Be Thankful in Everything

And that's a remarkable thing, I think, in this country. It goes back right to our very first president. Being willing to say, you know what? I think we know where these blessings came from. They came from God. And even our Congress at that time, they had a proclamation at that time. And eventually, under Abraham Lincoln, it was officially proclaimed that there would be an annual day of appreciation and thanks to God for all the benefits that He bestows upon us and upon this nation.

And if I remember correctly, even part of the proclamation that says, it is the duty of all nations to thank God for the benefits that He's bestowed upon us. And that's really remarkable because not all nations believe in that God, but that was the proclamation, that it is the duty of all nations to do that. So at the time we start to think about our blessings, as there are many of them, aren't there? We think about those things, and as our past presidents noticed in the past, not only for the blessings, but also for the guidance that He's given to us in the affairs of our country. So we tend to focus on being thankful at that time, and that's the good thing.

But I think sometimes, once that time has passed, we can begin to forget again, and begin to slide back and forget about the fact that we are so blessed and begin to maybe complain or grumble a little bit about some of life's challenges and difficulties that we find. As I begin the message today, I'd like to bring your attention to 1 Corinthians chapter 10.

So let's go ahead and turn over there to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. We'll start there. It's really, I think, a remarkable chapter for God's people, in a sense, because there's a lot here in this particular chapter. You know, as we go over there, if we look at verses 1 through 11, we see a lot of things here. As we go through this particular chapter, verses 1 through 11 refer to experiences that God's people have had in the past.

And it talks about the choices made by a few of God's people in the past were good choices. Notice verse number 5, though. As we focus on that, it says, But with most of them, God was not well pleased. It seemed like the vast majority of his people at that time, he was not well pleased with them.

And then he tells us why. As we begin to go through verses 7 through 10, he tells us why he was not pleased, well pleased, with most of them. It reveals some of the poor choices that most of God's people made back then, and the consequences of those choices. And then in verse 11, God reveals to the apostle Paul a remarkable concept when he writes, Now all of these things happened to them as examples. They happened for examples for future generations. Interestingly, they didn't have examples of their own to look back to, but God said these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

Now this is an extraordinary statement here. God says, All of these things happened to them, the children of Israel, as examples, and they were written for our admonition, Christian admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Now this is certainly contrary to what many theologians believe when they say that the Old Testament has no value.

Wow! Does that go in the face of what God just inspired us to read here through the apostle Paul? Because the truth is just the opposite. God reveals that these things happened to his people in the past for a reason. As an example, that they have great significance.

We can't toss these things aside. On the contrary, they have great significance and importance. Examples for his people today. Written for us today, for our admonition and our instruction. So there are many things we can learn then from these examples of the children of Israel in the past. There are many spiritual principles that you and I can learn from past conduct of God's people.

In fact, there are many messages, many sermons that we could give that touch just on these few verses here, verses 1 through 11. So let's begin at looking at one of those examples. Let's focus on verse 10 here in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. It says, nor complain, the New International Version says, rumble, nor complain, as some of them also complain, and notice, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Brother God reveals through their example that complaining is not harmless sport, that it is a sin. It's a sin, a serious one, as Paul writes here in verse 10, and apparently a serious sin that has consequences.

It says, they were destroyed by the destroyer. The title of the message today is, to be thankful in everything. Be thankful in everything. What I hope to accomplish today is to review what the Scriptures reveal to you and to me about being grateful or ungrateful. We'll look at some of their examples of being thankful or unthankful. So let's look at some Scriptures today. Let's begin first by looking at an example for us of the children of Israel. When it comes to being ungrateful or complaining or grumbling, as some translations put it. Let's go over to Numbers chapter 13. Let's look at some of these Scriptures here.

Rather than complaining, we've all done it, haven't we? We've all done it from time to time. When things don't go our way, or when we don't like what's happening around us, we complain, or we grumble, and we make excuses. Yet the Bible clearly reveals here in Numbers chapter 13, we're going to look at an example here, and at other places, that the Bible clearly tells you and me that it is a sin. Period. And it's a sin that has consequences to you and to me, and actually to other people as well. Certainly had consequences for the Israelites, and it has consequences for us today.

There's no difference in that sense. So let's think about it. Let's ask ourselves some questions. What do you and I do when things go wrong? What do we do? How do we approach it? What's our state of mind? How do we react? Are we a person who steps up and says we put on a positive attitude in a sense, or are we a complainer? You know, it's easy for you and I to fall into a complaining mode or a grumbling state of mind. But there is a clear difference between talking out a problem and complaining without looking for a solution.

There's a big difference there, and it's often easy to fall into that. The Bible gives us some guidance here about complaining. Let's review a few points here before we start reading an example here in Numbers chapter 13. One point is complaining can negatively affect others and ourselves. Complaining can negatively affect others and ourselves. We've probably seen it in our own life. There's a powerful example of complaining and its consequences of this sin in Numbers chapter 13. Let's begin there right in verse number 1. Numbers chapter 13 and verse 1. It says, God says, Moses was considered a command and that's how he lived his life.

