Ps.103:1–5, A Song of Thanksgiving from the soul(Thanksgiving Sunday)
Ps.103:1–5, A Song of Thanksgiving from the soul(Thanksgiving Sunday)
“When familiarity ceases, grace is revealed and we become thankful.” People become accustomed to grace too easily. We don’t know what an amazing grace it is that we can breathe, walk in to worship, and praise today. 1Cor.15:10, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. I labored more abundantly than they all—yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” However, familiarity obscures this grace, and it robs us of gratitude.
Ex.: When the server stopped, everyone became thankful: At an IT company, the server went down for several hours. All work came to a halt, and the company was thrown into chaos. That day, employees came to the IT team, whom they had never paid attention to, and said, “Thank you so much. I didn’t know about it.” When things they had previously taken for granted stopped, reasons for gratitude began to appear. David says in v.2, “Do not forget all his benefits.” When we forget grace, our souls become consumed by complaints and worries, and we fail to acknowledge God's rule. Gratitude is "remembrance," and unbelief is "forgetfulness." David urges us to intentionally remember God's goodness. Let us not forget all the grace God has bestowed, but remember and be thankful. Thanksgiving Sunday is a day to rediscover forgotten grace and reinterpret the obvious as grace. Today's passage clearly teaches us four reasons to be thankful for God's grace.
1. I am thankful because what remains is greater than what was lost.
V.3: "He forgives all my sins." God has forgiven all my sins—past, present, and future. If I believe in Jesus' blood-shedding death on the cross and repent of my sins, Jesus forgives all my sins. He does not just forgive small sins, but also big ones. V.12 says that He has removed our sins "as far as the east is from the west." People easily become resentful and discouraged when they only see what they have lost. However, when seen through the eyes of faith, God is always the One who gives, the One who allows us to see the "remaining grace." Ex: A grateful farmer even after a typhoon: There was a farmer who lost half his crops in a typhoon. Everyone tried to console him, but he said, "I didn't lose half, but at least half remains." He shared the remaining harvest with his neighbors. Surprisingly, upon hearing this news, many neighbors began to help, and the farmer ended up with even greater abundance. Gratitude doesn't come from difficult situations, but from the "interpretation" of them. Seeing grace in what remains, not in what is lost, is the beginning of gratitude. (Application Question) Am I discouraged by only seeing what I have lost, or am I thankful for what remains? What grace has God still left for me?
2. V.3, "He heals all my diseases." Thank you. God the Healer, the God of Jehovah Rapha, heals our illnesses, both great and small. Jesus healed many patients. I, too, suffered from duodenal disease. I had indigestion and felt nauseous. But Jesus healed me. In my early 40s, I went to the hospital to take a picture, and the doctor said, "Pastor, you previously suffered from duodenal disease? It's completely healed." My gastritis was also healed. God is the physician who heals all our illnesses, big and small. Even if you still have an illness, let's think about your health and pray with gratitude. Is.53:5 says, "By his stripes we are healed." Ex.15:26 says, "I am the Lord who heals you." Bold faith and peaceful belief are the process of God working together to heal our illnesses. I bless you to entrust everything to the Lord and live a strong life.
3. V.4:"He crowns us with lovingkindness&compassion." Thank you. God crowns us with lovingkindness &Ccompassion. He embraces us with unwavering love&compassion(mercy), treating us with dignity as if crowning us. We were sinners, but in Christ, we are crowned with the glory of God's children.
God is faithful and keeps His covenant. Those who are grateful to God become compassionate toward others. Gratitude is not an individual emotion, but a power that revitalizes the community. Ex) "Have a warm day today": A delivery man attached a small note to a delivery box late at night. "It's been very cold lately. Always stay warm." The family who saw that note felt great comfort, and the next day, they left a warm drink at the door. Gratitude works like this: One person's small act of gratitude saves someone, which in turn has a positive impact on the community. Ex) "I just said thank you...": A church member greeted the security guard with "Thank you" every day on his way to work. One day, the security guard said, "You're the only one who greets me all day. That one word keeps me going." Gratitude has the power to sustain someone's day, and even their entire life.
(Q)Do I express gratitude often? Are my expressions of gratitude nourishing my family&church community?
