Keys to the Kingdom

My Mom left a legacy for being one of the best country cooks in Cedar County. No brag, just fact. Hospitality was one of her gifts and she truly enjoyed loving and blessing people through her cooking and baking. One Thanksgiving, in particular, stands out in my memory. Along with everything else, Mom’s dressing was made from scratch so she had  placed a huge bowl full of torn pieces of bread, biscuits, and cornbread on the kitchen counter. Shortly afterwards she exited the kitchen and, within minutes, Dad came in from doing the chores. With his hawk-eyed attention to detail, he spotted the bowl and promptly took it outside and fed it to the bird dogs. It looked like scraps to him!

My brother’s favorite holiday was Thanksgiving because it’s more of a quiet day to reflect and express thanks for the goodness of God. I admit there are days when life’s not all it’s cracked up to be and the climb gets hard. But even in those times, believers are to be thankful. Why? Because in your loneliest hour of life, God is there with you. “…be content with what you have, for He has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5 ESV). This promise gives us a reason to be thankful when life gets tough.

When families and friends gather for the Thanksgiving meal, you can be sure no one will be hungry when they push away from the table. Likewise, Jesus’ kitchen is never closed, it’s always fully stocked and all partakers are satisfied. There’s no reason to look elsewhere because the best feast is at Christ‘s table. Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life. Come every day to Me and you will never be hungry. Believe in Me and you will never be thirsty“ (John 6:35 TPT). This promise is a reason to rejoice and be thankful.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT). Some believers seem to search for God’s will all their lives, but this one plain and simple verse lays down the basics of His will. Christians are to be marked by love and thanksgiving. Being thankful is the opposite of being critical. A negative attitude and mindset causes a person to only notice what’s wrong. We’re instructed to give thanks to God no matter what happens in our lives. God is still God and worthy of our praise. We are to be thankful “in” all circumstances, not “for” all circumstances. Giving thanks to God keeps our minds  in a joy-filled perspective and proper focus. Because of Jesus, there is saving blood that will never lose its power and we can be eternally grateful and thankful for that!

In 2019, my late husband and I were dining in Pittsburg with a couple of our dear friends. During the meal, Linda kindly spoke to Jimmy and said, “I understand you have some health issues.” I wondered how he would respond and then he softly replied, “God’s been good to me.“ Remembering that truthful answer deeply touched my heart as I thought about writing this column. Instead of talking on and on about the diagnosis and prognosis, my husband spoke of the goodness and faithfulness of His loving heavenly Father.

While chained in a Roman prison, Paul wrote a strong message for all Christians: “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead…” (Ephesians 1:19,20 NLT). If our problems are no bigger than raising Christ from the dead, God will  take care of them. Therefore, we can live in victory, joy, and thanksgiving.

The Key: Because of the great faithfulness of God, believers should be thankful 24-7.