Thanksgiving

Philippians 4:6-7

6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

What makes you anxious? What causes you to fret? What keeps you up at night or causes your mood to change? Paul, when writing to the Philippian church prescribed several actions to take so that we can wrestle with our worries. The first prescription is to pray. Prayer is the process of being in the presence of God, talking with and listening to God. Prayer is not about informing God of our needs. Prayer is about intimacy with God. As we develop this intimacy with God our worries will move into the background. The fear may not completely go away, but with our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus they do not have the impact that cause us to wring our hands. When the feelings begin to arise within us we can know for certain that God is in control. The second prescription is thanksgiving. I find it difficult to be thankful while worried. If I am forced to choose a side, I will choose to be thankful and recognize all that God does in and through my life or I will be forced to focus on my fear. We cannot do both. Our eyes as well as our heart can only focus on one item at a time. Paul knows that in moving us to thanksgiving we will see how great God is and how much He has done for us. Thanksgiving causes us to remember all the roads that God has walked with us. Remembering helps us see clearly, that because God has helped us in the past he will help us in the future.

So, as we enter a season of thanksgiving, pause and remember all that God has done for you. Remember the peace of the past. Remember the miraculous working of days that have gone by. Steal away and stand in awe of how God has watched over you. If you see His provision in the past you can be certain He will work in your present.