4. V.5: "He satisfies your desires with good things; he renews your youth like the eagle's."
Gratitude allows us to rediscover the "miracles of everyday life." The eagle symbolizes youthful vitality and energy. God satisfies our thirst not with worldly, temporary satisfaction, but with the "best things" that save the soul. As a result, He renews our youth (spiritual vitality and strength) like an eagle. Just as an eagle sheds its feathers and soars with renewed strength, our souls also regain vitality and joy in the Lord. Gratitude restores lost joy and renews weary hearts. Those who are grateful discover God's miracles in everyday life. Ex: An intensive care unit doctor said, "The greatest miracle is not something extraordinary, but someone being able to walk, eat, and laugh normally again." The ordinary days we enjoy are anything but ordinary. They are a series of miracles that are possible only when God protects and sustains us. Ex.: A student whose smartphone broke: A student whose smartphone broke and couldn't be used for two days found a way to have deep conversations with his family and focus on God amidst his frustration. He confessed, "I discovered something more important in the midst of this inconvenience." Gratitude allows us to rediscover truly important values.
(Q)What am I missing in my daily life for gratitude? What do I need to stop doing to focus on the Lord?
Conclusion: Write down forgotten blessings and be thankful. David says in v.1&2, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Thanksgiving Sunday is not a day to wait for new grace, but a day to recall the abundant grace we have already received. Let's put it into practice.
Pr.1) Write down 10 things to be thankful for: After today's service, write down 10 blessings you have received from God. Once you start writing them down, you won't be able to stop. Grace has already piled up in our lives. What are 10 ordinary reasons for Christians to be thankful? 1) Believing in God&Jesus and worshipping them, 2) Waking up healthy every day, 3) Eating, 4) Being able to work, 5) Having family and friends, 6) Having church members who pray for me. I received a message saying, "Please pray for Thomas&Angie in Israel." 7) Sleeping, 8) Walking, 9) Seeing and hearing, and 10) Digestion. It is important to discover God's grace and have a grateful heart even in these ordinary moments of life. •Healthy body: I am grateful for all the daily functions of waking up healthy, digesting, walking, seeing and hearing. •Daily abundance: I am grateful for being able to eat well and get enough sleep. •Precious relationships:I’m grateful for having family& friends and church members who pray for me. •Freedom&opportunity:I’m grateful for the opportunity to live&work in a free environment&the freedom to worship. •Spiritual grace: I am grateful for the grace of Jesus Christ who saved me and for the grace that gives me strength and power in my daily life. •God's Guidance: I am grateful for the ability to pray maturely, following God's guidance, even against my will. •Gratitude for All Things: I’m grateful for obeying the biblical teaching to find reasons to be thankful not only for good things but also in difficult situations ("Give thanks in all circumstances", 1Thes.5:18). •Grace Through the Bible:I’m grateful that reading the Bible has helped me know&love Jesus more deeply. •Prayer: I am grateful for the opportunity to grow closer to God through prayer. •Happiness in Small Things: I am grateful for the happiness of being thankful not only for big things but also for the small things that are close to me.
Practice2) A Thank-You Letter: Try writing a short thank-you letter to your parents, spouse, children, pastor, or neighbor. Gratitude is the thread of grace that binds a community together. Christian thank-you letters are usually written to express gratitude and grace to God, and to share positive feelings and encouragement with those around you. The format is free, but it is best to prayerfully confess the grace of God and Jesus, and to write specifically about things you are thankful for in your daily life.
Ex)[Gratitude to God] "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing me to live and breathe today through your grace. Thank you for protecting me so that I can stand firm in your word ¬ be shaken even when I am tired and have a hard time at times. Even though I am a sinner, I am grateful for the grace that saves me with the love of Jesus Christ& pours new strength into me every day." [Letter of Gratitude to a Neighbor] "Dear [Name], I am deeply grateful for your heart that always prays for me and encourages me. The comfort and joy I receive from the time I spend with you are a great strength to me. I will not forget the grace that God has bestowed upon me through you in our shared journey of faith. I will always pray for you."
Pr.3) Pause for 10 minutes a day: In the midst of your busy daily life, stop for just 10 minutes a day and look at the grace of God that is ‘here and now.’
Prayer: "Father God, thank you for rediscovering the grace we've forgotten amidst familiarity. Help us see what remains, rather than what we've lost. Help us recognize the miracles hidden in the ordinary, and confess with grace what we take for granted. Thank you for forgiving all our sins and healing our illnesses. Thank you for crowning us with kindness and compassion. Thank you for satisfying our desires with good things and refreshing us like eagles. In Jesus' name, Amen."