And so Moses did what God commanded him to do. Verse 3. We jump to verse 6. We see a couple of these heads here. Two of the ten. These were the ones that were, did not give a bad report, as we'll read about in a moment. So we see from the tribe of Judah, Caleb was one of those spies, the son of Jephana. And then in verse number 8, if we jump to that from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshiah, also known as Joshua, the son of Nun, was another one of those twelve.

Now of the twelve Israelite spies that were sent out to spy out the Promised Land prior to God's people entering into it, we understand from the other scriptures that ten of those spies brought a bad report. Let's jump to verse number 25 and see how that plays out. Numbers 13, 25, same chapter, verse 25.

It says, And they returned from spying out the land after forty days. So they were gone for a while. Same time that Moses had gone up to get the ten commandments. And the people were probably thinking, okay, when they come back, what are they going to tell us? What are they going to share with us? You know, they've been gone for a while, and now they're back.

So they went out to spy the land for forty days, verse 26, and they departed, and they came back to Moses and Aaron and all of the congregation, the children of Israel, in the wilderness of Puran at Kadesh. And they brought back word to them and to all of the congregation. And they showed them the fruit of the land. You may remember some other scriptures talk about the grape clusters were so heavy. They had to be tied to a pole that was carried by two men. Can you imagine that? That's the fruit of the land. So, verse 27, and they told them, we went to the land where you sent us, and it truly flows with milk and honey.

Just like God said, it does truly flow with milk and honey. And this is its fruit. So they showed them some of the things that they brought back from the land. But now there's a transition year in verse 28. Nevertheless, oh yes, it's a great land. It's filled with milk and honey, and this is some of its fruit.

But nevertheless, the people who dwell in that land are strong. And the cities there, they're fortified, and they're very large. And you know, moreover than that, we saw the descendants of Anak there. The descendants of Anak, the descendants were giants. They were giants. And now we see the descendants of Anak there. We'll read that here in just a moment. Verse 29, and the Amalekites, they dwell on the land in the south. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites, they dwell on the mountains. And the Canaanites, they dwell by the sea and along the banks of Jordan. Jump to verse 32.

It says, And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land, which they had spied out, saying, the land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants.

And all the people whom we saw are men of great stature. You can almost see their hearts sinking here. Cities are fortified. They're large. You know, these men are giants. You know? I mean, we don't have a chance. It's basically what they're saying here. Well, as part of verse 32, the people that are there are men of great stature. And then, reading verse 32 out of the New Living Translation, it says, So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites. But then the same thing can happen today, can't it?

Nothing's different. Nothing's new under the sun. We have a side of the story that is bad, and we want to spread it. Verse 33, There we saw the giants, there they are, the descendants of Anak, came from the giants. And you know how we compared ourselves to them? We were like these little grasshoppers that you know, you know, small grasshoppers compared to you and me. You might just step on it with your shoe. We were like grasshoppers. They might be over imagining here a little bit, huh? We were like grasshoppers in our own side, and so we were in their side.

So these ten spies reported that the Promised Land was fortified, that the cities were large, men were of great stature, they were giants. And what did this do? This report. It discouraged God's people, didn't it? What do you think God thought of those ten men? What do you think He thought about those ten men that brought this bad report to His people? How did this bad report affect God's people? I think they came to feel they're going to be squashed once they get there. They have no chance. They're going to be squashed once they enter the Promised Land.

And you remember the story? What happened is they began to complain. Numbers 14, verse 1. So all the congregation lifted up their voices and they cried. And they wept, it says, that night. And so they were discouraged, obviously, and they began to complain, it says in verse 2. All the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation said it. Imagine being in Moses and Aaron's shoes. If only we died in Egypt. If only we died in the wilderness. So the congregation complained because that was what the majority told them.

The majority had to be right. So what were the consequences of this whole scenario? What were the consequences to the ten spies? What were the consequences to the people that complained? Well, they will see that the consequences are pretty severe. Let's look at the consequences of the ten spies first. Let's go to Numbers 14, here's St.

Chapter. Let's jump to verse 36. It tells us here that these ten spies who gave a bad report, they lost their lives. Let's read it. Numbers 14, 36, now the men who Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain.

Wow! You know, sometimes we don't think about it, but that's exactly God says what happened. God didn't have this in mind. This wasn't what he was thinking when he sent these twelve spies out. He didn't realize this is what's going to happen, but what he says, what they did is they made his people complain. Who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, those very men, and now he translates it from a bad report to an evil report.

Those very men who brought the evil report about the land died by the plague before the Lord. Sometimes we think that those ten men, you know, they were able to go back out, you know, and be part of the wilderness for the forty years, and they were going to die in the wilderness for forty years, and their descendants were going to go away. No, that's not what happened to the ten. They died almost immediately. That's how strong God felt about that. God wasn't pleased. With the people who had spread an evil report, these men had a fact on his people, on so many of his people, and they were partly responsible for changing the life and future of subsequent generations.

What about the consequences of the people who heard the bad report and complained? Well, I think most of us know the story. Let's pick it up here in verse number 32 here, in Numbers 14, verse 32. But as for you, your carcasses are going to fall in the wilderness. You're not going into the promised land. You're not going in. So there were consequences for them. They were not going to inherit the land.

