WHY WE NEED TO BE Thankful
Lamentations 3:1-57
The book of Lamentations describes Jerusalem’s destruction not only for its own sake but also for the profound theological lessons to be learned from it. The horrors of 586 B.C. are not overlooked, of course: 1. Wholesale devastation and slaughter engulf kings, princes, elders, priests, prophets and commoners alike. 2. Starving mothers are reduced to cannibalism. 3. The flower of Judah’s citizenry is dragged off into ignominious exile. 4. An elaborate system of ceremony and worship comes to an end. But other matters, ultimately of far greater significance, are probed as well. The author of Lamentations understands clearly that the Babylonians were merely the human agents of divine retribution and that God himself has destroyed his city and temple. Although weeping is to be expected and cries for right against the enemy are understandable, the proper response in the wake of judgment is sincere, heartfelt repentance. The book that begins with lament rightly ends in repentance. In the middle of the book, the theology of Lamentations reaches its apex as it focuses on the goodness of God. He is the Lord of hope, of love, of faithfulness, of salvation. In spite of all evidence to the contrary, "his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness".
The news for this week makes us think about how bad things can be and only God can help in what happens to us.
DHAKA, Bangladesh, CNN, More than 900 bodies have been recovered in Bangladesh following a devastating tropical cyclone, but local news reports put the death toll at more than double that figure. As flood waters recede, aid workers say they expect to find scores more bodies when remote villages are finally reached and the counting is done. They face debris blocked roads, no electricity and almost nonexistent communications. In addition to the dead, another 15,000 were hurt and 1,000 people were missing, according to a relief official. The government said Saturday that at least 915 bodies had been recovered, but news media, including a United News of Bangladesh report put the death toll at 2,000. United News said it had reporters deployed across the cyclone region. Cyclone Sidr, with sustained winds of at least 131 mph, made landfall Thursday night along the western coast of Bangladesh near the border with India, unleashing floodwaters."We still don’t really know the extent of the damage. There are so many areas inaccessible," Vince Edwards. Adding to the tragedy is the loss of rice crops, normally harvested in December, Edwards said. In Dhaka, about 200 miles north of the worst-hit region, there were power outages, massive traffic jams and spotty phone service, CNN’s Cal Perry said from the city. "From an infrastructure perspective, the country absolutely has been brought to its knees," he said.
In Villahermosa, Mexico, Maria looks over the inside of her home in Villahermosa, Mexico. Damp and ruined furniture sits by the side of the road, while papers and other personal effects dry out in the front yard. The floodwaters have receded somewhat, but an impromptu lake still splashes up the back steps. Now emptied of possessions, the only thing inside her house is a layer of mud on the floor. "I have nothing," she cries. "I don’t have anyone. My family left me here. I have no food or water. I lost all my clothes. I don’t know what to do." Thousands of Mexicans share her despair, after their homes were ransacked by widespread floods. In Tabasco, a Mexican state about the size of Massachusetts with a population of 1 million, an unprecedented 80 percent of the land area is underwater. Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón is calling this the worst natural disaster in the country’s history. Such an immense catastrophe has elicited a disaster relief response of similar proportions.
A THANKSGIVING PRAYER
Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings each morning, thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf. Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed against the morning light as long as possible, thank you, Lord, that I can see. There are many who are blind. Even though I huddle in my bed and put off the effort of rising, thank you, Lord that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden. Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, and tempers are short, thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely. Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced, thank you, Lord for the food we have. There are many who have no job. Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest, thank you, Lord, for the gift of life. (Author unknown)
Let us read again 22, 23. Why do we not thank God more for all He is and does for us may be explained in the words of Jesus, JN 5:44 “No wonder you can’t believe? For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from God alone.” The Jews had their attention firmly fixed on people. Their emphasis on self-seeking and on human praise showed that they did not accept the one who came from God, and therefore they missed the praise that comes from God. Paul’s thankfulness was not on what this world gives but on Jesus. GAL 6:14 As for me, God forbid that I should brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago, and the world’s interest in me is also long dead. 1 COR. 1:31 As the Scriptures say, "The person who wishes to brag should brag only of what the Lord has done." 1 COR. 2:2 For I decided to focus only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. Do you wonder at this point in our pursuit of life, liberty and happiness why we give credit to our own doing and cleverness, rather than to God of whom we read upholds all things by the word of His power? The question came to me this week as we think about Thanksgiving, “When something really good happens in our life that we know was beyond what we did to deserve, who do we thank?” I want us to direct our thoughts on thanksgiving this day from these two verses.
