Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication 

with thanksgiving

let you request be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7, NASB

 

We celebrate Thanksgiving every year in our family, just like most of you do. I have wonderful memories of this Holiday from when I was a kid. Mom would spend days getting ready for the big feast. The table was covered with food, but the four items I looked forward to the most were the turkey, the ham (yes, we had both), the stuffing, and the rolls! For dessert we had pie! For a family that usually had beans and cornbread four or five times a week, Thanksgiving for us was like Christmas  dinner was for the Cratchit family in Dickens' marvelous tale of Scrooge.

 

And, in our household, Thanksgiving was the official kickoff of the Christmas season! Dad would formalize the occasion by snapping on the Hi-Fi and we would dine to the soft tones of Christmas records while we ate. After dinner was the Dallas Cowboy game. The rest of the day was a series of snacks, groanings of "I ate too much!", and then a supper consisting of the four favorite food groups, the aforementioned turkey, ham, stuffing and rolls. As at all mealtimes in my parent's household, we gave thanks.

 

Now we all know what the day of Thanksgiving is like in our own households, but do we take time to really consider the act of thanksgiving? Do we realize that a thankful heart is a big part of the cure for worry? Don't believe it? Just re-read the verse above and it is as plain as day! When we are going through bad times, when our heart is heavy, or when we are weighed down by the cares of this world, we all have a tendency to pray. However, those prayers are often more akin to a kidnapper's list of demands than they are to the type of prayer that God has laid out for us. We often rush to God when we are worried, but it is usually more to say, "please give me this" and "please give me that" than it is to express our gratitude toward Him.

 

But a thankful heart is key to having God lift our anxiety! Why is that? I think part of the answer lies in this truth: When we have big problems, we often get tunnel vision. We see only the problem and the consequences that we are certain will come from it. We are like an animal whose leg is caught in a trap. Sometimes the pain is so severe and the need for escape is so compelling that an animal will actually chew off its own leg to get out of the trap.

 

So, like a terrified animal, we often approach God in a panic. We repeat the same prayer for help, over and over, but the prayer seems to be doing us no good. In fact, it may seem to make the problem worse, because we are repeating it mindlessly and often without a thought as to Who we are bringing our request. But...

 

when we approach our Heavenly Father with thanksgiving, it changes everything!

 

We are still bringing our anxieties to God, but now we are doing so with gratitude. How different prayer is when we begin by thanking Him for all of the good blessings He has given to us already. Add to that a thanksgiving for hearing our prayer in the first place. Thank Him also for the things that are going right. Thank Him for His protection as He really has watched over you all of your life. Thank Him for your hope of salvation, for His grace, and for the willing sacrifice of our beloved Savior. 

 

Then, after you have brought to mind all of His power and goodness and concern towards you, you can present your requests to God. And the confidence you will have will lead to faith. And the faithful prayer of the righteous man will accomplish much because God has so promised. The act of thanksgiving has the power of changing your fear to a type of grateful confidence if you will let it. 

 

And then, you will receive the peace that passes all understanding! Do you see what a thankful heart can do for you? More relevant, can you see what God will do when you have a heart that is grateful? Isn't God good! Aren't we thankful for that goodness!

 

 

Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do...

I Chronicles 12:32, ESV

 

I want you to understand this at the outset: This article is not an attempt to get you to think or to vote in a certain way. I say that because there are plenty of political outlets for you to get that type of information. I also say that because we live in a divided nation wherein, if a person's worldview is challenged in any way, it is immediately taken as enemy action. Consider this article an attempt to just get people to think for themselves about what is going on, and then make a prayerful determination as to what to do.

 

In Isaiah 44, we read of a man who cuts down a tree. With part of the wood, he lights a fire and cooks a meal. With part, he carves an idol, then bows down to it and prays. God makes the observation that the man is not thinking. In fact, Isaiah records God's message in Isaiah 44:19 that "no one stops to think". Does that sound vaguely familiar to you when you contemplate the world in which we live? 