And of course, there's a lot of parallels, in a sense, spiritually. You know, we've been brought out of each spiritual Egypt, and we're on our way towards the kingdom of God. So we're, in a sense, in the wilderness. We haven't yet inherited our promised inheritance, the kingdom of God. The parallel is there with the promised land.

So God said, yes, you were influenced by others to complain, but you have a responsibility, too. As he says here, in verse 32, your carcasses will fall in this wilderness. And verse 31 will back up one verse, but for you, the ones whom you said would be victims, you're going to bring them in. And they shall know the land which you have despised. So God speaks powerfully, I think, and very clearly to you and to me, about how he feels. And that's why this lesson is here. It's part of the reason that this lesson is here in Numbers chapter 13 and 14.

God views complaining really very, very clearly, and how dangerous it is for us, and how it can influence us and change us and also affect others.

Let's go here to verse number 26. God speaks powerfully and clearly in this story how he views complaining. He says in verse 26 of chapter 14, hearing the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, so this is the mind of God speaking through Moses. How long am I going to have to bear with this? How long do I have to bear with this evil congregation? So he calls it evil. He calls a spade a spade. It's a sin. And ultimately, verse 27, God says that the people weren't complaining against Moses and Aaron. Ultimately, they were complaining against him.

Verse 27, how long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against me? I have heard these complaints. They've come to my ears. In other words, I've heard the complaints with the children of Israel make against me. So we see here, brethren, one example, how complaining can negatively affect themselves and other people. And I know that not one of us wants to be in these shoes. So God gives us guidance on how not to be in these shoes. So it has consequences. What else can complaining do? Well, complaining can lead to further disobedience. Complaining can lead to disobedience. Over to Psalm 106. There are a lot of scriptures we could take a look at here. Romans 1 talks about how people didn't give glory to God. They weren't thankful, and eventually what ended up happening to their character. Remember Romans 1? They get into homosexuality and all kinds of crazy things. And part of that is a spirit of a problem or disobeying the principle of gratitude and becoming unthankful. Let's see what it says here in Psalm 106 and verse 25. Psalm 106, verse 25. David's kind of recounting some of these things that we read about in Numbers and touched on in 1 Corinthians 10. Psalm 106, verse 25 tells us, They complained, the old King James says, grumbled. They complained in their tents, and they did not heed the voice of the Lord. They didn't obey. They didn't listen. They didn't heed.

The new international version of this verse says, They grumbled in their tents, and they did not obey the Lord. So while the Bible says that complaining is a sin, it also says it can lead to other things. Further disobedience, and that this is a process, a process that God wants us to understand. That complaining and grumbling can lead to further disobedience and sin. It can also lead to an attitude where you lose faith or you cause others to lose faith as well.

Remember, as God's people, we're to be an example of our Heavenly Father and our older brother, Jesus Christ. So it's important that we focus on how God can work to make things better, not how bad our situation is at the moment.

Another way that complaining can affect us, it can be a sign of being ungrateful. It can be a sign of being ungrateful. Often with complaining comes pouting. And if we complain and focus on all the negative things, we can lose sight of all the good things that God has done in our life. And we actually have a lot of examples of the children of Israel in that regard. The manna wasn't enough. They weren't focusing on what they did have. They were focusing on what they wanted to have and did not have.

Complaining shows an attitude that we're ungrateful, even bitter. Complaining isn't just about identifying a problem. Sometimes that's what we think. We're complaining, so we're identifying a problem. It's not just about identifying a problem. It's about not taking responsibility and helping to see the solutions.

It's basically hands-off, we're just going to complain. Monday morning, quarterback, they should have done a different thing.

And I think complaining is why it tests God's patience, because God doesn't want us to be passive. He wants us to be proactive in helping to find a solution. He wants us to be active in our faith and in our lives, which gives us purpose. But when all we do is complain about our circumstances, we're not necessarily being grateful to Him for the things that He has given to us, or that He has done for us. The Greek word translated, complainer, literally means one who is discontented.

One who is discontented with their lot in life.

It is similar in meaning to the word grumbler. Complaining certainly isn't the fruit of God's Holy Spirit, which we find in Galatians 5, verses 22 and verses 23. In fact, if anything, it's detrimental to some of the fruit of the Spirit of peace and joy and patience that do come from yielding to God's Spirit and following its lead. For the disciple of Christ, complaining is destructive. It's destructive to ourselves. It's destructive to others. It hurts them. It hurts us. And frankly, it only serves to make our witness to the world a whole lot harder, because who would be attracted, in a sense, to a religion whose appearance seemed to be dissatisfied with their lot in life. It's very, very difficult to be grumbled in complaining. Let's go over to Philippians 2, verses 14. Let's look at some really clear scriptures that God shares with you and me as his potential spiritual sons and daughters. As believers, as disciples, we are instructed not to grumble or complain. It's pretty simple. The application of it is difficult. But the teaching is very, very clear. Philippians 2, verses 14. Once we read through this, I'll ask you to keep your finger here, too, because we'll come back here. But let's see what we can hear from God, this God-breathed part of Scripture here in Philippians 2, verse 14. God has a way of setting the standard really clear and actually very high. He has high expectations for you and for me. He says in Philippians 2, verse 14, That sets the bar pretty high for you and me, doesn't it?

