“This and Christ Too!

”
(Thanksgiving Devotional, 2009)

A. Introduction.
1. I would venture to say that over the past year, we’ve all experienced many ups and downs;
some of us have had more downs that ups.
a. We shouldn’t think it’s strange that we have, because this is the way the Lord has planned
it:
(i) No one of us will have it easy all the time, because it isn’t good for things always to be
easy in our lives.
(ii) Without the difficulties, we won’t grow stronger in Christ.
(iii) The tree needs the wind to cause its roots to grow deep – so we need trials to make
our souls cling the Lord and grow deep in Him.
(iv) These things also remind us that this is not our final destination – heaven is.
(v) If things always went well here, we may not want to leave when our time comes.

b. But my point this morning is that sometimes we focus so much on these trials and
difficulties, we tend to forget the good the Lord is doing through these things.
(i) We also forget all the good He does for us besides them.
(iii) And because we do, we forget how thankful we should be.

2. At times like this, we need to adjust our perspective:

a. We shouldn’t need everything or most things to be going well to be thankful.
b. No matter what we’ve had to go through, no matter how much we’ve gone without or had
to suffer, we always have a reason to be thankful.

B. Devotional.
1. Consider these comments and example from William Guthrie, a Scottish minister who lived
during the time of the Puritans: “Objects seem large or little according to the medium through
which they are viewed. In the microscope, what a remarkable change they undergo! The
humble moss rises into a graceful tree; the beetle armed for battle, flashes in golden or silver
mail; a grain of sand swells into a mass of rock; and, on the other hand, a mountain looked at
through the wrong end of a telescope sinks into a mole-hill, and the broad lake contracts into a
tiny pool. Even so, according as we look at them, with the eyes of self-condemning humility,
or of self-righteous pride, God’s mercies seem great or little. For example, a minister of the
Gospel passing one day near a cottage, was attracted to its door by the sound of a loud and
earnest voice. It was a bare and lonely dwelling; the home of a man who was childless, old,
and poor. Drawing near this mean and humble cabin, the stranger at length made out these
words, ‘This, and Jesus Christ too! This, and Jesus Christ too!’ as they were repeated over
and over in tones of deep emotion, of wonder, gratitude, and praise. His curiosity was roused
to see what that could be which called forth such fervent, overflowing thanks. Stealing near,
he looked in at the patched and broken window; and there in the form of a grey, bent, worn-
out son of toil, at a rude table, with hands raised to God, and his eyes fixed on some crusts of
bread and a cup of water, sat piety, peace, humility, contentment, exclaiming, ‘This, and Jesus
Christ too!’” (Guthrie, 2965).
2. What can we learn about thankfulness through this example of a man who seemingly had
nothing, but who considered himself rich?
a. How often do we look at our circumstances with the wrong perspective – like one who
looks through the wrong end of a telescope – and think God’s mercies towards us are so
small that we have no reason to be thankful?
b. How often do we think, Yes, I have Jesus, I have all I really need, but that isn’t enough; I
want more or I will not be content? I’m afraid we think this far too often.
c. What’s our problem? The problem is that we lack the right perspective; because we lack
humility.

3. Humility is really the key to thankfulness.

a. If we were truly humble, we wouldn’t be asking ourselves why things aren’t better than
they are, but why are they so good? Why hasn’t the Lord given me what I truly deserve
rather than the kindness He’s shown me?
b. What would we have, after all, if the Lord gave us what each of us deserved?
(i) We would all be swimming forever in a lake of fire.
(ii) We generally don’t like to hear these things because we like to think we’re better than
we are.
(a) We don’t want to believe we’re so bad, even though the Bible plainly tells us that
outside of Christ, we are: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom.
3:23). “There is none who does good, there is not even one” (Rom. 3:12). “Behold I
was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psa. 51:5). We
were “by nature children of wrath, even as the rest” (Eph. 2:3).
(b) Unless we understand and accept these things, we’ll never be thankful for what the
Lord has given us.
(c) When we look at what others have in this world, we’ll keep saying, Why doesn’t
the Lord give me more? Why doesn’t He bless me with more money, with better
health, with fewer trials, with less stress? These might be legitimate questions to ask
if we deserved more.
(d) But once we see that because of our sins we deserve to be condemned to hell, away
from every friend, away from every comfort, for all time without end; and yet that
the Lord has given us His Son to die for us, He has prepared a heaven to receive us
eternally, and He has promised to meet all of our needs in this life even though we
know we must go through difficult times, how can we possibly complain that the
Lord hasn’t been gracious enough to us?
(e) It should cause us to look at the mercies He pours out on us daily and say, “This,
and Jesus Christ too?!” He has given me everything I need to live, He has saved me
through His only dear Son, and He has prepared heaven for me? What grace, what
infinite mercy! All this, and Jesus Christ too?!
(f) When you add to this the fact that He has promised to use all our trials and
difficulties to help us to grow closer to Him and more into His likeness, and that
nothing that He brings can ultimately destroy us, but He will work them all together
for our good, how can we be anything but thankful?
(g) This morning, let’s be reminded to look at things from the right perspective, from
the vantage point of humility, and thank the Lord for His infinite mercies. Amen.