for Jesus. I am thankful for the salvation that comes through Him and the relationship I have with Him.

Most people forget Jesus because their basis of thanksgiving is on the here and now.

If I am happy and things are going well, I am thankful.