TerryLema

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:  Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Paul wrote to the Thessalonians the above instructions. The Thessalonians were confused about the return of the Lord. They were also undergoing difficult times. Even Paul, himself, was having difficulties. He reports that he had longed to come to them to strengthen them in their faith, but Satan hindered him. [1 Thessalonians 2:18]

Paul’s instructions seem a bit odd in the face of such things–confusion, difficulties, persecution, and Satan’s hinderance, but Paul understood that only the power of God in our lives will overcome such things. His instructions are a pathway to finding that power.

First, we are to be joyful always. Paul knew that in joy we find strength. “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” [Neh 8:10]

Second, he told us we are to pray continually. Jesus said that “whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  [Mark 11:24]

When we pray to God for wisdom that overcomes confusion, He will give it. When we ask for peace during difficulties, He will grant it. Paul also knew that if we need power to be an overcomer, we must “give thanks in all circumstances.”

 Paul, David, Daniel, and Jesus understood the power that flows into and through our lives when we live a life of thanksgiving to God. It is power to overcome.  It is also God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.

People were jealous. The king liked him better than they did them. They searched for a way to topple this favored one but could not find anything amiss in him. They decided instead to deceive the king into making a ruling against praying to anyone except the king.  The ruling was only in effect for 30 days, but the punishment for breaking it was severe—death. These jealous men were hoping that the favored one would ignore the ruling and continue to pray to his God so that they could accuse him before the king and do away with him for good.

The favored one of the king, of course, was Daniel. And he did not disappoint his foes. Daniel did exactly what his foes thought he would do.  “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” [Dan 6:10 NIV]

Isn’t that amazing?  All Daniel had to do to avoid the lion’s den was wait 30 days for the ruling to expire. Or he could have simply given his thanks to God silently out of sight. But Daniel did not change—not even when giving thanksgiving to God became against the law and punishable by death.

There are places in our world today where men and women face death by publicly acknowledging faith in Christ Jesus, where the giving of thanks to Jesus Christ brings the wrath of others upon them. We need to lift them up in prayer every day so that they might have the courage of Daniel.

Father, I confess today that there have been times in my life where I have failed to offer my thanksgiving to you for at least 30 days. I confess today that I often forget those who are risking their lives for their faith. I pray today to be more like Daniel. And I pray today for those who are suffering and dying for their faith. May their testimony resound around the world. Amen.

David wasn’t the only one to designate people to sing and give praise and thanksgiving before the Lord [1Chronicles 16]. Years later, when the Jews returned from their captivity in Babylon, Nehemiah did the same thing.

When the Babylonians seized Jerusalem and carried off the Jews into captivity, the city was left in ruins. Solomon’s temple was destroyed. The wall which guarded the city was broken down. God put it on Nehemiah’s heart to return from exile and rebuild the wall. Others had already rebuilt a smaller version of the temple.

At the dedication of the wall, Nehemiah brought the Levites from where they were living to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres. Singers were also brought in. Two choirs were formed as they went up on top of the wall … Nehemiah directed one to the left and the other to the right. The two choirs gave thanks and took their places in the house of God. Even the women and children rejoiced.  You can read about it in Nehemiah 12:27-43.

Nehemiah reported that “on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.” [v 43 NIV]

“The sound of rejoicing … could be heard far away.” What a testimony! Oh church, is that what the world hears coming from us?  Is that what flows out of our hearts and lives? God gave them great joy. God has given us greater joy in His Son, Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Let the world hear today the sound of our rejoicing!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” [Phil 4:6-7 NIV]

Anxiety surrounds us in this life. Remember the words from yesterday that cause anxiety in our times.  Never forget that the enemy of our soul wants to keep us anxious.  He wants anxiety to take root and burrow deep down in our minds and hearts so that we can never feel safe, never feel peaceful.  He’ll use whatever it takes to generate fear.  That fear will keep us from enjoying life.

That fear will do something even more profound.  It will cause us to doubt God.  How many times after a disaster or diagnosis or death have we been confronted with, “Why did God allow this to happen?”

Unfortunately, “why?” questions are unanswerable. None of us knows the mind of God. And there must always be that acknowledgement of “free will.”

But Paul promises that if we take everything and present it to God through prayer cloaked in thanksgiving, God will guard our hearts and mind with a peace that cannot be understood in the natural. We may not know “why.” We may not see things change for the better. We will, however, have this kryptonite-like peace covering our hearts and minds so that anxiety cannot take root there.

We will be able to face life with all its dangers. We will be able to face God without any doubt that He is for us.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  [Phil 4:6 NIV]

How often I have heard this verse used as a text for thanksgiving. I’ve even used it myself. Perhaps I have even used it without giving much thought to its depth?

