Reasons To Thank God

Alba 11-5-2023

REASONS TO THANK GOD

I Thessalonians 2:13-16

H.A. Ironside, who was the minister at Moody Church in Chicago last century, told of an experience he had in a crowded restaurant. Just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited him to have a seat. Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer.

When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, "Do you have a headache?" Ironside replied, "No, I don't." The other man asked, "Well, is there something wrong with your food?" Ironside replied, "No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat."

The man said, "Oh, you're one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don't have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!"

Ironside said, "Yes, you're just like my dog. That's what he does too!"

We have a lot of reasons to thank God, and not just for the meals that we eat, even though that's a good one. The hymn, “Count Your Blessings”, reminds us to “name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

The apostle Paul went through a lot of troubles, but he always found reasons to thank God. When writing to the church in Thessalonica he says that there were many things about them for which he continued to be thankful.

Turn to I Thessalonians 2:13-16 where we read, “13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, 16 forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.”

Here we find at least four reasons to thank God.

1. For people who willingly receive the word of God.

2. For people who welcome (accept) God's word as the truth that it is.

3. For people in whom God's word works.

4. For people who remain faithful even through suffering.

1. It is wonderful when people are open to hearing God's Word. That was the case in the Old Testament when Josiah was king of Judah and scrolls of the law were found when the temple was being repaired. When they were read to him, he realized that they had not obeyed the words of the Lord, and he wanted to make them known to all the people.

So II Kings 23:1-2 says that “the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord.”

Janine came across this section of scripture recently in her daily Bible reading and thinking about Israel said, “Wouldn't it be great if their leaders would call the whole nation to repentance like they did in Old Testament times?” For that matter, wouldn't it be great if that were to be done in our country? We need that right here, don't we!

We have far too many people today who have “itching ears” and only want to hear what they want to hear. After covid shut down the churches, people seem to have lost interest in hearing from the Word of God. But it is still relevant for today. We still need its instruction and encouragement. Jesus often said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 11:15, 13:9, 13:43)

Faith WILL come from hearing when the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ by His death on the cross and resurrection from the tomb is proclaimed.

But even when Paul was preaching the gospel he had to deal with cancel culture. Apparently it is nothing new. In verse 16 he says that there were Jews who were “ forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved.”