Does he have to use the word all? He did. He did. We look at the original Greek, it's what we're talking about. Do all things without complaining and disputing. New Living Translation, instead of disputing, it says arguing. Do all things without complaining and disputing. Why? Why? Just because God says so? No, there's a reason. We'll cover that hopefully in the rest of this message. But let's touch on it now, verse 15, That you may become something. That you and I may become. That we would change into something different than what we are. Apparently, following this command, if you want to put it this way, because it's God's instruction, correct? This is a command. If we follow this instruction, we become something. That we really want to become. We become blameless. Wow. We become harmless. We become children of God.

Without fault. In the midst of a faulty, crooked, and perverse generation. Brethren, this is all around us. If you're watching the news, and you see these talking heads, these newsmen going back and forth and back and forth, never happy, complaining, accusing, it's all over the place. We are immersed in this. People complain all the time. God says, not my sons and daughters. They don't. They don't. Do all things without complaining, disputing that you may become blameless and harmless. Children of God, without fault, in the midst of a crooked generation, perverse generation, on whom you are to stand out and shine as lights in the world. That's the only way we're going to be able to shine. Well, I mean, there's other ways. But I mean, as far as in this context. By not complaining, by not disputing. Brethren, we do it. I do it. Just ask my wife, and I don't. Don't ask her. But she knows. She knows that, ah. You know? So I've got work to do. I've got work to do, too. But you know, if I do that, if you do that, if we complain, if we grumble, it shows that we're still got a little bit of that. We're still immersed in some of this perverse and crooked generation, aren't we? So what's the solution? What's the solution? What does God give us as a solution? Well, keep your finger here in Philippians 2.14. Turn a chapter or two over here to Philippians 4. Same book, Philippians 4.11. We'll see here in Philippians 4.11 that part of the solution has to do with a Biblical principle that's very, very important.

Contentment. One word. Contentment. Now, this was written by the Apostle Paul, and I think most of us know that if anyone had a right to complain, if it would seem fair that anyone had a right to complain with all of the things that he went through, they'd do him. But he's the one that wrote this, and this is what he writes here. Philippians 4.11. He says that part of this verse, I have learned something. So apparently he didn't always have this. I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I have come to the point where I have learned to be content. It was a part of who he was. He had to learn it. It's something probably that happened over time. As he matured spiritually, he took on this godly characteristic in his own life.

A man by the name of Morris Sider wrote, and I quote, Too many people miss the silver lining because they are expecting gold. Those words of wisdom explain, I think, why there's so much discontent in our marriages, in our families, in our marriage, in our church families, in our relationships with others, among our neighbors. When our expectations are too high for others, or they're too high for the circumstances, our human reaction normally is to complain. But it's not the response from the man or woman of God, is it? I don't think so. What else is involved in the solution? In another word, gratitude. Gratitude. Being thankful for the benefits and the blessings that have been bestowed upon us from others or from God. Because we have all been bestowed just an abundance of blessings. Let's look at this biblical principle of gratitude for a moment. Keep your finger in Philippians 2.14, but let's go over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse number 18. How many times have you and I said to ourselves, in our prayers, God, I just knew what your will was. I don't know what your will is, but if I just knew what it was, I would do it.

Here we have an understanding of what God's will is in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 18. Notice here what God's word says. His will is to you and me about giving thanks. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 18. In everything give thanks.

Go ahead and use that word again. Some translations put, in all circumstances, does it really mean all? What about when times aren't so great?

How do we do that? If we look at the original Greek, it's talking about all. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God for you and for me in Christ Jesus. Wow! How can you say it more clearly? If you want to turn back, keep your finger here, but if you go back to Philippians chapter 2 verse 14, it says, do all things. He's using that all-inclusive word without complaining and disputing. And then on the other side, but then do everything, or in everything give thanks.

He couldn't say it more clearly to you and to me. Why does God want us to do this? Why do all things without complaining and disputing? Why in everything give thanks? Where's God taking this with this? Why does He tell us to do this? Does He know something that we don't? Yeah, He does. He does. Why does He tell us to do this? Why does God want us to have this characteristic of thankfulness and gratitude? Is there an underlying reason? Yeah. Yeah, there is. Here's part of it, brother. Giving thanks and showing gratitude changes us. It changes us. It's even been scientifically proven. We'll talk about that in a moment. It changes our perspective. It changes our character. And it also affects other people.