It begins with a decisive statement. “Do not be anxious about anything.”  Have you read the paper or online news lately?  Watched any broadcasts? How can we be living in these times and not be anxious?  Everything around us seems to be working to promote anxiety, not lessen it.  Let me list just a few words of anxiety that have been in the news recently.

Floods. Fires. Terrorism. Death tolls. Wars. Elections, Taxes. Those are national words.  What about personal words?  Cancer. Heart Attacks. Strokes. Accidents. Job Loss. Taxes (we’ll throw that one in twice.)

Yet, Paul clearly commands us in the middle of such things TO NOT BE anxious.  About ANYTHING!  Instead, we are to take all those sources of worldly and personal anxiety and present them to God in prayer, wrapped in thanksgiving.

That isn’t easy, yet it is so needful.  Because if we will follow this command, God has made a promise to us.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” [Phil 4:7 NIV]

I woke up this morning thinking about the things I still need to buy for our Thanksgiving meal.

I also woke up thinking about how the holiday has been different in so many ways. We spent many years having our children and grandchildren together on this one day. That rarely happens anymore. A few times in the past years a few of us went to a restaurant for our meal and a couple times Bob and I have simply bought “something turkey” from the grocery store and spent the day watching football.

This year we will have our daughter’s family and a couple of her friends on the actual holiday and meet with our son and daughter-in-love for a combined family gathering the Saturday following Thanksgiving.

Change is a fact of life. We want things to remain the same, to always hold to the same family traditions, but that isn’t always possible. Many times, we must make new family traditions.

David makes a promise in Psalm 9 that the LORD reigns forever, that He has established His throne, that the LORD is our refuge and stronghold, and that He has never (and never will) forsake those who seek Him. [Ps 9:7-10]

The Thanksgiving Holiday may be different for me every year, but the things for which I am thankful have not changed. Father, thank you that …

“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.” [vs 10 NLT]

My husband spent almost every bit of his working career outdoors – in the sun. Sunscreen was invented a long time ago but did not come into common use until about 30 years ago … by that time, Bob had spent decades in the sun.

Recently his doctor discovered a spot on his face that he thought should be checked by a dermatologist. The dermatologist froze various spots then sent him to a surgeon to have a cancerous lesion removed from his ear.

He also gave him cream for his face to “reveal” any pre-cancer that might be hiding. He said the pre-cancer sits “under the skin” but the cream brings it to the surface where it is removed. Oh my, after using the cream for a week, his face was almost completely covered with pre-cancers that had been exposed.

Just as that cream exposed the pre-cancer hiding beneath the surface so that it could be removed, so light exposes the hidden sin and wickedness in souls.

Ephesians 5:12-14: “It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible.” [NLT]

Jesus told us to be light in this evil world. The light in us exposes sin, brings it to the surface where godly sorrow and repentance can take place and the LORD’s salvation can bring freedom.

Ever walk into a room and people become uncomfortable before you ever say a word – that’s The Light of Christ in you doing its work.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” [Psalm 34:18 NLT]

“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.” [Psalm 147:3 NLT]

I go to a very upbeat church that has a wonderful focus on evangelism (which I heartily support). Their vision statement is “Reaching 10 cities, seeing 10,000 decisions for Christ.”

Yet, I sometimes when I’m there, I feel a bit like a “fish out of water” or maybe “a horse of a different color.” My heart, my purpose, my calling – however you want to refer to the passion of my soul – is ministry to the brokenhearted, the crushed, the wounded.

I think I was swept up by the passion of my mentor, Jim Gardiner, who always said he wanted to be the last in the parade to heaven, picking up the wounded and the crushed along the way. It is that passion that cries out in me also.

I sat in church last Sunday, amid all the energy and excitement, and honestly, felt like that “fish of a different color.” Yet, I know God has me there. Has me there for a reason. Has me there for His purpose. May not understand what yet … but I trust His will and His heart.

One of the more interesting words in the New Testament is the Greek word “eudokeó.” It means to be well pleased, to take delight, to approve or accept favorably. It is usually translated as pleased, or pleasure.

Berean Strong’s Lexicon says this about it. “It is often used in the New Testament to describe God’s pleasure or approval of certain actions, individuals, or events. The term implies a favorable disposition and is frequently associated with divine will and purpose.”

We find a form of “eudokeó” used in Matthew 3 at Jesus’ baptism. “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” [NKJV]

What makes this word interesting to me is where I also find it. In 2Corinthians 12:10 Paul uses “eudokeó” in a place where I would have inserted a far different word.

 “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” [NLT]

I am not sure I have ever taken pleasure in, delighted in, or favorably accepted insults, hardships, persecutions, or troubles. I have usually fussed, complained, and grumbled instead. Yet Paul associated those things with God’s will and purpose. He found the strength of Christ in their midst.

Knowing God’s will and purpose will provide pleasure and delight even when the circumstances cry otherwise.