>> Welcome to It Is Written 00:00:05.47\00:00:06.50 Canada. 00:00:06.50\00:00:07.30 Thank you for joining me. 00:00:07.30\00:00:08.44 At sea in a dense fog is how 00:00:08.44\00:00:09.44 At sea in a dense fog is how 00:00:09.44\00:00:11.34 Helen Keller described her life 00:00:11.34\00:00:13.78 after losing her eyesight 00:00:13.78\00:00:15.68 and her hearing at the age of 19 00:00:15.68\00:00:17.11 and her hearing at the age of 19 00:00:17.11\00:00:18.25 months, permanently blind and 00:00:18.25\00:00:19.95 deaf for the rest of her life. 00:00:19.95\00:00:21.88 And yet she could say... 00:00:21.88\00:00:24.05 You see, gratitude is a choice, 00:00:32.19\00:00:34.83 and it's an antidote to negative 00:00:34.83\00:00:37.23 self-talk. 00:00:37.23\00:00:38.40 Let me quickly tell you a 00:00:39.97\00:00:41.20 personal story about how 00:00:41.20\00:00:42.57 gratitude blessed one 00:00:42.57\00:00:44.27 of our days. 00:00:44.27\00:00:45.57 Our early morning run 00:00:45.57\00:00:48.04 Our early morning run 00:00:48.04\00:00:48.54 where René and I went out, we 00:00:48.74\00:00:50.28 were running along. 00:00:50.28\00:00:51.31 We saw some workmen on the side 00:00:51.31\00:00:52.45 of the road and we stopped and 00:00:52.45\00:00:53.98 we looked at what they were 00:00:53.98\00:00:55.12 doing, and then I said, 00:00:55.12\00:00:55.75 doing, and then I said, 00:00:55.75\00:00:56.79 "Hey guys, I just want to thank 00:00:56.79\00:00:58.99 you for all your hard work." 00:00:58.99\00:01:01.52 So they looked up in disbelief. 00:01:03.06\00:01:06.09 "You men are improving our 00:01:06.09\00:01:07.76 neighbourhood and we stopped to 00:01:07.76\00:01:09.66 express our gratitude," I said. 00:01:09.66\00:01:11.87 They just stood there staring, 00:01:11.87\00:01:14.60 mouths gaping, "Huh? Wha... 00:01:14.60\00:01:17.17 Wait, what?" 00:01:17.17\00:01:18.47 And then their supervisor, he 00:01:19.07\00:01:21.24 walked over and he asked, 00:01:21.24\00:01:23.01 "W-what's going on?" 00:01:23.01\00:01:23.48 "W-what's going on?" 00:01:23.55\00:01:25.35 And I said, "Well, we just 00:01:25.35\00:01:26.68 noticed how hard you and your 00:01:26.68\00:01:28.42 crew are working and we stopped 00:01:28.42\00:01:30.12 to say thank you for all your 00:01:30.12\00:01:32.32 hard work." 00:01:32.32\00:01:33.66 Another shocked face. 00:01:33.66\00:01:33.99 Another shocked face. 00:01:34.22\00:01:35.86 And then it finally sunk in that 00:01:35.86\00:01:38.26 we were serious. 00:01:38.26\00:01:39.29 We were not joking. 00:01:39.29\00:01:40.90 And each of those men 00:01:40.90\00:01:42.53 began to smile. 00:01:42.53\00:01:44.17 Do you realize that no one 00:01:45.40\00:01:47.60 ever thanks us? 00:01:47.60\00:01:50.01 Their supervisor opened his 00:01:50.01\00:01:52.34 heart to us. 00:01:52.34\00:01:53.31 "Most people are usually angry 00:01:53.31\00:01:55.78 with us for tearing up the 00:01:55.78\00:01:57.65 ground in front of their houses. 00:01:57.65\00:01:59.85 They don't understand that we 00:01:59.85\00:02:01.72 are improving their lives, 00:02:01.72\00:02:03.45 making their neighbourhood 00:02:03.45\00:02:04.59 safer. 