Thanksgiving, "A Matter Of The Heart"

Thanksgiving, a matter of the Heart

Philippians 4:4-9 NKJ

4. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

5. Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

7. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

9. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Thanksgiving is much more than a holiday celebration; it is a state of mind, a condition of the heart.

It is more than a celebration of food; it is the celebration of faith!

The accuser doesn’t want you to have a celebration of faith, any joy, or a happy heart,

The only thing he wants your heart under, is attack, stress and worry,

Don’t believe me? Have you seen the news lately?

We are inundated by his design with the strife and stress he inflicts on the world,

he tries to fill our lives with worry,

did you know that the English word for “worry” comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word which means “to strangle.”

That’s a pretty good description of what it does to a person, what is does is take a stranglehold, on our peace of mind. It would like nothing better than to compłetely choke it off.

That’s why TBS. to trust the Lord, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

And TBS. that God, when you put your trust in Him, never stops doing just that!

Psalms 121:1-8, MSG.

1-2. I look up to the mountains;

does my strength come from mountains?

No, my strength comes from God,

who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

3-4. He won’t let you stumble,

your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.

Not on your life! Israel’s

Guardian will never doze or sleep.

5-6. God’s your Guardian,

right at your side to protect you—

Shielding you from sunstroke,

sheltering you from moon stroke.

7-8. God guards you from every evil,

he guards your very life.

He guards you when you leave and when you return,

he guards you now, he guards you always.

Praise God for His everlasting faithfulness, Amen!

Here are some things to be thankful for if your finding it hard to find things to be thankful for today;

*That there aren’t twice as many politicians as there are doctors.

*That the leaves are almost done, both falling and blowing, to and from your neighbors yard.

*That snow will cover unraked leaves.

*That sooner or later, everything you own, will eventually come back in style.

*That your not the turkey on your table this year.

And the number one thing to be thankful for, is the fact that God is still on the throne and in control of it all.

As believers, thanksgiving should not be a once a year event,

or for that matter even a once a week event, but should be a continual state of mind,

The first thing we do in the morning, and the last thing we do at night

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

“rejoice always?” Really, Why?

Have you seen the news? Yes

Have you seen the economic outlook? Yes

Have you heard about what they say, is going to happen to medical care and the quality of it! Yes

Have you seen the fighting and tension in the middle east Lately? Yes

Here’s my question to you, Have you heard about, or read about, or ever experienced first hand,

what God is capable of Lately?

He will always be, bigger than anything the accuser is capable of throwing at any of us, or those around us! Praise God!

The word doesn’t say, rejoice in everything that’s happening to and around you, it says to Rejoice in the Lord, always.

Sometimes it may not seem like it, But God is always bigger than any circumstance!

So many people have lost hope and find it hard these days, to rejoice about life,

Here’s a poem that sums them up, its by Wade Hughes and its called, the pessimist creed;

Why rejoice in sunshine?

It will just turn to dark clouds and much rain!