“Contentment in our Thankfulness”

Scripture: Philippians 4: 4-9, 12b-13
(Thanksgiving Eve)

In 1789, President George Washington declared a day of Thanksgiving for our fledgling nation. Many in that day disagreed with his decision, and it wasn’t until 1863, while the American people were engaged in war against each other, that the last Thursday in November was finally proclaimed as a national day of Thanksgiving, and it was not until 1941, on the eve of our entry into World War II, that Congress declared that the day would to be a national holiday. But the unknown hero behind the day was a magazine editor by the name of Sarah Josepha Hale. She had a vision that was unshakable – a vision that spoke of her commitment to proclaiming our gratitude for all who had given so much to make our nation great – including the God of all creation.
And it seems that as the apostle Paul was writing his letter to the church in Philippi, from the confines of a prison, he, too, felt the overwhelming desire to give thanks for all that he had received.

Read Philippians 4:4-9

And he wanted the church to feel that same sense of gratitude. This entire letter is one of thanksgiving, and he even begins this passage by calling the church to “Rejoice in the Lord always!” Rejoice in the times of trial! Rejoice in the times of victory! Rejoice in the times of imprisonment! Rejoice in the times of freedom! Rejoice in the Lord God at all times, and in all places and in all venues, and in all circumstances, whether you feel like it or not. Just rejoice!

And why should Paul, who experienced as much privation as any of the apostles, feel this way. Why should we feel like rejoicing in such an extreme way?

Sara Maitland, in her book “A Big-Enough God”, writes:
“So, as it turns out, we do not have a little, tame, domestic God, thank God, but we do have a huge, wild, dangerous God --dangerous, of course, only if we think that God ought to be manageable and safe; a God of almost manic creativity, ingenuity and enthusiasm; a Big-Enough God, who is also a supremely generous and patient God; a God of beauty and chance and solidarity--or one could [even] say, an Extreme God.”

--Sara Maitland, A Big-Enough God (New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1995).

Our Lord is not a wimp! He does everything in a grand and glorious way. He spoke a word, and creation happened! He created beings, not just to be human, but in Their image and with His own breath! He caused the walls of great cities to simply collapse. He stopped the sun from moving across the sky to gain victory for His people. He sent heavenly, as well as earthly messengers, to speak of His love and glory. And when all else failed, He Himself came to be the perfect Redemption for an unworthy earth.

Why shouldn’t we be giving Him thanks? Regardless of what comes into our human lives, our Extreme and Constant God is never changing, and He continues to guarantee eternal life for all who will accept it. What’s not to rejoice over? He deserves our worship! He deserves our praise! He deserves our lives!


Dale Matthews writes:
It is easy to confuse adoration and thanksgiving, but they are different, though certainly related to one another.
Adoration might be likened to the feeling [young] lovers have for one another as they gaze into each other's eyes, or the emotion that overcomes a parent when a newborn is placed in his or her arms.
Thanksgiving [on the other hand], is a conscious recounting of the blessings God has given us, and a deliberate act of recognizing his work in our lives. I think of thanksgiving simply as giving credit where credit is due -- to the God who gives us life and breath. In the process of giving thanks, we remind ourselves that God is trustworthy, that he cares about us, and that we do not struggle through this life alone.
--Dale A. Matthews, The Faith Factor, (New York: Viking, 1998), 219.


An Extreme God! A Constant God! A Noble God! An Excellent God! A God who deserves all of the credit and all of our praise. And we must never see our thanksgivings as an obligation or a chore. It should be given out of pure gratitude.

Read Philippians 4:12b-13

And in our giving thanks to Almighty God, we gain, in addition to everything else that He has selflessly won and freely given to us, a contentment that will overcome all adversity and acknowledge all blessings, no matter what may come our way.

As we gather around our tables tomorrow, remember Psalm 136 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.”

Rejoice in the Lord – not just on Thanksgiving day, but on all days, in all circumstances, at all times, in all places. Rejoice!