00:02:04.59\00:02:05.72 Thank you for saying thank you." 00:02:06.29\00:02:08.72 "You're so very welcome," René 00:02:09.92\00:02:11.56 and I smiled and then we 00:02:11.56\00:02:12.86 continued our run, hearing their 00:02:12.86\00:02:13.33 continued our run, hearing their 00:02:13.63\00:02:14.83 surprised voices chattering 00:02:14.83\00:02:16.63 behind us. 00:02:16.63\00:02:17.63 "Wow! Can you believe that? 00:02:17.63\00:02:20.04 That couple really made my day!" 00:02:20.04\00:02:22.47 To tell you the truth, 00:02:23.51\00:02:25.14 our simple expression of 00:02:25.14\00:02:26.27 gratitude made our day, too. 00:02:26.27\00:02:29.11 Countless scientific studies 00:02:29.11\00:02:30.91 prove that gratitude, 00:02:30.91\00:02:32.41 just saying thanks, 00:02:32.41\00:02:34.85 really is good for you. 00:02:34.85\00:02:36.95 Whenever you express gratitude, 00:02:38.02\00:02:40.52 it reduces depression, increases 00:02:40.52\00:02:42.86 resilience, lessens anxiety, 00:02:42.86\00:02:45.19 reduces the risk of heart 00:02:45.19\00:02:46.76 disease, relieves stress, 00:02:46.76\00:02:48.66 improves sleep. 00:02:48.66\00:02:49.80 And get this, the expression of 00:02:49.80\00:02:52.60 gratitude is a powerful tool 00:02:52.60\00:02:55.10 for relational development 00:02:55.10\00:02:56.67 and marriage enrichment. 00:02:56.67\00:02:58.87 But you might be wondering, 00:02:58.87\00:03:00.64 what if you are going through 00:03:00.64\00:03:02.58 a very dark moment in your life, 00:03:02.58\00:03:04.65 how then can you give thanks? 00:03:04.65\00:03:07.45 How could the angels sing 00:03:08.62\00:03:10.92 praises when God's only Son 00:03:10.92\00:03:13.56 came into a world 00:03:13.56\00:03:15.02 that was hell bent on rejecting 00:03:15.02\00:03:17.13 Him right from the day 00:03:17.13\00:03:19.63 of His birth? 00:03:19.63\00:03:20.76 [theme music playing] 00:03:21.26\00:03:24.27 ¤¤ 00:03:24.27\00:03:27.24 [placid music playing] 00:03:58.47\00:04:01.54 ¤¤ 00:04:01.54\00:04:04.54 Recently, a friend asked this 00:04:07.61\00:04:09.14 question. 00:04:09.14\00:04:10.48 "So let's just think for a 00:04:10.48\00:04:12.18 moment," he said, "I want you 00:04:12.18\00:04:14.45 to imagine a hypothetical 00:04:14.45\00:04:15.78 situation. 00:04:15.78\00:04:16.79 If I was to challenge you 00:04:16.79\00:04:19.05 to live one day without the 00:04:19.05\00:04:21.02 benefits of anyone else's effort 00:04:21.02\00:04:23.73 in your life, just one day, 00:04:23.73\00:04:26.13 what would that day look like?" 00:04:26.13\00:04:28.60 It's a pretty good question, 00:04:28.60\00:04:29.73 isn't it? 00:04:29.73\00:04:31.13 You live one day 00:04:31.13\00:04:33.74 without the benefit of anyone 00:04:33.74\00:04:35.67 else's effort in your life. 00:04:35.67\00:04:37.61 So here's what that day 00:04:37.61\00:04:40.04 would look like. 00:04:40.04\00:04:41.08 For starters, when you got out 00:04:41.08\00:04:43.04 of bed in the morning, 00:04:43.04\00:04:44.55 you would have nothing to wear, 00:04:44.55\00:04:46.68 nothing to wear. 00:04:46.68\00:04:48.38 So that is unless you make 00:04:48.38\00:04:50.79 all your own clothing and 00:04:50.79\00:04:52.42 manufacture the cloth and the 00:04:52.42\00:04:52.69 manufacture the cloth and the 00:04:53.12\00:04:54.72 machinery to create the 00:04:54.72\00:04:56.32 materials and the patterns, 00:04:56.32\00:04:58.23 and you also style and stitch 00:04:58.23\00:05:00.16 the materials together. 