You know, my son, most of you parents that have had children, you know, when we try to teach them right from wrong, right? That's part of our responsibility as parents, to teach them right from wrong, to teach them manners. To say, please. I had to say, thank you. Our son was probably about eight years old. This was his first winter in Minnesota. And he'd come from Texas, warm environment, not much snow. All of a sudden we got this snow. And so we went to Shopko in Albert Lee, and we purchased a sled. A really cool sled. I don't know if I've told you this story. Am I the other? No, okay. And it wasn't like the old winter sleds that my generation had. You know, they were made out of wood. We had these metal runners, and we had to wax those metal runners to make them more slippery. So your sled would go a little faster, because the metal itself wasn't as slippery as when it had wax on it. You know, you could turn it, but you had to really crank that thing one way or the other, and then you just barely turned. This was really one of the modern sleds, okay? Made out of plastic. It was black. It was sleek. And it had brakes on it. You could also steer it by pulling up one handle. You pull up on the right handle and turn to the right. You pull up on the left handle and turn to the left. If the hill was too steep, boy, you could slow yourself down. And if you wanted to fly, just leave the brakes off. And it was really nice. It was really cool. And as we came out of Shopko, my son said to me, Thanks, Dad. And you know, it wasn't so much the words that he said, but I could tell he really, really meant it. And you know, as a parent, you know, when your child really says thanks to you and they really mean it, wow, your heart just melts, doesn't it? You sense it's genuine. And that's what it did to me. It just melted my heart. It made me feel good that he was appreciative of this gift. When I told this story in the Southern Minnesota congregation, my grandson Jamesy was listening. He said, Pop, can we go to Shopko and get one of those snacks?

Now I'm on the hook with the next generation, and that's okay with me. I got to go to get the Shopko snack. It's got to be a Shopko. So he was listening.

It made me feel good. It brightened my day. There was a man by the name of A.J. Cronin, best-selling author. Maybe you've heard of him, maybe you haven't. But before becoming an author, he was a doctor, and he told a story about a fellow doctor who gave him an unusual prescription to patients who were afflicted with worry. Anxious thought, worry, self-doubt, discouragement, and fear. The doctor called it his thank-you cure. How did this work? For six weeks, this doctor asked his patients that whenever anyone did them a favor for the next six weeks, thank them for it. Someone benefited you in some way. Say thank you. And to show that you mean it, say it with a smile. Within six weeks, most of the doctor's patients showed not only improvement, great improvement. Giving thanks. It brightens up somebody else's day, but it also affects you and me. It's a win-win situation, isn't it? That's God's way, isn't it? A win-win. Everyone benefits. He says if you're feeling down, unloved, unappreciated, try reaching out to others. It may be the medicine that you need. Interesting. Giving thanks starts a fascinating process. A godly process, a biblical process. The person being thanked feels good and appreciated. That's what happened when my son thanked me in this example. The person doing the thanking feels good, too. It's a win-win.

Giving thanks, an appreciation for what others and God has done for us. Showing gratitude for the blessings we've been given. God has a lot to say for being thankful. It is scattered throughout the Scriptures, particularly the Psalms, over and over again. God commands us actually to be thankful people. In everything. That's His words, not mine. So in 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 18, it says, And everything give thanks. And that's the title of the message. For this is the will of God in Jesus Christ concerning you. Let's go over, if you're still in Philippians, or maybe in 1 Thessalonians, but if you're in Philippians, let's go to chapter 4, verse 6. Let's go there anyway. Philippians chapter 4, verse 6. Here are Paul's instructions, further instructions, through God's Spirit, to disciples of Christ and how to live. Philippians chapter 4, verse 6, he says, And this is Paul. Remember all the things that he went through? He says, Don't worry about tomorrow. There's enough to worry about today, Christ says, in Matthew 5. But Paul says, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. So God says, you know, if it's not quite there like he'd like it, yes, we can make our requests to God, can't we? But he tells us how to do it. Don't be anxious. Well, I'm not quite content, you know. No, relax. Don't be anxious. But come to me in prayer, verse 6, and then make your supplication to me, with thanksgiving. So don't forget the blessings you still do have. And then God says, let your requests be made known to me.

Don't worry, but instead pray about everything. Tell me what you need and be thankful for what I have given to you. Simple. Simple. Simple. God's way is often simple. And then what will happen if we follow this instruction? Verse 7, this is the result. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, is going to guard your hearts, is going to guard your minds through Jesus Christ. We talked about Christ being innocent, the first message today. This is the way Christ lived. If He's in us, we're going to live the same way.

There's an old saying, you know, we talk about His peace and contentment, like Paul said that he had. There's an old saying, you've probably heard it, the optimist says the glass is half full. The pessimist says the glass is half empty. And the man or woman of God says, my cup runneth over. David's example, my cup runneth over. So He praised God, He thanked God. We look at all those Psalms. There's a mentor for us there, my cup runneth over. A thankful heart in recognition of God's guidance and His presence and the blessings He's bestowed on whatever situation that we face. It's hard to wrap our minds around it, but even James talks about calling it all a joy when you enter into trials.

And he says, be thankful in all circumstances. So He's taking us somewhere, isn't He? He's taking us somewhere with our hearts, with our attitudes, with the way that we think. Because as a man, a woman thinks, so are they. What are we thinking? What are we thinking?

I think what's fascinating is over time, you know, we have to sometimes debate between science and God and evolution versus creation. But you know, a lot of times, science begins to prove what God has taught all along. And that's always neat when that happens. I'm going to go to an article here that's entitled, Seven Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude, that will motivate you to give thanks year-round. Again, God has commanded or instructed us to be thankful. Why? Because of the benefits that it brings to ourselves, to others, and it changes us. And even science is beginning to prove this. This article is written by a woman by the name of Amy Morin. She's a psychotherapist.

