01.09.2011 (Sun) Give Thanks in All Circumstances (1 Th 5:16-18)

In Korean, the word for Thanksgiving is “Gam-Sa”. Gam means “feeling”, and Sa means “thanks; gratitude”. Furthermore, feeling implies understanding. The ark of covenant represented life that comes from knowing Jesus Christ. Inside the ark of covenant were the two stone tablets containing the 10 commandments, the budded rod of Aaron, and the golden jar containing manna.

Each of these 3 things represented spiritual understanding: The 10 commandments represented the understanding that through law comes the consciousness of sin (Rom 3:20); Manna represented the understanding that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord (Dt 8:3); The budded rod represented the understanding that the Lord will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth (Is 11:4).

The 10 commandments were given to teach us how to believe in God. What are the first and last commandments? The first commandment is to have no other gods before Him (Ex 20:3) and the last commandment is to not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor (Ex 20:17). These commandments were given to us because we were unable to be fulfilled by God alone. The reason for the budded staff was because of our resentment towards authority (Nu 16:49). And finally, manna was given to resolve the resentment of starvation.

Therefore, let us have a faith that can overcome resentment, whether big or small. He who overcomes is he who gives thanks. Whatever you do, be triumphant. Through faith, overcome yourself, the world, and Satan! The opposite of thanksgiving is resentment. The outcome of resentment is death (Nu 17:10, 1 Co 10:10). The seed of resentment is dissatisfaction. When we are dissatisfied, we become stingy and lay fault on others and become resentful people. However, when we give thanks, we rid ourselves of resentment and dissatisfaction.

Thanksgiving is the key that opens up all paths. Through thanksgiving we can guard our thoughts. What will happen when are thoughts waver back and forth? By being thankful, our hearts will remain steady and unangered. That is why 1 Co 10:31 tells us that whether we eat or drink, whatever we do, we must do it all for the glory of God, and only if we are thankful can we accomplish this.

Have faith that through thanksgiving there is absolute prosperity and the blessing to bring forth God’s miracles. This is because he who give thanks is not one who seeks luck but one who is diligent.We must give thanks in all circumstances. Even Eph 5:20 directs us to always give thanks to God the Father for everything. What in the world did Job have to be thankful for when he was robbed all of his possessions, all of his workers below him had died, and his 10 children whom he loved more than anything in this world were taken from him? What happened to Job had to have caused him

unimaginable pain and anguish, but even still, Job gave thanks to the Lord. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised (Job 1:21).”

Even if we know God, we must truly know him to be able to give thanks in every circumstance the way Job did. That is why Rom 1:21 teaches us, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” It is he who knows God that gives thanks to God. It is towards he who does not rely on anyone else but truly desires God alone that thanksgiving follows. Look at David. Even when his own son conspired against him and became rebellious and brought about darkness to his family, David put all his heart and strength in giving thanks to God.

In 1 Ch 29:14, David asks, “But who am I, and who are my people that we should be able to give as generously as this?” And David answers himself saying, “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” Is it easy to give everything of yours up to God? It must be felt through faith to be able to give thanks. In faith, there is no right or left, and thus thanksgiving comes from the center. Thanksgiving helps us to overcome any circumstance. This is a fact! Do not forget the prosperity that comes from thanksgiving!

Beloved friends, doesn’t Is 51:3 teach us that when God makes our deserts like Eden and wastelands like the garden of the Lord that there will be joy and thanksgiving? We can also see in Ps 69:30 that in thanksgiving we will praise God’s name in song and glorify him, and that with thanksgiving we will enter His gates and his courts with praise and give thanks to him and praise His name (Ps 100:4). We must sacrifice to God with a song of thanksgiving (Jnh 2:9). Therefore, do not think about being triumphant through anything else but put your faith in the word and become humbled and righteous. God surely sustains and gives grace to the humble (Ps 147:6, Pr 3:34). He brings prosperity to the thankful.

Dearest friends, the root of all blessings is the Word. Jesus Christ who is the word is the root of all blessings. If and when life becomes challenging and we seek marvels and miracles moreso than the Word of God itself, that will become an undulating or wavering faith. A wavering faith is one that sets to gain profit of health and possessions. However, who are the blessed? It is he who meditates on the Word of God. It is because he meditates on the Word that he does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers (Ps 1:1-2)! Beloved believers, give thanks in all circumstances!