 

Now for the part that many will consider political. I encourage you to put aside political allegiance for a long enough moment to consider the following: If you have watched any news at all in the past year, you are aware that we have a leader who is not as mentally sharp as he once was. In fact, he is often in need of someone to show him where to go and what to do in the most basic of human activities. To be direct, we have a President who does not always know where to stand or what to say. Once an excellent speaker and debater, our President rarely gets through a simple speech without fumbling over the most basic of words.

 

Yet the other day, in a publication no less esteemed than The Wall Street Journal, was contained an opinion piece that was as articulate and persuasive as could be. It essentially called for Americans to prepare themselves for the sacrifice of war. And it was signed by the President of the United States of America! We are expected to believe that the same man who has not shown a lot of mental acuity in recent years has been suddenly transformed into a silver tongued orator who is capable of rallying the nation to get behind the noble cause of war. 

 

What's going on? I realize in the politically charged environment in which we live that this can be an incendiary question, but it is not meant to be. I am just wondering if there are any men like those of Issachar who, during David's era, had an understanding of the times and knew what their country should do. 

 

Regardless of your political leanings, do you think it is reasonable to believe that a man who acts so irrational when he is in public could at the same time so articulately pen an article in private that calls upon a nation to prepare itself for the sacrifices of war? If this is not reasonable, don't you think we should then ask who really wrote that article? A better question would be why did they write this article and sign the President's name to it? And why, are they wanting to convince us that we should commit our sons and daughters to war?

 

Now you may think that this is not an appropriate article to be included in a Christian-themed site, but let me ask you this: If Christians do not ask the question, "What is going on" who will? If Christians defer big decisions of going to war to nameless, faceless, people, then what will happen to us? Christians, above all others, should be arming themselves with the facts and be praying to God for the right decisions. 

 

One last thing. I have grandchildren who are rapidly approaching the age that they will be making decisions as to whether they should serve in our military. I pray that they will have the courage to do so, if the cause they are representing is a righteous one. My family has a history of men who have served in the military stretching back to the times of the Revolutionary War, and I am fully aware that there are times when a nation must go to war. But such a decision should not be made lightly, and it certainly should not be made through deception.

 

I do believe that all Christians and patriots should have a clear understanding of the times. They cannot do this unless they stop, at least occasionally, to think about what is going on. In short, my intent in writing this article is not to tell you what to think. Instead, it is an encouragement for you and me to begin to think! It is also a plea to get you to be praying to the One who does know what is going on, and who also knows exactly what to do. We need to be asking Him for that help right now, don't you think?

 

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.

James 5:13, NIV (1978)

 

 

For my people are foolish; they know Me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding.

Jeremiah 4:22, ESV

 

Do you know who you are? At first it might seem to be a ridiculous question, but when you dig a little deeper you might find that it is not. One of the great truths that we discover as we go through life is that in order to know where we are going, we first have to know where we come from. And far too many of us have no clue!

 

I enjoy reading all sorts of material, from a good mystery to an accurate history. I suppose that I have read thousands of books over my lifetime, but there are two documents that are head and shoulders above the rest. In fact, the first is head and shoulders above the second, but both are vital, for they answer the important question of where we came from. Knowing that, I cannot only know where I am now, but also where I am going. In other words, these two documents tell me not only who I am, but even more important, who I am expected to be.

 

The first book - the one that shines above all the rest - is obviously the Bible. Without a firm and serviceable understanding of God's Word, I cannot even function in life. The first reason is that the Bible reveals to us Who God is. Without that knowledge, God considers us nothing more than stupid children who have no understanding. You don't believe that? Re-read the verse above, within its full context, and I believe you will come to the same conclusion.

 

My Dad told me that he had a professor in college who loved the following quotation: "He knows not, but he knows not that he knows not. Pity him, for he is a freshman." The idea that the teacher was passing along was that the novice in learning usually does not understand how little he really knows. While this is truer in some areas more than others, it is absolutely true in God's Word. Without a working knowledge of it, we are doomed to a life without understanding. Fail to correct this fatal flaw, and it will result in spiritual death.

 

The second most important document in my mind, at least for citizens of the United States, is the Constitution. Fail to familiarize yourself with this document and you will become a second class citizen. Worse than that, you will eventually become a slave. So, too, will your children!

