“The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.”
― Martha Washington

“Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances that we know to be desperate.”
― G.K. Chesterton

“Stop blaming outside circumstances for your inside chaos.”
― Steve Maraboli

We have heard the expression, “under the circumstances…” or “rise above your circumstances”. Many people today seem to be “victims of their circumstances”. The Christian is the victor and not the victim. Romans 8:28 states, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ” Verse 37 says, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” I Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I John 4:4, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Victim or Victor? “According to your faith, be it unto you.” “And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” Too many Christians (like the Jews of old) are delivered from Egypt, but they get lost in the wilderness of unbelief! Sometimes we are not the victim of our circumstances, but the victim of our own bitterness, jealousy or our own ambitions.

Hannah Whithall Smith wrote, “He does not need to transplant us into a different field, but right where we are, with just the circumstances that surround us, he makes his sun to shine and his dew to fall upon us and transforms the very things that were before our greatest hindrances into the chiefest and most blessed means of our growth. No difficulties in your case can baffle him. No dwarfing of your growth in years that are past, no apparent dryness in your inward springs of life, no crookedness or deformity in any of your past development, can in the least mar the perfect work that he will accomplish, if you will only put yourselves absolutely into his hands and let him have his own way with you.”

For those of you that know these Bible stories, think about who the real victims or victors were. Mordecai or Haman? Daniel or his accusers? Paul and Silas or their Roman captors? Joseph or his brothers? David or Saul/Absalom? Jesus or those who crucified Him? The song says, “He arose the victor from the dark domain and lives forever with His saints to reign!” Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

In the third century, Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage, wrote to his friend Donatus: “It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and good people who have learned the great secret of life. They have found a joy and wisdom which is a thousand times better than any of the pleasures of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are Christians… and I am one of them.”

Bob Jones Sr. wrote, “When gratitude dies on the altar of a man’s heart, that man is well- nigh hopeless.” That is a very powerful statement. We are to have a “gratitude attitude”! What a difference there is when an individual is thankful rather than unthankful. We are to celebrate Thanksgiving this week. What a great title for a holiday. It is certainly a Biblical title.

Psalms 26:7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

Psalms 50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

Psalms 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Psalms 95:2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Psalms 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalms 116:17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

Psalms 147:7 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving;

“A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer’s trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer’s heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord.”
– John MacArthur

“It’s one thing to be grateful. It’s another to give thanks. Gratitude is what you feel. Thanksgiving is what you do.”
– Tim Keller

“It is only with gratitude that life becomes rich!”
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

A Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Lord, so oftentimes, as any other day
When we sit down to our meal and pray
We hurry along and make fast the blessing
Thanks, amen. Now please pass the dressing
We’re slaves to the olfactory overload
We must rush our prayer before the food gets cold
But Lord, I’d like to take a few minutes more
To really give thanks to what I’m thankful for
For my family, my health, a nice soft bed
My friends, my freedom, a roof over my head
I’m thankful right now to be surrounded by those
Whose lives touch me more than they’ll ever possibly know
Thankful Lord, that You’ve blessed me beyond measure
Thankful that in my heart lives life’s greatest treasure
That You, dear Jesus, reside in that place
And I’m ever so grateful for Your unending grace
So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You’ve provided
And bless each and every person invited. Amen!

he Apostle Paul in writing to the church at Corinth about the love of Christ and the great sacrifice He made on the Cross states, “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” II Corinthians 5:15. What a privilege it is for the Christian to live for Christ!

C. Harold Lowden in 1915, wrote a wonderful gospel song entitled “Living For Jesus”.

Living for Jesus a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance glad hearted and free. This is the pathway of blessing for me.
Living for Jesus wherever I am. Doing each duty in His holy name;
Willing to suffer affliction and loss, Deeming each trial a part of my cross.”

What does living for God mean and why would anyone want to live for Him?

“I have come to see clearly that life is more than self. It is more than doing what I want, striving for what will benefit me, dreaming of all I can be. Life is all about my relationship with God. There is no higher calling, no loftier dream, and no greater goal than to live, breathe, and be poured out for Jesus Christ.”
― Brother Andrew , The Narrow Road: Stories of Those Who Walk This Road Together

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Colossians 3:4, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Again the question is asked, “Why would anyone want to live for God?” The Christian has discovered a love and gratitude that an unbeliever has not experienced. I John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.” Romans 5:5, “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Ephesians 3:19, “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.” “To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek him the greatest adventure; to find him, the greatest human achievement.” Augustine.

I love You Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You
O my soul rejoice
Take joy my King
In what You hear
May it be a sweet sweet sound
In Your ear

How do you respond to trouble, to difficult circumstances, to disappointments? Many today are experiencing sleepless nights, they are anxious, angry and restless. But God promises in Hebrews 4:9, “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus went on in verse 29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Paul said in II Corinthians 7:5, “For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.” No rest in the flesh because of circumstances! Rest unto your souls because of Christ! Listen to David in the Psalms. Psalm 37:7, “Rest in the Lord, wait patienltly for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in the way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” No matter that there is turmoil and trouble in the world, there is peace and rest in the Lord. Jesus said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Jean Nicolas Grou wrote back in the 1700’s, “How shall we rest in God? By giving ourselves wholly to him. If you give yourselves by halves, you cannot find full rest; there will ever be a lurking disquiet in that half that is withheld. Martyrs, confessors, and saints have tasted this rest, and “counted themselves happy in that they endured.” A countless host of God’s faithful servants have drunk deeply of it under the daily burden of a weary life- dull, commonplace, painful or desolate. All that God has been to them, he is ready to be to you. The heart once fairly given to God, with a clear conscience, a fitting rule of life, and a steadfast purpose of obedience, you will find a wonderful sense of rest coming over you.”

There is a great inward, spiritual difference between being filled with the Spirit and grieving the Spirit. Galatians 5:22 & 23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:…” Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God…” To grieve means to offend; to displease; to provoke. I wish we could do more for the peace of our country, of our world, our families, our churches, but inward peace is a personal choice. It is a closeness with God. It is a faith in God’s promises that produces a peace in our hearts.

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to take Him at His Word
Just to rest upon His promise, Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

I’m so glad I learned to trust Him, Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend
And I know that He is with me, Will be with me to the end.