A Tranquil and Quiet Life
Notes
Transcript
Seasons and Times
Seasons and Times
We are often caught up in the routine of our lives and barely notice the changes happening in the world around us. Then, one day we notice the Geese migrating, the color is changing on the trees, the summer heat is gone, and we need a jacket in the cool of the evening.
Somehow, we find ourselves in the middle of Autumn and another summer has passed. This is the time when we begin to think about the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Thanksgiving Holiday
The Thanksgiving Holiday
It is traditionally the time for us to join together with family and friends to enjoy a meal and give thanks.
This is a good tradition with a heritage for us as Americans beginning in the early days of our nation.
President John F. Kennedy described Thanksgiving this way,
"Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and in Massachusetts, far from home in a lonely wilderness, set aside a time of thanksgiving. On the appointed day, they gave reverent thanks for their safety, for the health of their children, for the fertility of their fields, for the love which bound them together, and for the faith which united them with their God"
Somehow though, in our culture, the family has been fragmented, and our ability to join together fractured with fears of a pandemic.
Are we safe?
Is our food supply secure?
Some businesses have been crushed by the economic shut-down while others are flourishing as our cultural norms are challenged in ways we never imagined possible.
Yet, God is still our God. Our relationship with Him is still intact and whatever we face we are to
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Making our requests known is not a one-sided action. This prayer, talking to God and telling Him what we are facing is the place we go to find help.
This is not the help the world has to give, a sympathetic shoulder to cry on that says “Oh, you poor thing”.
No, God made a way for us to come to Him through Jesus Christ and says in
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Our help comes from God as it says in
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, From whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, Which made heaven and earth.
God reminds us in
10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
God has promised that he will uphold us.
But, you may say, when Lord?
These things we face are pressing and we cry out
1 Make haste, O God, to deliver me; Make haste to help me, O Lord.
We are impatient for the answer and say
26 Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy: 27 That they may know that this is thy hand; That thou, Lord, hast done it.
We want God to give us the answer we want and we want it now!
God is not our puppy trained to respond to our command.
God is righteous and knows what we need even better than we do.
It is He that is working on our behalf in
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 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.
Our hope and our help are in our faith in God and we are to, as it says in
2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
As we pray and watch, we will see God work for our good.
What makes this hard for us is that we cannot always see how God is working also in the lives of people around us.
The outcome God is working is not just about us, it is also about all those that call on Him.
This is why it says that we should continue in faith, living our lives with faith and patience and action in
12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
We then are workers together with God to demonstrate His loyal love and goodness to the world around us.
Praying Beyond Our Own Needs
Praying Beyond Our Own Needs
Our prayer then goes beyond what we need for ourselves and even beyond what we need for our family.
This is why we are encouraged to take a place as intercessors for those around us beginning not with ourselves but beginning with those in a position of authority. It says in
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Here, there are
Four Aspects of Prayer
Four Aspects of Prayer
deēseis, making requests for specific needs
proseuchas, bringing those in view before God
enteuxeis, appealing boldly on their behalf
eucharistias, thankfulness for them
This is not prayer for people we like, and it is not prayer for what we want God to do. And this prayer is not just that we live quiet and peaceful lives.
This prayer is also that we live in godliness and honesty.
Godliness and Honesty
Godliness and Honesty
Godliness and honesty are necessary if people are to be saved.
Godliness and honesty are necessary if people are to come to a knowledge of the truth.
Our prayer for godliness and honesty for our President, for our national Legislators, for our Supreme Court Justices has never been more important than it is right now.
And this is to be made with Thanksgiving even if we don’t see the behavior, we expect from people.
In this Thanksgiving season, our thanks naturally go to God for our future and hope in Christ and also for what He is doing in us now as it says in
14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
But it isn’t just in this Holiday season that we give thanks for food or family or friends. What we give God thanks for is that He “always causes us to triumph”.
This transforming and overcoming power of God that is shown on our behalf that causes us to give Thanks always and every day. His goodness is made known in us and through us to the world.