Thankfulness

Psalm 118New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 118

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

2 Let Israel say:

“His love endures forever.”

3 Let the house of Aaron say:

“His love endures forever.”

4 Let those who fear the LORD say:

“His love endures forever.”

On July 27th In Indiana a policeman, Lieut Aaron Allen was shot by a man he was trying to help. He was killed and he had a five year old son. Not long after police including the police chief drove cars 1- 2 hours down highway 31 in Indiana and arrived in a town with their sirens going.

They travelled down one street lights flashing sirens going and stopped outside – no not a stakeout – but a lemonade stand run by a five year old boy called Malachi.

Malachi had heard of the terrible event and the fact that the officer had a five year old boy and decided to start up a lemonade stand on the side of the street to raise funds. This five year old boy raised more than 1000 dollars and the police were so touched they all travelled to Malachis town to say thank you and to just give him a big hug.

When something touches us we want to give thanks.

Luke chapter 17 In the New Testament we read about ten leppers that Jesus healed but only one – one in ten came back and said thakyou.

Listen to how the one acknowledges Jesus 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

This spontaneous thankfulness is overwhelming and complete.

Sometimes in matters of faith though our thankfulness becomes ritualistic and second rate.

This morning I would like invite you to look at psalm 118 and explore with me some key principles for thankfulness

The first core reason is the Goodness of God:-

Psalm 118

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

I don’t think you really understand how to give thanks to God until you understand how Good God is.

To be thankful – Understand the goodness of God.

Ephesians chapter 3 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth of His love, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.…

God has given us so many things – but it isn’t until we lose one of those things that we then realise how good he has1, been to us – if it is restored to us then we are more inclined to give thanks

A BRAZILIAN BOY SAYS THANKS

Max Lucado tells about living as an American in Brazil. One day, as he was walking along the street on his way to the University to teach a class, he felt a tug on his pants leg. Turning around, he saw a little boy about 5 or 6 years old with dark beady eyes and a dirty little face. The little boy looked up at the big American and said, "Bread, Sir."

He was a little beggar boy and Lucado said, "There are always little beggar boys in the streets of Brazil. Usually I turn away from them because there are so many and you can’t feed them all. But there was something so compelling about this little boy that I couldn’t turn away. So, taking his hand, I said, `Come with me’ and I took him into a coffee shop." Max told the owner, "I’ll have a cup of coffee and give the boy a piece of pastry…whatever he wants."

Since the coffee counter was at the other end of the store, Max walked on and got a cup of coffee, forgetting about the little boy because beggar boys usually get the bread and then run back out into the street and disappear.

But this one didn’t. After he got his pastry, he went over to the big American and just stood there until Lucado felt his staring eyes. Lucado said, "I turned and looked at him. Standing up, his eyes just about hit my belt buckle. Then slowly his eyes came up until they met mine. The little boy, holding his pastry in one hand, looked up and said, ‘Thank you, sir. Thank you very much.’”