This is what she writes. Developing an attitude of gratitude is one of the simplest ways to improve your satisfaction with life.

Simple, but again, we have to do it. She goes on to say, Thanksgiving is a time of year when many people begin thinking about everything they have to be thankful for. Pretty much a lot of that goes on at Thanksgiving time. Although it's nice to count your blessings on Thanksgiving, being thankful throughout the year could have tremendous benefits on your quality of life. In fact, gratitude may be one of the most overlooked tools that we all have access to every day. Cultivating attitude doesn't cost any money, and it certainly doesn't take much time. But the benefits are enormous. It doesn't take any money. It doesn't take much time.

But the benefits are enormous. Research reveals gratitude can have these seven benefits. You get online and you look at gratitude, oh man, it's all over the place. Science, research, it's been done. There's a lot more than seven benefits, but that's all the time I'm going to have to touch on. The first one that she mentions is, gratitude opens the door to relationships. So whether you thank a stranger for holding the door, or you send a quick thank-you note to a coworker or a friend who helped you in some way, acknowledging other people's contributions can lead to new opportunities in relationships. Acknowledging what others have done to help or benefit you opens the door more to better relationships. And the same with God, if we show our gratitude to Him.

That's my part I added. I'm not quoting that. Number two, gratitude improves physical health. Oh, come on. Really? Well, grateful people experience fewer headaches and pains. They report feeling healthier than other people, according to a 2012 study published in Personality and Individual Differences. A third benefit, gratitude improves psychological health. Gratitude does the following. It reduces a multitude of toxic emotions, ranging from envy and resentment to frustration and regret. Robert Emmons, a Ph.D. leading gratitude researcher, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. His research confirms that gratitude effectively increases happiness and it reduces depression.

A fourth benefit, gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. Grateful people are more likely to behave in a pro-social manner, even when others behave less kind. According to a 2012 study by the University of Kentucky, study participants who ranked higher on gratitude scales were less likely to retaliate against others, even when given negative feedback. They experienced more sensitivity and empathy towards other people and a decreased desire to seek revenge. A fifth benefit, grateful people sleep better. Really? That's what it says. Study back in 2011. Spend 15 minutes jotting down a few grateful sentiments before bed and you may sleep better in a long-term. Research. Another one, gratitude improves self-esteem. Rather than becoming resentful towards people who have more money or better jobs, which is a factor in reduced self-esteem, grateful people are able to appreciate other people's accomplishments.

One last one here, gratitude increases mental strength. For years, research has shown gratitude not only reduces stress, but it plays a major role in overcoming trauma. Recognizing all you do have to be thankful for, even during the worst times of your life, fosters resilience.

She goes on to say, we all have the ability and opportunity to cultivate gratitude. Simply take a few moments to focus on all that you have rather than complain about all the things you think you deserve. Developing an attitude of gratitude is one of the simplest ways to improve your satisfaction in life. I've got a handout I'm going to hand out. John, maybe you can help me here. And also Brett. It's just part of the scientific research that's been done. There's two pages, the front and back, that just talks about some of the benefits of gratitude that researchers are finding out. We know it's a godly principle, but they're beginning to see how it changes people. And sometimes we don't see all the details of how it can change people. And so, this is just one person's opinion. I got this out of a website called Happier Human. It was actually part of an article of the 31 Benefits of Gratitude You Didn't Know About. And the subtitle was, How Gratitude Can Change Your Life. And the person that wrote this says, is this a Christian blog? And I'm quoting, no, I'm not even religious. When I first started looking into gratitude, I wasn't expecting much, but I was wrong. So it just talks about some of the things that change when you begin to practice gratitude. A biblical principle of being thankful. The backside page talks about some of the consequences of ingratitude, and that's a really terrific article. I got that also from a man by the name of Jacob Hutchins. I think he does a really nice job, and I don't have the time to go through that, but I think it's worth a read. You see some of the scriptures, and it ties into some of the scriptures we've already talked about. 1 Corinthians chapter 10, some of the stories that we talked about that happened to the children of Israel. But it goes even into more detail in some of those things. I think that would be helpful as well.

Let's go over to Colossians chapter 3 and verse number 15.

Colossians chapter 3 and verse 15. Scientific things are beginning to show us what God has known all along. Colossians chapter 3 verse 15. Again, this is written by Paul, inspired by the spirit to our brothers and sisters in Colossae. And let's read what he shares with us here. Colossians chapter 3 verse number 15.

