Rabbi’s Reflections – Sunday, January 12, 2025
Shavuah Tov,
“The Power of a Thankful Heart – Part 2”
By Jerry Miller
Rabbi’s note: Part 1 was originally published on December 15, 2024. It can be found in the archives here… www.syknox.org/blog
“Therefore as you received Messiah Yeshua as Lord, so continue to walk in Him…established in your faith…overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7, TLV)
“Has a nation changed its gods—even though they are not gods? Yet My people have exchanged their glory for worthless things…My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me—the spring of living water—and they dug their own cisterns—cracked cisterns that hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2: 11, 13, TLV)
A few weeks ago in the Sunday RR, I shared some thoughts on what I would call, the daily posture of a thankful heart. As we can see in the Colossians verse above, we are to be a people “overflowing with thankfulness.” I also drew from the Jeremiah passage an analogy from the idea of “cracked cisterns that can hold no water.” The analogy is that our lives, at times, can be likened to cracked cisterns from which the joy of God’s presence “leaks out” so to speak. Thanksgiving is one of the keys to maintaining a joy-filled heart. We must call to mind that our God is always worthy of our gratitude, regardless of our circumstances. Thankfulness is always appropriate. Let’s consider this further today.
I believe thanksgiving brings an empowering to our soul for thriving even in the most difficult of challenges. But as we considered in the earlier RR, we can be like those Jeremiah referred to above—those who “exchange (our) glory” for that which adds no value to the spiritual quality of our lives. We can too easily tolerate attitudes that become fleshly alternatives to praise and thanksgiving. So then, what forms do these alternatives take? Let’s just consider a few examples.
One example would be fear and anxiety. We experience some type of challenge or even a crisis in our lives, and rather than giving thanks to God and honoring Him for who He is, and honoring Him for his sovereignty in our lives, we can give in to the alternative of fear. Remember, God is always worthy of thanksgiving simply for who He is. Circumstances do not change the glorious nature of our God and His loving leadership in our lives. When we give Him thanks, it actually can bring that empowering to our soul to battle the fear and anxiety that are trying to prevail in our hearts. The alternative of fear becomes like a “crack in the cistern” and our joy and faith “leak out.” Of course, I am not suggesting we live in denial and simply ignore challenges or crises that arise. I am saying that our thanks to God can help us rise to a place where faith and trust rule over fear and anxiety.
Another example is complaining and negativity. We may encounter people or situations we’re not pleased with, and rather than giving thanks to God because He is our joy in spite of what we might be going through, or in spite of people we are dealing with, instead we give in to grumbling and complaining. It seems that complaining is such a normal and common part of our culture today. We complain rather than honoring God with praise, and that complaining is essentially a soulish alternative to thanksgiving. Of course, once we give way to complaining, we do not feel very joyful at such times. This tendency can be so ingrained in us, simply because, we live in a culture in which self-centered discontentment is often the norm. People don’t get their way on something, and the natural tendency is to complain and protest, perhaps even allowing their frustration to grow into anger and rage. Such reactions to people and circumstances can become yet another crack in the cistern, impacting our faith and joy.
Another example would be envy and jealousy. We see someone else blessed, and rather than honoring God with an attitude of preferring others and rejoicing in the blessing of others, instead we follow the self-centered alternative of envy and jealousy—another crack in the cistern. Some other common responses affecting our joy level would be critical attitudes, hurt feelings, disappointment, resentment, self-pity, sarcasm, offenses—and many more we could think of. The point is, these are all natural reactions to the realities of life, and these reactions war against the rejoicing and thanksgiving that are key to our living in the fullness of joy God intends for us. Far too often, we exchange our glory—setting aside the stance of praise and thanksgiving to God—and giving place to natural reactions that are worthless in relation to our spiritual life.
Again, these different natural reactions don’t add any value to the quality of our life. Instead, they set a negative course for us to follow, and we can end up struggling to maintain the joy God intends for us to walk in all the time. Here is what we must see. Everything the Bible says about joy, and about the praise and thanksgiving that strengthen our joy, shows us that this joy is not related to how circumstances are going for us. Rather, our joy has to do with who God is, and that is why we can be joyful all the time! Why? Very simply, because God Himself never changes. He will never be unworthy or undeserving of gratitude. Our circumstances, no matter how difficult they may be, are never a reason for concluding that God is not worthy of our gratitude. Rejoicing and thanksgiving can be part of a constant mindset, setting a course for our lives that strengthens our faith and empowers our trust for the Lord. Remember…the fleshly alternatives to gratitude add no value to our lives.
The good news is, none of us has to be enslaved to any emotions or reactions that would lead us away from thanksgiving to God. We don’t have to tolerate cracks in the cistern of our hearts. God delights in giving us grace for growing in gratitude. If this is an area of struggle for you, ask Him for His help. After all, this amazing life to which God calls us is God’s idea, and so, I believe He is totally committed to helping us with both identifying and overcoming the fleshly alternatives to joy and thanksgiving. We will continue to consider this in a couple weeks. In the meantime, may the Lord bring increasing victory in your life in this area of a thankful heart.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Sun 12-Jan-2025 12th of Tevet, 5785
Ex 1:1-17 2 Sa 17 Ps 89 Lk 11:1-28 (2 Co 12)