 

Why even talk about these things? I believe you can see how obvious the need to do so is or you probably wouldn't still be reading. But for those who do fail to see the importance of a thorough understanding of the Bible and the Constitution, then here it is: Failure to know God, renders you a foolish and stupid person who has no understanding. This is not my conclusion. It is God's! So job one for you and mr is to know God by reading His Word. And for those who reside in America, while clearly not on the same level as coming to know Who God is, we still have to have an understanding of the principles contained in our foundational document, the Constitution. Without a full awareness of the concepts contained therein, a person will be in danger of becoming a slave.

 

So, let me ask again: "Do you know who you are?" Until you know God, you will neither know that nor what you are meant to become. And though of a clearly inferior level, but nevertheless critical to us all, is a knowledge of the Constitution. Until you know that, you will never understand what it means to be a citizen of the United States, and therefore what privileges you are forfeiting because of your ignorance.

 

One last thing: If you can only do one, read the Bible on a daily basis. It will reveal who God is and, therefore, who He expects you to be. Failing that, all of the rest of the knowledge in the world will not help you. Achieving that, you can then move on to educating yourself in other vital areas such as the responsibilities and privileges of a U. S. citizen. Failing that, you will doom all future generations to a servitude under those unscrupulous individuals who seek to rule over you. 

 

So, who are we anyway? We are children of God! We cannot afford to be without knowledge of our responsibilities as his children or we will surely become enslaved. First, to unscrupulous people. But far more consequential than this, we will eventually become slaves to the devil. And, we cannot survive that! 

 

Better find out who you are before it's too late! It begins with finding out Who God is. 

Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. To One he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability, and he went on his journey. 

Matthew 25:13-15, NASB

 

We were studying this familiar parable in Bible class the other day. In this parable of the talents, Jesus taught that the master (God) gives His servants (us) talents according to our abilities. The word talent has come to mean ability in our modern language, but in Jesus' time it referred to a specific amount of money. To be specific, the word talent as used in the Bible referred to a resource. And in this parable, the resource is given by God in proportion to the ability each of us possesses. 

 

During the class, one of our wiser students of the Bible pointed out that many people are afraid that they will "blow their opportunity" and use up all of the resources that God has given us for His service. He also made the point that this is something we should not be worried about for the amount of talents (resources) that God gives us is so vast that there will be plenty for us to use in His service should we fail a time or two. For God has made certain that we will have enough provisions for a lifetime of service.

 

I thought this was such an important observation! Remember in the parable that the servants who actually used the talents in conjunction with their abilities, also God-given, were successful in their service to the Master. In the end, they were the ones who heard those most beautiful of words, "Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your master's joy!" Condemnation was reserved only for the one who didn't use the resources because he said he was afraid he would lose them. The master wisely pointed out the true problem: The servant was wicked and lazy! It mattered not that he was afraid, because this servant clearly did not want to serve in the first place.

 

But this attitude must not apply to you and me. Of course we do not want to waste the resources that God has given us, but we will not be wasting them if we are using them in His service. It is true that we will try and fail at times, but the talents that God has given us are plentiful enough for us to have what we need for the rest of our life! It is like when I was a cook at Kentucky Fried Chicken. I might accidentally burn a piece or two of the chicken and I might even drop some on the floor. But the owner of the store had already made allowance for mishaps, so there was always an abundance of chicken left to be cooked, even when I made a mistake and ruined some of it.

 

And, as the wise gentleman pointed out in our Bible class, you don't have to worry about an honest mistake wasting all of the talents God has entrusted you with. What's more, you do not have to fret about past failures when you were not making an honest effort to serve God. What we need to be concerned about is what we will do now! And the fact is that for those willing to serve God in the manner He has prescribed, there will always be enough talents remaining for He has the foresight to know exactly how much you will need to last for a lifetime of service.

 

Knowing this, the only thing left for us to do is to serve the Master until He comes. He has given us the provisions, and His Holy Word contains all the instruction we need to correct the mistakes that we might make. We can then continue our service for as long as we have opportunity to do so. So, don't worry about running out, for God has given you and I all we need to get the job done. If we will continue to use the talents we have with all of the ability that God has given us, then someday we too will hear those beautiful words, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" It's a wonderful life, isn't it!