FIVE THINGS GOD WOULD HAVE YOU DO FOR THANKSGIVING!
You may identify with the little boy I heard about. On his return from a school party, his mother asked him, “Bobby, did you thank the teacher for the party?” The boy answered, “ Well, I was going to. But the girl ahead of me said, Thank you, and the teacher told her not to mention it - So I didn’t.
You can be thankful in all circumstances no matter how bleak the situation. Two teachers who had not seen each other in several years met at a convention and they began filling each other in on what had been happening in their lives since they had last visited together.
One teacher said, “I got married two years ago.” “Oh, that’s good the other replied.
“No not really.” she said, “because my husband is twice as old I am.” “oh, that’s bad.” her friend replied.
“Well, no, not really,” the first one said, “because he is a millionaire several times over.” “Oh, that’s good,” her friend said.
“Well, no, not really,” she said, because he turned out to be mean and he won’t give me any money at all.” “Oh that’s bad,” her friend said.
“Well no, not really,” she said, “He did build a $ 900.000 dollar house.”“Oh, that’s good,” her friend replied.
“Well, no, not really,” she said. “It burned down last month.” “Oh, that’s bad,” her friend replied. “Well, no not really,” she said. “He was in it when it burned down. Be ye thankful!!!
The story is told of a man who was told by his doctor that he had only six months to live. In shock the man asked if there was anything that could be done. After all, this was a young man and there were many things he wanted to do.
The doctor thought for a minute and then finally gave him a solution. The doctor told the young man to go out and find the ugliest and most cantankerous women he could find and marry her. The doctor said make sure she complains about everything you do and nags you every waking moment.
Then the doctor told him to go out and buy the most beat-up old pickup truck that he could find. He said make sure it doesn’t run have the time. Then the young man was told to buy an old run down apartment.
Somewhat skeptical the young man looked at the doctor and asked, “are you sure that this will help me to live longer?”
“Not at all replied,” the doctor “but it will make six months seem like a lifetime.
The day before Thanksgiving an elderly man in Phoenix called his son in New York and said to him, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; 45 years of misery is enough. We’re sick of each other, and so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her." Frantic, the son called his sister, who exploded on the phone. "Like heck they’re getting divorced," she shouted, "I’ll take care of this." She called Phoenix immediately, and said to her father. "You are NOT getting divorced. Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" The man hung up his phone and turned to his wife. "Okay, honey. The kids are coming for Thanksgiving and paying for their flights."
Perhaps you read the email that made the rounds the week of Sept of 11th. It was called “What a Difference a Day Makes." It is particularly appropriate during our national holiday of Thanksgiving: On Monday, we e-mailed jokes. On Tuesday, we did not. On Monday, we were fussing about praying in school. On Tuesday, we would have been hard pressed to find a school where someone was not praying. On Monday, our heroes were athletes. On Tuesday, we relearned who heroes are. On Monday, there were people trying to separate us by race, sex, color, and creed. On Tuesday, we were all holding hands. On Monday, we were irritated that our rebate checks had not arrived. On Tuesday, we gave money away gladly to people we had never met. On Monday, we were upset that we had to wait 5 minutes in a fast food line. On Tuesday, we stood in line for 3 to 5 hours to give blood for the dying. On Monday, we argued with our kids to clean up their rooms. On Tuesday, we couldn’t get home fast enough to hug our kids. On Monday, we went to work as usual. On Tuesday, we went to work, but some of us didn’t come home. On Monday, we had families. On Tuesday, we had orphans. On Monday, September 10th, life felt routine. On Tuesday, September 11th, it did not. What a difference a day makes
Israel had wondered in the wilderness 40 long years. They were people who’s eyes were red from the irritation of the wilderness dust. Their nostrils were filled with the stench of polluted streams and their minds were tormented with 40 years of aimless wondering.
Deut. 6:10-12 “When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,-- houses
filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Romans 1:8- “I thank my God through Jesus Christ
Colossians 4:2- “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and
thankful.”
I want to give you five fundamental facts for maintaining a posture of praise anda spirit of Gratitude all taken out of Psalms 100:1-5
I. SHOUT FOR JOY TO THE LORD! Psalm 100:1
This is a shout with the force of a trumpet blast. It is a shout that comes deep within the depths of our souls.
Hasn’t God solved your problems time after time”
Hasn’t He given you a new start?
Hasn’t He given you a better direction?
Hasn’t he made you in the recipient of his Spiritual
blessings?
We have been awful quiet about the cross!
Some one needs to wake the church up.
We have been so dignified we are petrified.
God has called us to a celebration not a funeral.
Man is blind and Jesuse comes by in Mark 10:46 “Holler until you get it”
II. SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS PSALMS 100:2
David said, “Restore unto me the joy of our salvation.”
The most unhappy person in the world is not someone who didn’t get what he or she wanted. The most unhappy person is the one who got what he or she wanted and then found out that it wasn’t as wonderful as expected. The secret of a happy life is not to get what you want but to live with what you’ve got. Most of us spend our lives concentrating on what we don’t have instead of thanking God for what we do have. Then we wake up, our life is over, and we missed the beauty of the present.
III. SING A JOYFUL SONG PSALMS 100:2
IV. SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD PSALM 100:3
Have you ever watched a bumble bee get stuck in a class with water...that bee will fly around and it will hit the sides of the glass and it will look down, look around and look at the water the bee will look everywhere but up! Look up and see that the lord is good!
V. SAY A WORD OF THANKSGIVING PSALM 100:5
