Scripture Passage
Deuteronomy 8:7-18
7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills;8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. 10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
Sermon Script
Happy Thanksgiving!
I love the Thanksgiving weekend. Thanksgiving is probably my favourite holiday of the year. The atmosphere is warm, festive, and bright. You feel this immense joy all around. It’s a time we get to gather together with our family and friends. I especially look forward to having turkey with cranberry sauce. Thanksgiving season instills a spirit of appreciation in our heart.
I think having a thankful heart is very important. It shouldn’t be reserved for just one weekend a year. It should be our attitude and lifestyle. Imagine how different our life would be if we were always thankful. It would be just as warm, festive, and bright as it is today. We would be happier.
Wouldn’t that be great?
St. Paul said—
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Being thankful is God’s will for you. Being a Christian is about being thankful in all circumstances.
Yet, we know that this is not what we see in our everyday life. Thanksgiving doesn’t come naturally to us. We spend more time complaining than giving thanks. We focus on what we don’t have rather than what we have. We have a hard time appreciating what is in front of us.
Why is that?
We know that we do those things. But we don’t know why exactly. We don’t really know where it all stems from.
Why is it so difficult for us to be always thankful?
It is because we forget that everything we have is a GIFT.
That is, a gift from God.
We human beings live thinking that everything we have is ours. Either we earned it through our hard work; Or if we didn’t, we think it’s still ours since it was already there.
That is why we often take things for granted. Sometimes, we act as if we ‘should’ have such and such things. We get angry and frustrated when we don’t get our way. It springs from this unconscious belief that everything belongs to us. That is a dangerous illusion.
Nothing in this life is ours.
That is the truth.
Everything has been given to us.
Think about the beautiful weather outside. The air you breathe. The food you eat and water you drink. They are given to you.
Your parents, your family, your community, your talents or ability—
We didn’t earn any of those things. They have been given to you, in order to bless you.
Yes – you may complain about those things from time to time. But imagine what your life would be like without them.
More importantly, God has blessed you with life. Life is the most precious gift of all. We recognize that whenever we see new babies in our church. Some of them are getting baptized today. None of us did anything to be given this gift of life. It is by the grace of God that we are here. We need to always remember this important truth.
Moses gave the Israelites a similar message just before they entered the Promised Land. 40 years had passed. Now, the younger generation was going to enjoy the blessings that God had promised their ancestors long time ago. Picture the abundance that Moses describes to the Israelites:
For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. (Deuteronomy 8:7-9)
What do you see?
A perfect place where nothing is lacking.
Heaven on earth.
Yet, what immediately follows this promise is a little warning.
Moses said—
When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. (Deuteronomy 8:10, 11)
God had been with the Israelites throughout their time in the wilderness. He fed them with manna and water, protected them from snakes and scorpions, and guided them out of the wilderness. During those 40 long years, the Israelites experienced God’s hand at work quite vividly. Something you would always remember afterwards.
But Moses knew the human heart. He knew how quickly the Israelites would forget what God did for them once they settled in the Promised Land. They would act as if what they had and enjoyed all came from what they did, rather than what God did for them.
That is why Moses said:
You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. (Deuteronomy 8:17, 18)
Remember the Lord your God. Remember that everything is God’s gift to you. Remember that God always keeps his promises. Enjoy it, appreciate it, and be thankful. But never forget where it comes from. Moses’ message to the Israelites is also a message to us all.
There is no such thing as a self-made person. Even the most successful person is who they are because someone helped them along the way. Listen to any acceptance speeches. The winners spend more time thanking others who helped them get to where they are than themselves. This week, Messi – the greatest soccer player in the world – did the same thing after he played his last match on the national team. He devoted most of his speech to thanking his family, coaches, and teammates. We are all indebted to each other. To think otherwise is foolish.
All that we are and all that we have is because of God’s faithfulness to us. I am who I am because of God’s grace. Nothing else. God’s grace is God’s gift.
When we remember that everything is a gift, we will be thankful in all circumstances. Even in difficult times, we will be thankful because we know that God will turn those challenges into blessings for us.
Remembering is more than just recalling something in our mind. Remembering is connected to how we live now.
When we worship, we are remembering what God has done for us. When we pray, we are remembering that God hears us. When we persevere, we are remembering that God will provide for us, protect us, and guide us no matter what. Through remembering, we can appreciate and experience every moment of our life to the fullest.
Today, take some time to remember the wonderful gifts God has blessed you with. Let that cultivate a heart of gratitude within you.
Turn every opportunity to complain into an opportunity for giving thanks. Complaining only breeds resentment toward others and God. Ask God to help you see the good in every situation. Let your gratitude brighten up your life each and every day.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Community Prayer
By Olivia Kim
Dear Lord,
Even through the chaos and busyness of our lives, You are faithful and present for each and every one of us. You have blessed us with so much abundance and we stand in awe of Your power and goodness.
But Lord, we confess that we may not always look to You when we are troubled and we try to fix things on our own, without You. Please forgive us, and help us turn to You first, trusting in Your wisdom rather than our own.
God, on this Thanksgiving Sunday, we give You thanks for all that You have blessed us with. Thank You for this wonderful community where we are able to gather together and worship You, and thank You for being the guiding hand throughout our journey of faith.
Lord, with grateful hearts, we also ask for Your power to work in our lives and in the lives of others. We pray for the people who are struggling right now, please help them through their difficulties and hardships, and may you help them and guide them out of their struggles.
We also pray for those who are experiencing war, conflict, and deep suffering. Bring them comfort and peace, help them find You in the darkness they are facing, and may You be their light.
We now pray for Rev Dave, as he delivers Your message to us. Give him wisdom and passion as he speaks Your word, and open up our hearts and minds so that we may receive Your message.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen
Leave a Reply