Do you ever have those times when a sermon or a story just stays with you? It keeps coming back to you over and over? It touches such a place deep in your soul that it seeps in and changes you? Well, this happened last Sunday morning. Our Associate Pastor, Ron Dingus, brought to mind 2 examples of people who responded with Thanksgiving.
The first example was Bible commentator Matthew Henry. Many years ago as he was walking home one night he was robbed of all his money. Knowing that it was his duty to give thanks in everything, he meditated on this incident and recorded this prayer in his diary:
“Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.” (Matthew Henry)
This is a great example of “giving thanks in all circumstances.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). I can’t help but wonder how I would respond in that situation. It is not in our nature to give thanks in difficult times - especially when we are hurt by others. I don’t even think it is humanly possible. It has to be one of those, “OK, God, I can’t do this so you take over” kind of dependencies on Him. I bet you have a difficult person or difficult situation that you are dealing with right now, don‘t you? (If you don’t, just give it some time.) We can be encouraged by Matthew Henry’s example and strive to look at it through the eyes of Thanksgiving and offer up a prayer of thanks for all the good that is surrounding it. It may not change the situation, but it certain can change us.
The second example is a woman we all know, but I have never heard her used as an example in a Thanksgiving sermon. Her story can be found in Matthew 26:6-13. She is known as the woman of ill-repute, an immoral woman, a sinner. Jesus had touched her life. She would never be the same. She was so driven with gratitude that nothing could hold her back from displaying it - she did not worry about how much it cost her, what others thought of her or what others said about her. Her focus was Jesus. It was all about Him. She displayed her love for Him with such bold and reckless abandonment. I want to be like that! My Lord has done so much for me. I want to come to the place where I am willing to demonstrate my love, devotion and gratitude to Him with no thought of what it costs me or what others think
Cece Winens captures the beauty of this woman’s deep devotion and compelling love in her song, “Alabaster Box”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5zIOcBiTGg&feature=fvsr
THE ALABASTER BOX
The room grew still
As she made her way to Jesus
She stumbles through the tears that made her blind
She felt such pain
Some spoke in anger
Heard folks whisper
There's no place here for her kind
Still on she came
Through the shame that flushed her face
Until at last, she knelt before his feet
And though she spoke no words
Everything she said was heard
As she poured her love for the Master
From her box of alabaster
And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And I dry them with my hair
You weren't there the night He found me
You did not feel what I felt
When he wrapped his love all around me and
You don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box
I can't forget the way life used to be
I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound
And I spent my days
Poured my life without measure
Into a little treasure box
I'd thought I'd found
Until the day when Jesus came to me
And healed my soul
With the wonder of His touch
So now I'm giving back to Him
All the praise He's worthy of
I've been forgiven
And that's why
I love Him so much
And I've come to pour
My praise on Him
Like oil from Mary's alabaster box
Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears
And dry them with my hair (my hair)
You weren't there the night Jesus found me
You did not feel what I felt
When He wrapped his loving arms around me and
You don't know the cost of the oil
Oh, you don't know the cost of my praise
You don't know the cost of the oil
In my alabaster box
Thanks for letting me share my heart with you. Praying your Thanksgiving is filled with genuine praise, devotion and a reckless love for our Lord!
~michelle
