A grateful heart - Psalm 105:1

A grateful heart

November 20, 2011

Psalm 105:1

Introduction

• Gratitude is hard is unusual these days
• When I was in Bible college, I went on a trip through France, together with a friend, Bob.
• We did this trip on a 125cc Vespa which we had rented in London.
• Many things happened on this trip, which was really a formative experience for me
• The Vespa had mechanical problems, and a week later we had a “scooter wreck” I guess you would call it
• The repairs took about every penny we had, I even used the money dad had sent to buy an overcoat for the winter.
• We thought we had enough money to get us back to college, just. But we had to figure out every penny.
• Bob was driving and I would look over his shoulder to see the gas needle steadily getting towards the empty mark
• We stopped about 20 miles from the border, to use our last French coins to buy gas.
• The needle continued its progression toward the red mark on the dial
• We were praying that God would make the gas last
• The gas finally ran out on the top of a hill in Calais, the port where we would take the ferry back to England. I was able to push the scooter onto the ferry. We were saved, we thought.
• When we got to England, we used all our English money to fill the tank up, and then celebrated with a bar of chocolate and some fish and chips. No money left.
• As we drove on towards St Albans something was wrong.
• The gas guage was dropping alarmingly fast. Mile after mile, the needle dropped steadily towards the red zone, and then even further. We were praying as though our lives depended on it
• We were so glad when we finally turned into the College grounds around midnight! We had made it!
• The next morning I looked into the gas tank. It was bone dry!
• We were so grateful to God for taking care of us on this eventful trip!
• But we often experience God’s grace in our lives and neglect to thank him.
• Today we are taking a look at gratitude, especially in view of Thanksgiving this Thursday

Gratitude looks at what we have, not what we don’t have

• James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows
• Phil 4:8 – look at what we have, not at what we don’t have
• Be thankful for what we have received and God has granted us, not what he seems to have withheld from us, at least for the moment
• I remember one person who lost her child to cancer.
• Year after year she walked around grieving her loss, never seemingly able to move on
• Last night Dianne and I saw the movie Courageous, and the point was made to look at the years God has allowed us to enjoy our child’s presence, and the good times, rather than the things we will miss because they are no longer here
• This gives a different perspective
• Thanks and gratitude help us to move on

Gratitude comes from trusting God

• Mat 6:8 - Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him
• :33 _ needs not wants
• when we trust God to supply, we can be content with what he gives us
• we may wish that we could be somewhere else, but this is where God has placed us
• we may want a better job, but this is what God has supplied us
• If I am trusting God’s hand over my life, I can be content wherever I am
• Phil 4:10-13 - contented
• 1 Tim 6:6 - But godliness with contentment is great gain
• Look at what God has done, not what has not yet been done

Gratitude is expressed

• Psalm 105:1 - Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
• 1 Thes 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus
• Our thanks needs to be expressed
• Gratitude is not just a warm bubbly feeling inside
• It is something that is expressed, to God, to the one who has benefited us, and to our associates
• Something that is bottled up is dead and stagnant and does not help anybody
• It is when we express gratitude that it makes a change in the way we see things
• When we express gratitude discontent cannot take hold
• When we express gratitude we touch others with God’s benefits on our behalf
• Gratitude is dead without expression
• James 2:18-20

Conclusion

• My granddaughter has been posting on Facebook, something she is grateful for, every day!
• I think this is so awesome!
• This doesn’t mean her life has been easy, on the contrary
• But she has chosen to be grateful
• That is what it comes down to
• Our circumstances do not dictate whether or not to be grateful.
• We choose to be grateful
• So let’s be thankful this Thanksgiving, and every day