I. There are four things we learn about God that are rich truths:
1. God is not A cruel dictator as some people understand. “The unfailing love of the Lord never ends!”
2. God shows us mercy beyond what we are worthy of. RM 9:15-18 For God said to Moses, "I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose." So receiving God’s promise is not up to us. We can’t get it by choosing it or working hard for it. God will show mercy to anyone he chooses. For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, "I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you, and so that my fame might spread throughout the earth." So you see God shows mercy to some just because he wants to, and he chooses to make some people refuse to listen. “By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction.”
3. God is not inactive in showing His mercy. “His mercies start anew each day.” 33:4, 5 “For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. 36:5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” Do you know of anyone else who watches over you as God? As I have read about other religions they do not show mercy but demand much sacrifice. We cannot sacrifice anything that lets us deserve what God gives us. He give the Sun, the rain, health, land to live on, a church to worship in, the Bible and will listen as we pray. He never sleeps.
4. God’s faithfulness goes ahead of man’s understanding. “Great is his faithfulness.”
II. We need to take time to thank GOD FOR His mercy.
1. Mercy to forgive our sins. Psalm 103:10 “He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does he deal with us as we deserve. God’s anger is always an expression of his righteousness.” PS7:7-13 “Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high; let the LORD judge the peoples. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day. If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows.”
2. Mercy that goes beyond what men can give us. 2 SAM 24:14 "This is a desperate situation!" David replied to Gad. "But let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands." PS 30:5-10 “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken." O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help."
3. God has mercy on our ignorance. Acts 9:1 “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.” 22:4, 5 “I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. 26:10-11 “And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. I TIM 1:13-16 “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
4. For God’s grace on me. 1 COR 15:3-10 “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
III. We need to be thankful for God’s Great faithfulness.
1. He is faithful in His love for us. John 3:16, 1 JN 4:19
2. He has been faithful in giving us His Word that never fails. PS 119:89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. 33:8The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Is 40:22 “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.” 1 PT 1: 23-26, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the word that was preached to you." By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth?
3. That He is faithful in forgiving us of all our sins. 1 JN 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. JER 31:34 "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." MIC 18-19 “Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot. HB 10:22-23 “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”
4. We need to be thankful that he never changes. Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” NUM 23:19 “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” Sam 15:29 “He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind." MAL 3:176 "I the LORD do not change." JAM 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
5. He will accept us forever and never leave us. Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them." MT 28:20 “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
The Gratitude Attitude
In “A Second Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul", Rev. John R. Ramsey tells how in one church a certain person provided him with a rose boutonniere for the lapel of his suit every Sunday. At first he really appreciated it but then it sort of became routine. Then one Sunday it became very special. As he was leaving the Sunday Service a young boy walked up to him and said, “Sir, what are you going to do with your flower?” At first the preacher didn’t know what the boy was talking about. When it sank in, he pointed to the rose on his lapel and asked the boy, “Do you mean this?” The boy said, “Yes, sir. If you’re just going to throw it away, I would like it.” The preacher smiled and told him he could have the flower and then casually asked what he was going to do with it. The boy, who was probably no more than 10 years old, looked up at the preacher and said, “Sir, I’m going to give it to my granny. My mother and father divorced last year. I was living with my mother, but she married again, and wanted me to live with my father. I lived with him for a while, but he said I couldn’t stay, so he sent me to live with my grandmother. She is so good to me. She cooks for me and takes care of me. She has been so good to me that I wanted to give her that pretty flower for loving me.” When the little boy finished, the preacher could hardly speak. His eyes filled with tears and he knew he had been touched by God. He reached up and unpinned the rose. With the flower in his hand, he looked at the boy and said, “Son that is the nicest thing that I’ve ever heard but you can’t have this flower because it’s not enough. If you’ll look in front of the pulpit, you’ll see a big bouquet of flowers. Different families buy them for the Church each week. Please take those flowers to your granny because she deserves the very best.” Then the boy made one last statement which Rev. Ramsey said he will always treasure. The boy said, “What a wonderful day! I asked for one flower but got a beautiful bouquet.” That’s the thankful spirit. That’s the gratitude attitude. And it’s that attitude that should guide our giving and our lives. Like that boy’s granny, God has blessed us so much. God has been so good to us that giving shouldn’t even be a question. It should just flow from us naturally. Rev. John R. Ramsey, “Second Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul.” Adapted by Billy D. Strayhorn.