00:05:00.16\00:05:00.70 the materials together. 00:05:00.70\00:05:01.16 Chances are that almost none of 00:05:01.36\00:05:03.77 us would qualify for that. 00:05:03.77\00:05:06.03 And so you wake up 00:05:06.97\00:05:09.44 with nothing on. 00:05:09.44\00:05:10.71 And you would have 00:05:11.87\00:05:12.87 no place to go and 00:05:12.87\00:05:14.04 no way of getting there. 00:05:14.04\00:05:16.08 There would be no roads, 00:05:16.08\00:05:17.91 no trains, no boats, no planes. 00:05:17.91\00:05:20.42 There would be no books to read, 00:05:21.62\00:05:23.75 and there would be no computers 00:05:23.75\00:05:25.55 or smartphones. 00:05:25.55\00:05:26.79 There would be no buildings. 00:05:26.79\00:05:29.09 So you would have to spend that 00:05:30.23\00:05:32.36 day if you set your mind 00:05:32.36\00:05:35.16 to just one day experiencing 00:05:35.16\00:05:37.10 life, benefiting only from your 00:05:37.10\00:05:39.70 own efforts, you would have to 00:05:39.70\00:05:41.90 spend that day extracting 00:05:41.90\00:05:44.24 the natural resources, crafting 00:05:44.24\00:05:46.41 the tools, you would have to 00:05:46.41\00:05:48.01 create your own paths, 00:05:48.01\00:05:50.78 pave your own roads, manufacture 00:05:50.78\00:05:51.38 pave your own roads, manufacture 00:05:51.55\00:05:53.28 every tool. 00:05:53.28\00:05:55.02 You would have to grow 00:05:55.02\00:05:56.12 every item of food. 00:05:56.12\00:05:57.62 There is nothing 00:05:59.02\00:06:00.59 that you or I can do 00:06:00.59\00:06:00.76 that you or I can do 00:06:01.12\00:06:02.72 at any point in our lives 00:06:02.72\00:06:05.46 that is not benefiting from 00:06:05.46\00:06:06.86 someone else's effort, 00:06:06.86\00:06:08.63 from someone else's contribution 00:06:08.63\00:06:10.83 to your life, to my life, 00:06:10.83\00:06:12.47 whether you see it or whether 00:06:12.47\00:06:14.50 you don't, whether I'm thinking 00:06:14.50\00:06:16.47 of it or whether I'm not. 00:06:16.47\00:06:18.67 And ultimately, the Bible 00:06:19.94\00:06:21.24 declares that it all comes 00:06:21.24\00:06:23.55 from the Lord. 00:06:23.55\00:06:24.75 God's word asks this 00:06:25.95\00:06:27.48 challenging question... 00:06:27.48\00:06:28.72 ...what do you have 00:06:29.75\00:06:31.12 that God hasn't given you? 00:06:31.12\00:06:33.02 The Bible reveals that... 00:06:41.10\00:06:43.00 Expressing gratitude is 00:06:46.07\00:06:48.17 good for you. 00:06:48.17\00:06:50.34 Gratitude really is an 00:06:50.34\00:06:51.71 expression of love. 00:06:51.71\00:06:53.84 So here's where I wanna 00:06:53.84\00:06:55.04 challenge you to do 00:06:55.04\00:06:57.61 something, this day, as soon as 00:06:57.61\00:07:00.62 this program is