It says, let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. And there's a reason why I think he says let. He uses that word let because sometimes we resist. We resist because we still want to do it our own way. And so it keeps us actually from having the very peace really that we want. A godly peace. But he says let the peace of Christ rule. If there's going to be anything that rules, let's let that rule in our hearts. Since as members of one body, which we are, we were called to peace. And notice, be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish, because we are to be teachers, aren't we? To be lights, examples. Let the message of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with wisdom through the Psalms and the hymns and the songs from the Spirit. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether it's in word or in deed, do it in the name of Jesus Christ. It's like Christ in us. Try to follow His example. I'm doing this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in word or in deed, and giving thanks to God the Father through Him. There's a lot there in that section of Scripture. I wish I had time to go through the Scriptures, but there are so many of them. If we did a word search on your computer for thanks, or thanksgiving, or praise, it comes up time and time and time again. Over 340 times in the Scriptures. Grumble or complain? That comes up, too. About 51 times. Isn't it interesting how God emphasizes to be grateful? Have gratitude. Have thanksgiving. There are so many good ones, but I'll just have you write some of these down. We don't have time to turn there, but you can certainly turn there now if you've got time, or want to later.

But even Psalm 100, verse 4, enter his gates with thanksgiving. Psalm 100, verse 4, enter his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him, and bless his name.

Another one, this is from a different translation of New King James, but Psalm 9, verse 1, I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, and I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I won't forget your benefits. I'll recount them to you. I'll verbalize them to you, in my heart, in my mind, in my lips.

Psalm 69, verse 30, again a different translation here, but I will praise the name of God with a song. I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Now these are from our mentor, David. Let's look at another example back in the New Testament. You may remember this story back in Luke, chapter 17, verse 11. Remember the story of the Ten Lepers, who requested healing from Jesus Christ? Let's notice something there. Chapter 17.

We'll pick it up here in verse 11.

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, but before he got there, he had to pass through Samaria, in Galilee, verse 11, verse 12. Then as he entered a certain village, doesn't necessarily tell us what that village was, but somewhere along the way, there met him ten men who were lepers, and they stood a father off. They lifted up their voices, verse 13, and they said, Jesus, master, have mercy on us. When he saw them, he said, go show yourselves to the priests. And so it was, as they went, they were cleansed. Now imagine having leprosy for a while, and you want the healing, and you're told to go to the priest, and as you go to the priest, all of a sudden you look down at your arms, and your feet, and your legs, and all of a sudden it's gone.

Wow! Pretty neat. And that's exactly what happened. That part of verse 14, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, he returned. And with a loud voice, he glorified God. He fell down on his face at Jesus' feet, and he gave him thanks.

Wow. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus is trying to make a couple of extra points here, isn't he? He gave thanks, and he was a Samaritan. Verse 17, Jesus answered, and he said, weren't there ten that should have been grateful? Weren't there ten that should have fell down and shown appreciation? Well, where are the nine? Verse 18, were there not any found who returned to give glory to God? Rather, maybe we don't think about that. Giving thanks to God is a part of glorifying him, praising him for all the benefits bestowed.

Were there not any found, verse 18, who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner? Rather, I think it shows the attitude in both of gratitude and ingratitude, really in the same story here. True story here. It's demonstrated clearly this example that Jesus Christ shared with us in Scripture.

God happens to be mindful in all circumstances of giving thanks and showing gratitude. Not long ago, I think it was right around Thanksgiving, Victor Kubik, our president, shared this thought. I'll just quote some of this. Some of this has probably shared the announcements you may have seen, maybe not. Talking about in the U.S., it was Thanksgiving Day, and he talked about Canada having their Thanksgiving Day.

He says, and we just recently kept the Feast of Tabernacles, which in a way we reflect on our blessings as well. He says, let me share a poignant story of thankfulness with you. While I was visiting western Ukraine in 1992, which was one year after it declared independence from the Soviet Union, the economy was in shambles and good. Goods and food were in scarce. Supply and unemployment was widespread. He says, at that time, we were guests at the home of a Sabbath-keeping family. Earlier in the day, they had asked me to stand in a bread line to get two additional loaves of bread for their family for that week. Everyone in line was entitled to two unwrapped loaves from the back of a truck. I pushed forward in the crowded line and was met by a large woman who pushed two loaves into my chest, grabbed my money, then pushed me aside for the next customer. This was an unforgettable experience that I had. He says, the family that I stayed with was so thankful for that extra food for that week. That evening was the Sabbath. When sunset came, the entire family of six knelt down and they included me in their prayer welcoming the Sabbath, everyone prayed. It was touching to me, and I was moved to tears by hearing their deep expression of thankfulness for all that God had done for them for that past week. Wow. That reminder, I think, to you and to me.

