Title: Thanks In Advance

Date: 2008-11-23

Reference: I Kings 17: 8-16

""""""""""In today’s uncertain and complicated world, a certain amount of worry seems inevitable. We worry about retirement accounts and our ability to pay our bills. We worry about personal and national security. About health, about children, about grand-children. Someone has said: “Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.”

God has promised to provide all we need in life. God has a tremendous track record. God has been faithful in every way. As we look back over life we see the many ways God provided through the Peaks and Valleys of life. God has been there.

The Psalmist said it this way: “You are my God and I will give you thanks. You are my God and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord for He is Good. His love, faithfulness, and care endure forever.”

A large part of our Thanksgiving Observance is thanking God for His faithfulness in the past and in the present. We are grateful for what we have received, even for the hidden blessings disguised as setbacks or disappointments. We are certainly thankful for the million ways God blesses us each day. We gather in worship to say: “Thanks for Giving, God.”

Another important aspect of Thanksgiving is trusting God for the future and our willingness to be thankful in advance. We know God will be faithful tomorrow because God has always been faithful and is faithful today. In faith, we learn to live our lives in expectation, believing God will continue to provide for us.

In the Old Testament book of Exodus we read about a miraculous experience of God’s people. After they had been delivered across the Red Sea and were out in the wilderness they were in need. God had a very special way of providing food for them. Each morning when they got up there was manna, bread from heaven, on the ground. They were told to gather fresh each day and to trust there would be more the next day. If they tried to gather more than one day’s supply they found it would rot. Only on the 6th day could they gather enough for two days so they would not work on the Sabbath. God provided for them in this way for 40 years as they wandered around in the wilderness before entering the Land of Milk and Honey. It took a while, but eventually the people learned to trust God and to know that every morning God would supply their daily need. Each evening they thanked God in advance and each morning they would go out and find their daily bread.

God’s people have always learned to trust God in this way. Early in her ministry, Mother Teresa had dozens of orphan children in her care. These children depended upon Mother Teresa for their needs. She used to tell about a day when there was no food in the house. It was breakfast time and the children were waking up, hungry, expecting to find a meal. Mother Teresa thanked God in advance and had the children brought to the dining room. She believed with all her heart that God would provide as He always did. The children were seated and she began to say Grace with them. At that moment a knock came at the door. A delivery truck had broken down in the front of the orphanage. The driver was instructed to donate the bread on the truck to the orphanage. Was this merely coincidence or luck? Was it the hand of almighty God answering a sincere prayer? You decide about that. Mother Teresa used to say there were too many blessings in her life and ministry to chalk them up to good fortune or good luck. She learned to trust God because God had always been faithful.

Too often we are not thankful for what we have or for the many good things happening in our lives every day. We worry about what we don’t have or about what could happen. The solution is to get our priorities straight, to believe in God’s goodness and continued involvement, to do our part, and to thank God in advance.

There are times in life when God calls us to do something we don’t understand or feel we can’t afford in order to receive a blessing from God. Our trust and obedience is our way of thanking God in advance. God outside each morning with a basket believing there will be manna to gather. Bring the children down to the dining room and thank God for food that isn’t even in the house yet.

Some would say praying in this way is testing God. That’s exactly what God called it. In the Bible God said: “I am the Lord All-Powerful. I challenge you to put me to the test. Trust me and do your part. Bring the entire tithe or 10% of your earnings into the storehouse so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing.”

An important part of Thanksgiving is giving. God is pleased when we approach Him with an open hand. An open hand ready to share what we have and an open hand to receive the blessings God will give us in return. We cannot give if we close our hands around what we possess. Nor can we receive with a closed fist. The more we share the more God gives, and we cannot out give God.

Before we receive we must do what God calls us to do. Today’s reading is a perfect example. Elijah the prophet of God had been forced to flee from a wicked King. Elijah had angered the King when he shared God’s word: “No more rain for 3 and one half years.” While in danger, God kept Elijah safe. God sent His prophet to the home of a poverty stricken widow who was struggling just to feed her son and stay alive. Elijah was to ask her, of all things, for water and food. This widow had been praying to God for help and had no way of knowing the answer to her prayers was standing before her in the form of Elijah. He asked her to bake him a cake from the last of her oil and flour. This was a huge test of faith. She said: “This is the last bit of food I have in the house. After it’s gone there is nothing for my son or me to eat. I’m gathering a few sticks to make a fire to cook the last of our food. After this we will starve to death.” Elijah said: “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.” Elijah could promise her this because God had promised him. God had never, ever failed. “Fix a meal for yourself, but first make me a cake and bring it here to me.” said Elijah. “The Lord has promised me that your jar of flour won’t run out and your bottle of oil won’t dry up as long as the drought lasts.”

This widow had a decision to make. Shall I keep what I have for myself or shall I do what God has asked me to do and share it? Believing in God she gave up the certain for the uncertain. She trusted God’s word and thanked God in advance. Giving the prophet the last bite of food she had in the house took tremendous faith. God rewarded her faith. Had she chosen to keep her food for herself she and her son would have had enough for one more small meal. God would have directed Elijah to some other door with the same offer. Because she trusted in God there was enough food for her son, for herself, and for Elijah for many days.

Thanksgiving is Thanks living. The best way to say Thank you is by the way we live our life. Are you worried about the future this day? Rather than worry remember a specific time when God was faithful to you. Remember a time when you forgot to trust God in a certain situation, but God was faithful. Remember a time when God protected you or provided for a special need. Remember a time when God took a difficult situation and brought some good from it. And then thank God in advance for His willingness to do the same in the future.

We need to remember we did not create the world. We have been permitted to live in the world for a season in God’s providence. We are all wards of God’s Grace. We are thankful for all God has done. There is more to being thankful than just saying so. Our attitude is quite an important part of Thanksgiving. To show our appreciation is very important as well. In many ways Thanksgiving is more attitude than observance. More a way of life than a holiday set apart. More of a habit than a holiday.

Back in the early days of the church a strong smelling incense was burned in worship services. The aroma would saturate the clothing and hair of those present in church. When they left they literally smelled like the church incense. People could tell by this fragrance that one had been to church. Today the aroma of a totally committed Christian is Trust in God and unconditional Gratitude.

We are grateful to God for what was, for what is and for what will be. Today we thank God in advance for answering our prayers and for meeting our needs. We are willing to listen and follow God’s leading even when it is hard. We are blessed and offer ourselves to God to be used as channels of His blessing to the world around us. Thanks in Advance God for your continued love and care. We have no doubt at all about it. """"""""""