In Everything?
By: Bevan Greiner
I recently read an amusing story of two men who were walking through a field one day when they spotted an enraged bull. Instantly they darted toward the nearest fence. The storming bull followed in hot pursuit, and it was soon apparent they wouldn’t make it. Terrified, the one shouted to the other, “Put up a prayer, John. We’re in for it!” John answered, “I can’t. I’ve never made a public prayer in my life.” “But you must!” implored his companion. “The bull is catching up to us.” “All right,” panted John, “I’ll say the only prayer I know, the one my father used to repeat at the table: ‘O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.’”
His memorized verse, though likely void of its true meaning at that moment, serves well to illustrate a right response to any and every situation. He was being biblical and probably didn’t even know it! 1 Thessalonians 5:18 exhorts us: In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. So we see from this passage that being thankful is the will of God... but what does ‘everything’ mean?
Well...we could start listing a few things which are part of ‘everything’... our earthly life and all its gifts, our churches, our pastors, our homes and families, our friends and fellowship, our powers and talents, our health and employment, our abundance of food and drink, our peace and plenty, the rain and sunshine, the crops and harvest ... in and for all these... give thanks.
But our thanksgiving doesn’t end there! This is not ‘everything’. Our earthly life is not all prosperity, joy, peace, and plenty. It’s also a weary night of sin and death. The creation itself bears the curse of sin, and we live amidst and under its influence and effects. The enemy of death pursues us relentlessly and can cast its shadow over even our brightest moments! There is health, but also sickness. There are fruitful years, but also barren; peace, but also war. There is rain and sunshine, but also wind and storm. There are joys, but also sorrows!
Is it even possible to truly give thanks ‘in everything’? Yes, we can! We can give thanks in everything because “this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us.” And if this is God’s will, it will be God who empowers us to do it. I like what William Shakespeare said: “O Lord that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.” By His grace and by His Spirit we are empowered to give thanks through tears... through pain... through heartache and through adversity. One of my most vivid memories of my dear Mother’s last days was holding her hand through an excruciatingly severe pain event and with tears in her eyes she whispered the words...“Thank you, Lord... Thank you, Lord”. I learned that day what ‘in everything’ meant.
You see, giving thanks ‘in everything’ is an act of surrender to the sovereignty of God. It demonstrates that we are trusting in His goodness and His loving purposes for us.
“For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
Also, a thankful heart acknowledges that God is most glorified when we offer the sacrifice of praise in each and every circumstance of life. For God “inhabits the praises of His people.” Psalm 22:3
May God grant us hearts ‘replete with thankfulness’. May we, regardless of our circumstances ... no matter what the Lord in His wisdom and grace sends our way, say, “Thank You, Lord. You are good!” Joyfully, full of hope, in the confidence of faith, may we live new, holy lives of thanksgiving to God’s praise and God’s glory. I’ve a long way to go myself... but I pray by God’s grace He will cause me to always see His goodness and acknowledge Him thankfully, ‘in everything’.
“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20
“The unthankful heart...discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!”
~Henry Ward Beecher~
Praise
J.K. Gressett writes about a man named Samuel S. Scull who settled on a farm in the Arizona desert with his wife and children.
One night a fierce desert storm struck with intense rain, hail and high wind. At daybreak, feeling sick and fearing what he might find, Samuel went to survey their loss.
The hail had beaten the garden area into the ground; the house was partially unroofed; the henhouse had blown away, and dead chickens were scattered about. Destruction and devastation were everywhere.
While standing dazed, evaluating the mess and wondering about the future, he heard a stirring in the lumber pile that was the remains of the henhouse. A rooster was climbing up through the debris, and he didn’t stop climbing until he had mounted the highest board on the pile. That old rooster was dripping wet, and most of his feathers were blown away. But as the sun came over the eastern horizon, he flapped his bony wings and proudly crowed!
That old, wet, bare rooster could still crow when he saw the morning sun. And like that rooster, our world may be falling apart, we may have lost everything, but if we trust in God, we’ll be able to see the light of God’s goodness, pick ourselves out of the rubble, and sing the Lord’s praise.
Claire’s Corner
The Writings of our beloved Dad
THANKSGIVING
There’s a story told about an old miser who was told by a visiting minister that he should be thankful.
“Why should I express gratitude?” he growled. “Nobody has given me a thing. Everything I have in this life, I earned by the sweat of my brow.”
“Yes, but Who gave you the sweat?” answered the minister. The miser was silent. He hadn’t thought of it that way. Who had given him the strength, the health, and the understanding necessary to succeed? None other than God Himself.
It’s interesting to observe that the word ‘miser’ and the word ‘miserable’ come from the same root word. Any man or woman who hoards riches, and fails to give God thanks, is always miserable.
Someone told a miserly woman, “You are foolish to be mastered by money. After all, you can’t take it with you when you go.” “I won’t go then,” she snapped. Poor foolish soul! There are no pockets in a shroud. No Brinks armored car in a funeral procession. All we take with us is the wealth or the poverty of our own immortal souls.
