Time-Tested Thanksgiving Anchored In His Joy!

November is the month that we have our hearts, and prayerfully our attitudes, turned towards all that we are thankful for as seniors! When we look back and remember all that God has done and continues to do...well, we are blessed indeed. As we begin to enumerate our blessings, the key element of a thankful heart becomes clear in both or minds and our memories. It is something that Jesus promised and never failed to deliver when we looked to Him. It was and is His JOY!

However, there are some Christians that seem to have lost their joy when I visit with them. Life has taught us that a Christian without Joy is a contradiction in terms isn’t it? If you are right with God, you ought to have joy! We have learned how important joy is in order to have the strength to live the Christian life, in order to bear up under life’s burdens. We all have heartaches and difficulties at some time, and His joy is the cushion that softens the blows and the lubricant that will remove the burning burdens from your heart.

Abounding joy

Jesus gave us His “abounding joy”. He said, “...that your joy may be full”. Not a half hearted joy, but rather abounding, full and supernatural. How many times as we think back in our lives, did we praise His name for the “abounding joy” in desperate situations? His joy was the answer, when we did not even understand the questions before us.

Abiding joy

His joy was also an “abiding joy”. He said, “…that my joy might remain in you”. His was not a joy that came and went no, He taught us about joy when He was facing the darkness of Calvary! He proved that His joy was not dependent on circumstance, but rather was full in spite of it! Dear friends, remember all the times when your circumstances were simply unbelievably difficult? His joy brought you through it, as it did me!

As seniors following the Savior what have we learned that we may pass on to those that come behind us?  What may we share that will strengthen their thankfulness by upgrading their joy with the Savior?

• Depend – The joy of Jesus is given when we depend upon the Lord. John 15:5 “He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.” When we think we are something, then God is not everything. And God cannot become everything until we become nothing!

• Rest – “...as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: continue in my love.” We can show them how to rest in His love! We cannot create joy; we must simply rest in the vine as a lovingly connected branch!

• Obey –“If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love”. Jesus kept the commandments of His Father...we must (or should I say) get to obey Him! Real joy comes when we obey!

• Rejoice – We have learned and come full circle in our lives. Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full!”

Thanksgiving is rooted in joy and without genuine joy we have learned that life is well....meaningless. And joy is found only in Jesus Christ; the same yesterday, today and forever!  Have a joyful Thanksgiving with the family, friends, and most importantly, the Savior!

—Joe Schofield  

Associate Pastor/Minister to Seniors, Prestonwood Baptist Church
jschofield@prestonwood.org