Our thankfulness is directly tied to our ability to focus on what God has given. Rather than like many who think only on the things we think He should have given. But, God has given all that we need for life and godliness. And for love, joy, and peace that passes understanding. It's our ability to see this that will bring us to an attitude of thankfulness.

It's the glass 1/2 full or 1/2 empty story. How do you see your life?

When 1/2 empty you will find all sorts of things to be sad and depressed about. And over time if you allow yourself to stay that way you will become obsessed with those things you don't have. To the end that depression becomes familiar friend that you won't be able to or even want to let go of.

But, if on the other hand the glass is always 1/2 full thankfulness will fill your thoughts so that you will be filled with the love, joy, and peace of the Lord. A peace that guards your heart and mind so that sadness and depression can not make a comfortable place there.

This is what Paul was teaching in Phil.4:6-8. He wasn't saying you should ignore or be blind to the realities of life that sometimes can be sad, depressing, and difficult. He is telling you how giving those things to the Lord, while continually focusing on the 1/2 full glass, what you do have, God will fill the glass with love, joy, and peace that passes understanding.

Passing understanding because even though all around us may be the turmoils of this life. You see and are thankful for what God has given you so that God's love, joy, and peace makes the 1/2 empty glass completely full. Because His love, joy, and peace is all we need to guard against the things of this world and satan that are used by satan to bring you down and make you feel defeated.

But, we know God has already won. And when we trust in Him and cast our cares on Him He makes us realize that whatever we may be going through will work together for good. It can not defeat us if we will trust in Him for the outcome.

A perfect picture of this is found in the man Job.

Who when he lost everything never stopped believing that God was to be trusted implicitly. A message of His love comes through that when fully realized would leave Job with greater riches than he ever had before. And a message for us that shows the testing that is going on in this world.

Similarly Abraham's faith was tested by God as well. When he obeyed God by taking Isaac up on the mountain to sacrifice him God said, "Now I know that you will withhold nothing from me".

And Cory Tenboom when imprisoned by the nazis in WW2 said in her book The Hiding Place that her sister expressed thankfulness even for the fleas that filled the beds they were made to sleep in. And as it worked out it worked in their favor because the guards would not come in their barracks because they hated the fleas. Giving them the freedom to study the Bible they had and worship as much as they wanted to.

This test is about free will. Satan desires to trick us into trusting him instead of the God who made us by taking what may seem to be the easy way out of things that sometimes seem to hard for us to bear. And God desires for us to know that when we trust in Him all things are possible for us.

And if we know our God then we also know that He will never allow us to be tempted above that which we are able to bear. Because with the temptations that inevitably come He has provided the way of escaping it. That way of escape from temptation is always Jesus.

For when we trust in Jesus as He trusted the Father we will always be more courageous than we know. More powerful than we know. And more able to endure than we know. This is what being justified by the faith of Christ means.

It means we believe in Jesus just as He believed the Father. So that when He thought He could not bear the trial of the cross His faith in the Father carried Him through it. It means no matter what may come we will always be able to say as Jesus did, "nevertheless not my will but thy will be done". And mean it.

It means the glass will never again be 1/2 empty for us. But, will always be full and running over with the love, joy, and peace of God that passes understanding.

Because these are not dependent upon our circumstances. But upon our life that is hid with God in Christ.

For this we can be truly thankful. The kind of thankful that comes from focusing on the blessings we have. Rather than the things we think we should have. God knows what is best for us. And since He loves us more than we can comprehend we know that He will always provide what is best for us.

Not giving us too much so that we forget our God. Or not enough so that we will steal and take His name in vain as Proverbs30:8,9 says. But, just what we need so that we are always thankful in trust and reliance on Him.

So be thankful for what God has done. And for what He is always doing in your life. And be thankful that whatever trials you may find yourself encountering He has provided our way of escape in Jesus.

Thanksgiving is not a day in the year. It is a life changing revelation that God is more than enough. That with Him the glass is always full and running over with blessing. And if you have not trusted in Jesus so that thankfulness is a reality in your world then trust in Him now and He will give you the keys to His kingdom.

If you will confess Jesus is Lord. And believe in your heart that He has raised from the dead. You will be saved from death to life. From mortality to immortality. From natural to spiritual. And you will become a child of the living God who made you heir to His kingdom.

Do this and you will have eternal life. Do this and you will be filled with the Joy of the Lord. Do this and His peace that passes understanding will guard your heart and mind in Jesus. Do this and make this a thanksgiving you will forever remember. Do this.... and I will see you there or in the air!

This message can also be heard at: https://rumble.com/v1xd3xo-thanksgiving-to-remember.html