Thanksgiving Eve

Eve of the National Day of Thanksgiving

November 27, 2024

Text: Phil. 4:6-20

            v. 6 (ESV): “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

            In everything… with thanksgiving.

            Gratitude… thanksgiving… is the corollary of humility and faith.  And it is the secret of happiness.

            Of humility, because, in giving thanks to God, you recognize your utter dependence on Him for everything.  He is your Father.  You are His child.  He is the Giver.  You, the receiver.  You are helpless.  He is your Helper.  The goodness of this life, and the good things you have in it, you have not provided for yourself.  These are gifts from God.  They are His answer to your prayer for daily bread.  In fact, He gives them to you (and to all people) anyway, whether you pray for them or not.  In humility, you realize this, and thank Him for it.  You haven’t earned this providence.  You don’t deserve it.  It is pure gift to you, from your heavenly Father, not because you are good, but because He is good, and because He loves you as His dear child.  To give thanks to Him is to acknowledge that.

            And even the difficult things, the things you think are not good, and the things that are not good in fact… He works for your good, because that is His Promise.  That is what St. Paul teaches us: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).  So, in humility, we recognize that even the cross and suffering are gifts bestowed by God’s fatherly hand, the means by which He brings us to the end of ourself, so that we realize that He alone is our help and salvation.  And that He might shape us into the cruciform image of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Therefore, we give Him thanks for the precious and holy cross… above all, that of His Son, by which He saves us… but, so also, that which He lays upon us, as He knows best.  Gratitude is the corollary of humility, for the humble heart recognizes that all it possesses is pure gift of grace. 

            And of faith… gratitude is the corollary of faith, because you know that God will not cease giving to you.  You know that he will not cease caring for you.  He will not abandon you.  The devil would like you to think that He will, and your sinful flesh is all-too-willing to believe it.  But it is a lie.  That would be contrary to His very nature.  God is not only faithful, He is faithfulness.  He is not only gracious, He is grace.  God cannot act contrary to His essence.  And so, you can be certain… He will never leave you, nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5).  “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).  God, Luther says in the Large Catechism, “is like an eternal, unfailing fountain.  The more it pours forth and overflows, the more it continues to give” (LC III:56; McCain).  To give thanks to God, therefore, beloved, is to acknowledge… to preach, to confess, to your family, your brothers and sisters in Christ, and to the world… to remind yourself what you so readily forget… that God is good.  That He loves you, and protects you, and provides for you completely.  And that He does all things well for you.  He orders all things for your good.  And what He has done for you in the past… what He is doing for you even now… He will continue to do for you, as long as you live.

            So, Paul says, “do not be anxious about anything,” and that includes all the difficulties of this life, the unknowns, the needs, and yes, the crosses… “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,” what?... “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  Let God worry about it.  He can handle it.  He wants you to let Him handle it.  Truth be told, He will handle it, anyway.  He doesn’t need your help, and He wants you under no illusion that you are, in fact, helping, or that you even can help.  When you try to help God, you only hinder.  Do what you’ve been given to do, yes.  And do it faithfully.  And tell Him your anxieties.  Speak to Him of your pains.  Confess to Him your sins.  Commend all things to God.  Pray.  And then rest in God’s loving protection and providence.  Rest in the knowledge that there is nothing to be anxious about, because all things are in the hands of your Father, who loves you. 

            And it seems to me that, all anxieties having been removed… taking your place as God’s own beloved child, redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ, and baptized into Him… knowing that He, who has never yet failed to sustain you, will most certainly not fail you now… it just seems to me that that is the secret of happiness.  To know and believe it, to give thanks for it and preach it to yourself and others… that is to be happy... content in God, who does all things well. 

            In everything, Paul says, thanksgiving.

 

            Thank You, Father, for life and breath,

            For body, soul, and gracious care.

            For the heavens and the earth,

            For creatures You have fashioned here. 

 

            For daily bread and gracious bounty,

            For house and home, for friends and family.

            For those in whom we see Your Face,

            Those who give and need our grace.

 

            For the Spirit’s consolation.

            Your Son’s Sacrifice, and pardon.

            For this people gathered here.

            Under One Shepherd, free from fear.

 

            We thank You, Lord, in everything,

            In joy and sorrow, ease and pain,

            Knowing You will always hear

            Our supplicating cry and prayer.

 

            And so, dear Father, glory be

            To You, to Son, and Spirit Three,

            Ever one God, Whom we adore,

            With praise and thanks forevermore. 

 

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son X, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.