Is it easy to be grateful? Sometimes it’s very difficult. Is it easy to notice what is worth saying thank you to God for? It is often quite difficult if you do not develop the habit of noticing God’s care and thanking our Creator for it.
Today I would like to close out this year by sharing three reasons that will help you and I be grateful to God and each other for all the good things we have in our lives.
And the first reason is the salvation from sins that we have through Jesus Christ!
In Scripture we read:
“Thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:57)
Sometimes we don’t feel particularly in the mood to thank the Lord, and sometimes we feel so bad that instead of gratitude, only grumbling and despondency are born in us. But the truth is that no matter how we feel or what our mood is today, the victory that Christ has won for you and me remains the same.
I’ll tell you one story:
One granny decided to quarrel with God:
– “Why is everything bad in my life? My husband is a drunkard, my daughter can’t get married, my son is a drug addict, I’m sick myself…”
I came to church, didn’t find God and decided to tell the priest everything.
—Who will you be to God? – he asked her.
— What do you mean?
— Daughter? Mother? Grandmother? Sister? Or maybe He borrowed money from you and didn’t give it back? Or did you move out of your apartment without paying? Or did you pay and He didn’t?
— Why are you asking me some strange questions?
— No. Not strange, it’s your claims that are strange. By the way, have you tried complaining about your troubles to our president?
— Why on earth should he?
—Why on earth would God? I’ll explain to you: we call God the King of Heaven. Since there is a Tsar, that means there is a Kingdom-State. What state do you live in, earthly or heavenly?
— In the earthly, of course
— Well, that’s it. To expect God to intervene in your life, you must be a citizen of His Kingdom. And for this you need to fulfill a number of conditions: live in the territory of the Kingdom, that is, attend church, know and fulfill His laws and pay taxes.
— Taxes?
— Yes. But only in the currency of the Kingdom – time, prayer, reading the Bible and attending worship services. Total: 24 hours per week. “Work six days, the seventh for the Lord.”
— Is it possible to do less?
— It’s impossible, but more is possible. However, if you have living faith and sincere repentance, you will easily cope with this task. And when that happens, I’m sure you won’t need to come here to quarrel with God. God will always help His own!
The second reason we can thank God isthe power from the Lord to overcome all difficulties and testify to others of His love.
“But thanks be to God, who always allows us to triumph in Christ and spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Himself to us in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)
If you look at the beginning of this chapter, you can see that not everything in the Corinthian church was smooth. There were people who, calling themselves believers, committed sins unthinkable even for many non-believers. Paul denounced this man and the believers who pretended that nothing terrible was happening. Naturally, such a situation in the church could not please Paul. But it was through reproof and the preaching of the Gospel that the situation changed. And it is for this that at the end of this chapter Paul thanks and glorifies the Lord.
God allows us to triumph over sin and then thank Him for the power of the Gospel, which is able to save sinners and return those who have turned away from it to the right path.
One preacher came to the elder for advice:
— Father, what should a good sermon be like?
“A sermon,” answered the elder, “must have a good beginning and a good end.” But it is even more important that the end be close to the beginning.
And the third reason for us to thank the Lord is these blessings that God has given us.
“Whoever gives seed to the sower and bread for food will give abundance to what you sow and will multiply the fruits of your righteousness, so that you will be rich in everything in all generosity, which through us produces thanksgiving to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:10-11)
All that God has blessed you and me with today are our seeds that we can sow with gratitude. It is not the one who is sorry to give blessings who has abundance, but the one who sows generously. After all, it is the Lord who blesses our physical seeds, as well as spiritual ones, so that we have even more opportunities to serve God and our neighbor.
We, as a church, have a lot to thank the Lord for. After all, God not only saved and continues to protect many of us from the coronavirus and other shocks that so many have faced this year. God guides us through and strengthens those who have already been ill or are still ill. At the same time, He meets our needs and the needs of the church. It is thanks to Him that this year we, as a church, were able to build a new building in Pustovarovka despite all the economic difficulties in our country and the ongoing epidemic.
I would like to especially dwell on some stages of this construction – after all, God’s care is especially visible in this and this is one of the reasons for which you and I should thank the Lord.
I thank God for giving us the opportunity to pour the foundation for a new church building, and this, together with the work, cost 44,039 UAH.
I thank God for providing the finances to fill the floor – 22,650 UAH.
I thank God for the walls and armored belt made – 40,500 UAH, as well as for the opportunity to purchase all the materials for this – metal, gas block and fittings – 65,828 UAH.
I thank God for allowing us to cover the new building with a roof, and this is 52,500 UAH for the work and 76,736 UAH for the materials – boards and metal tiles.
I thank God that He gave us finances for all other building materials – waterproofing, windows, doors, screening with sand – 37,263 UAH.
And I am especially grateful to God that He gave us the opportunity to donate for the construction of 339,516 UAH!
It is in this that I see the care and generosity of the Lord, as well as the generosity of you and all our brothers and sisters in Pustovarovka and even our brothers from abroad who made the construction of God’s temple possible.
This is the seed that God allowed us to sow this year in Pustovarovka. And I believe it will increase not only in God’s provision for those who sowed to build the temple, but also in the saved souls of those who will come to this new temple of God.
Therefore, let the church today give special thanks to the Lord:
- for the salvation from sins that we have through Jesus Christ;
- for the strength from Him to overcome all difficulties and the opportunity to testify to others about His love;
- for all the blessings that God has given us.
