We are focusing on being anchored this fall and our focal passage is Hebrews 6:19 – 20a. “This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us.”
Let’s review what we have covered so far.
- Jesus is our anchor!
- Jesus secured our anchor in “God’s inner sanctuary.”
- Jesus compels hopeful expectancy.
This month we focus on the need to have anchored thankfulness. It seems easy to be thankful when our lives are good, when people are kind, generous, consistent, and gracious. But, what happens when life is hard, people are mean, finances are lean, and unmet expectations dominate our days? That is when thankfulness is of the utmost importance. Let’s look at three important areas to show thankfulness.
Thankful for God’s Past Mercy
Psalm 136 repeats over and over again, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever.” The Psalmist recounts many of the ways God had shown mercy to the Israelites and it compelled him to give thanks. His words encourage us to do the same. How has God shown mercy in your life? I encourage you to take the challenge I give in this video encouragement! Click here to watch ==> Thankfulness
Thankful for God’s Present Provision
Paul commands that we “rejoice always, pray continually, and in all things give thanks, for this is the will of Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Today, no matter how good or how bad things are, choose to rejoice, pray, and show gratitude. I’m not suggesting you rejoice over bad things, but that you center your rejoicing on God’s goodness, Jesus’ finished work on the cross, and His promise to “work all things together for good, for those that love Him and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Thankful for God’s Perfected Future
Do you ever have a day where you long for heaven? The opportunity to leave behind the cares of this world and enjoy the perfection of God’s presence. As I age, I find this tug of war within me. The desire to experience as much as I can in this life seems to pull against the desire to be in heaven with Christ. Some days I feel like I catch a glimmer of what Paul meant when he penned, “for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain…I am torn between the two.” (Philippians 1:21-23). Heaven is the ultimate perfected future for believers, but just like Paul, we continue living so we can share the Good News with as many as possible.
Each Thanksgiving reminds me why it is worth continuing to serve God. After our family enjoys our meal, we each share three things for which we are thankful. It is great to hear how God has impacted each of our lives in the past year, and it spurs me to keep serving more anchored in thankfulness.
May this Thanksgiving provide an opportunity for you and your family to reflect on God’s great mercy in your lives, His abundant provision in your present, and the perfected future He has promised. May your celebration leave you more anchored in thankfulness.