Further, I'm going to read a true life story of someone who began to apply the Biblical principle of gratitude, this God, the characteristic of thankfulness. True story. His name is Dr. Rick Harson. He's not a part of our church, but he's practicing the Biblical principle. He's a professor of psychology at the University of California, author. He says this, among other things, he says, you know what's really interesting is that despite all the scientific evidence and the research that demonstrates the ability of gratitude to have a positive impact on our mood, and our motivation and our mindset, that that practice is not widely adopted in our society. He relays his personal experience as a three-year journey that he's on, applying the Biblical principle of gratitude. He says, around three years ago, and I'm quoting now, I started my own gratitude practice. It's had more of a positive impact on my life than any other decision I've ever made. That's a remarkable statement. It's had a more positive impact on my life than any other decision that I've ever made. Prior to adopting gratitude, I was going through a difficult time in my life, my relationship with my spouse, in the process of breaking down. A family member was battling a terminal illness, and I wasn't taking good care of myself. I was caught in a familiar trap of eating badminton, not exercising much, working too hard. I often felt tired and overwhelmed. Now, this is a researcher that knows some of the things about gratitude. He knew the scientific evidence, knowing that I needed to make some changes. Okay, you get to a point sometimes when it goes so far. But not sure where to start, I kept noticing the word gratitude everywhere I went. Seeing this word so often grabbed my attention that I was intrigued, and despite my skepticism that something as simple as expressing appreciation could make a difference in my state of mind, but I was curious enough to give it a try. Over the course of the next three months, I was humbled and I was amazed by the impact of focusing on gratitude, and the impact that it began to have on my life. Day by day, I felt calmer, more at peace. My overall energy levels and enthusiasm for life started to rise. Within two months, I was sleeping better. I was exercising more. My mood felt lighter and more joyful. I had increased focus at work. I felt less stressed and irritable. I was happier and I was more content. All the things that we've talked about in Scripture, in a sense, contentment, peace.

What this experience proved to me is that incorporating a gratitude practice into your life is one of the best and easiest decisions that you can make for your own well-being. He goes on to say, it's been three years since I started this journey, and the benefits continue to grow. They continue to flourish, making it a very important part of my daily routine. He doesn't want to stop. He says, as humans, I know we're hardwired not to be grateful. It doesn't come naturally to us. That's certainly a biblical principle, too, isn't it? It doesn't come naturally to us. Paul said he had to learn it. It's often so much easier to grow and complain and think about all the areas in our life that we're experiencing pain or hardship. Give you many things. Sometimes it's not enough money to bank, or a spouse doesn't understand us. With the crazy commute we have to endure and heavy traffic to get to work each day. Talk about commutes and traffic, brethren. We have a member in Sri Lanka that has to commute one way to work five days a week. It's a two-and-a-half-hour commute each way in Columbus, Sri Lanka. The crazy commute we have to endure and heavy traffic to get to work each day, whatever the reason, it seems to be human to focus on what's going wrong in our lives or what we don't have, which leads to a sense of powerlessness over how we feel. The downside of ingratitude is that it's incredibly seductive. The saying, misery loves company, has a great deal of truth to it, and there's no shortage of people around us to indulge in our complaining. When I look back at the sort of person I was three years ago, the lens through which I knew the world was decidedly negative. I often felt I had limited control over the events that happened to me and the impact that they had on my life. I felt it was normal to feel sad and to have low energy because that's what I told myself was expected when challenges hit you. Phrases like, it's not fair, or why is this happening to me, or is this really all there is to life? Frequently played in my head, and I felt I was powerless to change it.

A commitment to living a life of gratitude has thankfully reversed that. It's a skill that takes practice and getting used to it. He goes on to talk about how it's affected his life. The content that becomes stronger than dissatisfaction, the peace becomes stronger than the frustration, the appreciation becomes stronger than the criticism and complaining, and the resilience to life challenges increase. He says, overall, life has become sweeter and more fun through practicing thankfulness and gratitude. And the happier and more contented we are, the kinder we are to people around us, meaning that all who come into contact with us begin to feel better, too. You've probably seen it, too. You've been wrong. Somebody that has that attitude. It's infectious to us, too, isn't it? You probably could think of imagining somebody in your life that's had... They're just upbeat, positive, grateful.

It comes to mind.

Brother, it's just been recently, and you've probably been following some of the stories about the death of our 41st president. I was talking a little bit with the Arnesons earlier, but all the good things they're saying about him, and how they appreciate all the benefits that he brought to the country. And you've been following some of that. Even the liberal media has been basically giving accolades to him about how he basically made a positive impact on the country, and that we were fortunate to have him as president. You know, all these things being said, of course, after his death, not why he was alive. He didn't hear a lot of this. So, brother, I just want to say to you, thank you, and show my gratitude to all of you. You know, it's not easy walking this journey, is it? And you're here. You've had to go through a lot to be here, and to be able to stay here. And our journey's not over yet. But I want to thank you. I want to thank you for your service that you've given to God and to his people. So many different things, you know, and serving one another can be in many different areas. We each have different gifts and talents where we serve in different areas. And sometimes it's as simple as set up and take down or helping with ensemble or, you know, leading songs or giving messages or just giving an encouraging word to somebody to edify one another. You know, we don't hear appreciation as often as we should. So I want to thank you for your service to God and to his people. I want to thank you for your love for one another. You know, you show your love in so many ways, you know, encouraging, going to see somebody who's sick, being there just to say nothing sometimes in the midst of grief. And our family, that's what family does. I want to thank you for your service and for your love. Thankfulness or unthankfulness? Gratitude or ingratitude? I think we know what God's will is for us. He makes it pretty clear in kind of a couple of key scriptures. In Philippians 2, verse 14, in 1st Thessalonians 5, verse 18, both scriptures we read, do all things without complaining and disputing, and in everything give thanks. For this is the will of God for you and Jesus Christ. Brother, when you and I apply these biblical principles of gratitude and thankfulness, we'll find God's contentment. We'll find God's peace and we'll find his blessings. It's his will for you and for me.