Our purpose for being on earth is to love God and to glorify Him. He is glorified, not through our silence, but through our praise and our voice of thanksgiving.
God desires praise. He alone is worthy of all praise. And if you and I won’t praise Him, He will turn to others who will give Him the glory and the adoration He deserves.
William Claire Greiner
“Thanksgiving is nothing if not a glad and reverent lifting of the heart to God in honor and praise for His goodness.”
~ Robert Casper Lintner~
Ruth’s
Reflections
The Writings of our beloved Mom
THE GREATEST GIVER
He’s extravagant, extraordinary,
Lavish with His gifts,
He’s abounding, He’s abundant,
Sunken hearts, He loves to lift.
Glorious sunsets, refreshing showers,
Stars that sparkle in the sky,
Are designed by their Creator
To reveal His works on high.
All are given without measure,
By the never erring hand,
Every day His works repeating,
In all parts of every land.
Those who love their Lord and Savior,
Can enjoy His works the best,
For He gives His own dear children,
Priceless peace and perfect rest.
“If I have enjoyed the hospitality of the Host of this Universe,
Who daily spreads a table in my sight, surely I cannot do less than acknowledge my dependence.”
~G.A. Johnston Ross~
Hugs and Tugs
By: Wendy Greiner Lefko
I
have writer’s block. It’s not for lack of effort as I’ve been
trying to settle on what to write by praying,
reading God’s Word, searching my mind
for any thought that might trigger an idea worth putting on paper. I even
put it off from yesterday till today, hoping
and praying the Lord would lay something
on my heart. But alas, nothing came to mind or heart that I felt
compelled to share. The dreaded writer’s block hit me full force. Then as I
prayed more this morning facing a blank mind and page, as I shared my burden of
this block to Him, I felt as if He was saying, “Write about that!” It doesn’t
make much sense to write about writer’s block, but this is what He laid on my
heart. It’s one of the most frustrating
aspects of writing. When a subject doesn’t come to mind, or there isn’t a
specific burden on the heart, it’s near
impossible to find that elusive thought to share on paper.
But
you don’t have to be a writer to experience this same type
of block in life. There are
many forms of writer’s block we all face. Any
time our best laid plans are thwarted, or our desires
squelched, or our goals unmet,
or precious
loved ones pass away, or our well intentioned plans for our
children don’t turn out the way we had hoped or envisioned, or how we thought
our lives would progress doesn’t happen the
way we expected, we face that block.
Plans, dreams, hopes and expectations can all be blocked.
And it’s when we
hit that
wall
of bricks that thwart our beloved
plans that we find ourselves looking to God
asking “What now?” We didn’t anticipate this, we didn’t plan for this, we
don’t know how to move forward. But even blocks are a part of His perfect, loving
plan for our lives! It’s God’s gracious way of stopping our human efforts and
ideas that we naturally depend upon to propel ourselves along life’s way, so
that we will realize even our best
intentions, goals, and efforts are still subject to His almighty,
all-knowing, merciful plan and purpose for our lives. Writer’s blocks, planning
blocks, hoping blocks, are all ordained blocks
He wants to use as stepping stones to His
throne of Grace where we can seek His
wisdom and grace to learn how to move forward
towards the greater plan He has for our
lives. “In his heart a man plans
his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)
Prayer and Praise
Giving
thanks to the Lord everyday!
- Praise and thanksgiving for letters of encouragement... some dear friends recently wrote: “Thank you! Thank you for your willingness to share the Lord’s message on the special day of our church’s fiftieth anniversary celebration. It was a wonderful day to honor the Lord. Your message hits home again and again—truly, if we allow the Spirit to work through us—God’s will WILL be done! Your talent is truly from the Lord, along with a lot of hard work on your part... your willing heart to serve the Lord is a wonderful example to us all. Thanks so much for your obedience to the Lord. You truly are a blessing to us.
Love and Joy, D.M.E.
- Praise and thanksgiving for God’s goodness to us in our meetings, in our travels and in the blessing of having you dear friends in our lives. Your prayers, support and encouragement mean more to us than you will ever know.
- Pray for us in the days ahead that God will grant strength and wisdom as we press on in all aspects of the ministry.
- Pray for the harvest of hearts and homes that are in need of the Lord Jesus... pray that with every door that God opens, we will be faithful laborers in His fields.
- We hope and pray you have a most blessed and joyful Thanksgiving.
With heartfelt thanks, The Greiners
Announcement
Come join the Greiners at Jonestown Bible Church as they celebrate the church’s 50th anniversary with a special program. It will be held on November 16th, 2007 at 7 PM. The Greiners reunite (Bevan and Betts, Reverend Larry and Sharon Greiner, and Wendy Greiner Lefko) for an evening of ministry through music and the spoken word. And yes... even Julius will be there! We would love to see you there!
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