Thanksgiving

Thankfulness sanctifies. It sets us apart to receive. In the story of the feeding of the 5,000 Jesus gave thanks while there was only 5 loaves and 2 fish. There followed an abundance of food as 5,000 men, plus women and children were fed. We must learn to give thanks for the small things. This process can work in each area of our lives. Don’t focus on what you don’t have but what you are beginning to receive. Allow yourself to vision the solution and give thanks for what you see the end of the matter to be. In the Kingdom of God thankfulness brings increase.

For example, when we pray for healing, a couple of things can happen. There can be an instant miracle or there can be progressive healing. When a Nobleman came to ask Jesus for healing for his son, Jesus told him, “Go, for your son lives”. When the Nobleman arrived back home, he asked when the son had started to get better. They told him and he knew that was the hour Jesus had spoken life over his son. (see John 4:52) Elisha prayed for a dead boy by lying on top of him. Slowly he became warm. Elisha walked around a little and then laid on him again and he sneezed 7 times and came back to life. (see II Kings 4:35) That is an example of progressive healing. When we are praying for healing we need to give thanks for each little improvement. This opens up the way for progressive healing to continue. When we pray for financial provision we need to give thanks for the dimes we find in the washer. When we pray for healing of strained relationships we need to give thanks for the little acts of favor and kindness we see coming from the one we are seeking restoration with.

Paul told the Thessalonians to give thanks in everything because this is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus. (see I Thessalonians 5:18) The will of God begins to form in us as we begin to see our will becoming much like His. We begin to want the same things He wants. When we give thanks we are agreeing with Heaven. We are saying yes to His yes and Amen to His Amen. (see II Corinthians 1:20) As we agree with God that His works are good, it brings us into alignment to move forward in His good purposes for our lives.

Even if we don’t fully understand our circumstances, we are at peace in the place of our development. We are to give thanks in all things. Even if it looks bad, we must believe that God will cause all things to work together for good. Times of trial and testing are often the hardest times for us to give thanks for all things. If we could only look at the test from God’s perspective we could more easily give thanks. The test has the task of bringing us into greater maturity. The next time you recognize a time of testing is upon you, just think of how you will grow through this process. You might be bold and say, “I’m going to milk this thing for all it’s worth!”. Get all you can get out of your trials.

Don’t fail the test by whining and complaining, which is the opposite of giving thanks. Failing tests are much like it was back in school. You just have to take the test again. Our growth pace is up to us. We can mature fast or slow. We all know believers that have been saved for dozens of years that still suck on their thumbs. We also know those who don’t waste their trials and seek to grow with leaps and bounds with each season of their life. They are instant in season and out of season. They don’t grow bitter and blame God for every misfortune that comes in life. They are thankful in all things. So, go ahead and milk those trials. Get all you can out of them and don’t look for them to reappear.

Some believers give so much recognition to the enemy. They blame the devil for every bad thing in their life. They cry out for deliverance from all that oppresses them even if it’s just a rainy day. Looking from Heaven’s perspective we might focus on how much we are going to steal from the devil instead of complaining how much he has taken from us. Instead of deliverance we might think of conquering, overcoming and occupying.

It’s in us to magnify something. We will either magnify the problem or magnify the solution. We can allow the problem to get bigger and bigger in our minds or we can have a heart of thanksgiving magnifying God because He is the solution. The result of thanksgiving is God being magnified and glorified. He is worthy of it.

Thankfulness releases His affections toward us. I have began the practice in the last years of taking some time and just giving thanks for every little thing I can think of. I will sit down in a room at home or on a rock out in the woods and just give thanks. After doing this for several minutes I can feel the manifest Presence of God move into the place. He becomes tangible. The air becomes electric. He touches my spirit and my emotions.

For example, I can sit in my living room and with open eyes just look at things and give thanks. I have a bookcase that has souvenirs from the countries I have been to. So, I begin…. Looking at the two wooden giraffes I give thanks for the people that came to Christ in Africa… for the man who had his ears opened and the guy that was healed of aids…. Looking at the wooden plate from the Ukraine…. I give thanks for the miracle of not being affected by the poisoned berries I had eaten without knowing (until later) they were poisoned. I look at my skin and give thanks that the water in Kiev that was poisoned by the Chernobyl disaster didn’t affect my skin when I baptized over a hundred people in the lake almost 20 years ago. I give thanks for the fireplace and the warmth it gives. I give thanks for the pictures and the special inspiration each one gives me. It just goes on and on.

I believe God wants us to move into a lifestyle of blessings and miracles. I think He wants to surprise us more and more. I believe we are moving into times when unexplainable things will begin to happen daily. This can only happen as we position ourselves in the posture of thankfulness. The momentum is picking up. God loves to be involved in the lives of His people.

In the last few weeks there have been some small things that have happened that I can’t explain. I keep waiting for someone to come forward and admit they are responsible for a couple of the things. Otherwise, I plan to just sit back and enjoy a life of miracles. A few weeks ago we had a cookout at my house and the floodlights had burnt out during the summer. We ended up eating in the dark with only the light from the fire pit. The floodlights are up high and I don’t have a ladder that reaches that high. A few days later both lights were burning. I asked everyone that came that night if they might have changed them. Everyone denies any involvement.
　
While working outside today I hurt my back really bad. I felt it pull on the lower right side unlike anything I have ever experienced with my back. I slowly walked towards the house leaving my tools laying on the ground. I planned on getting my son to pick up the tools when he got home. I was able to climb the stairs…. but very slowly. I couldn’t even bend over to get my shoes off without excruciating pain. I began to speak healing into my back…. believing in progressive healing. In my mind I began to prepare for a few days of progressive healing and I would be very thankful for just some relief. I could tell my dog was even feeling sorry for me. I laid on the bed for a little while speaking healing to my back. I fell asleep for a few minutes and got up. My back was feeling a little better. I was thankful. An hour later it was much better and I went walking back through the woods giving thanks and actually amazed it was healing so fast. Another hour went by and I was bending over and everything. I moved a table I had put together earlier today down to the bottom level. By the time my son got home I decided I wouldn’t even mention what had happened.

As I pondered on all of this, I came to the conclusion that I live in the presence of miracles. It has become a lifestyle for me. Paper doesn’t have room for me to write it all down. I can’t explain a lot of things that happen to me. There may be someone who comes forward and tells me they changed the light bulbs. But, that won’t change anything at all. When we give thanks to a Mighty God who loves us so much that He would rather die for us than live without us, why are we surprised? He just shows up. Thanksgiving invites Him to come and be involved. His hand of providence stirs among us. His eyes watch over us. Angels watch…. just in case we dash our foot against a stone. (see Psalms 91:12)

It’s a new kind of normal and it is good.