over. 00:07:00.62\00:07:02.08 So think of someone 00:07:02.08\00:07:04.35 that you are thankful for. 00:07:04.35\00:07:05.45 Think of that person right now. 00:07:05.45\00:07:05.55 Think of that person right now. 00:07:06.22\00:07:07.52 Before the end of today, send 00:07:07.52\00:07:09.49 that person a text or 00:07:09.49\00:07:12.06 speak to them in person or 00:07:12.06\00:07:14.30 on the phone and tell them 00:07:14.30\00:07:16.36 that you are thankful for them. 00:07:16.36\00:07:19.23 Thankful for that person that 00:07:19.23\00:07:20.97 you're thinking of. 00:07:20.97\00:07:21.97 So without the benefit of other 00:07:21.97\00:07:24.54 people's efforts in your life, 00:07:24.54\00:07:25.31 people's efforts in your life, 00:07:25.31\00:07:27.31 you wouldn't even have a bed to 00:07:27.31\00:07:28.78 get out of unless you 00:07:28.78\00:07:30.45 manufacture the mattress and all 00:07:30.45\00:07:32.81 the materials and the sheets and 00:07:32.81\00:07:34.35 the blankets that are part of 00:07:34.35\00:07:36.65 your bed. 00:07:36.65\00:07:38.19 There would be no carpet 00:07:38.19\00:07:41.22 or no tiles on the floor 00:07:41.22\00:07:43.22 when you woke up, and probably 00:07:43.22\00:07:45.66 no house unless you built 00:07:45.66\00:07:48.16 the entire house and 00:07:48.16\00:07:49.30 manufactured all the materials 00:07:49.30\00:07:50.73 yourself. 00:07:50.73\00:07:51.87 There is practically nothing 00:07:53.10\00:07:54.97 that you or I can do at any 00:07:54.97\00:07:57.64 point that is not benefiting 00:07:57.64\00:08:00.31 from someone else's effort, 00:08:00.31\00:08:02.38 from someone else's contribution 00:08:02.38\00:08:04.71 to your life. 00:08:04.71\00:08:06.15 Whether you see it 00:08:06.15\00:08:07.92 or think about it 00:08:07.92\00:08:09.55 or not. 00:08:09.55\00:08:11.19 That thought should produce a 00:08:11.19\00:08:13.39 degree of humility within 00:08:13.39\00:08:15.36 all of us. 00:08:15.36\00:08:16.62 So here's one way of thinking 00:08:17.76\00:08:19.69 about this. 00:08:19.69\00:08:20.93 There is an inverse relationship 00:08:20.93\00:08:23.03 between pride and gratitude, 00:08:23.03\00:08:25.37 because only when I realized 00:08:25.37\00:08:27.57 that every pursuit in my life 00:08:27.57\00:08:29.74 comes with the benefit of 00:08:29.74\00:08:31.51 someone else's effort, 00:08:31.51\00:08:33.21 can I really feel like 00:08:33.21\00:08:36.21 it's not all about me. 00:08:36.21\00:08:38.55 But if I feel like 00:08:39.41\00:08:41.72 I am all that because of 00:08:41.72\00:08:43.59 my cleverness, because of my 00:08:43.59\00:08:45.45 earning potential, or because of 00:08:45.45\00:08:47.12 my talent, because of my money, 00:08:47.12\00:08:48.96 because of my whatever, 00:08:48.96\00:08:51.19 then it's oh so easy to overlook 00:08:51.19\00:08:53.13 the fact that I benefit and you 00:08:53.13\00:08:55.53 benefit from everyone else's 00:08:55.53\00:08:58.10 effort in our lives. 00:08:58.10\00:09:00.34 In this sense, gratitude is the 00:09:00.34\00:09:02.90 great antidote to pride. 00:09:02.90\00:09:05.67 There's a church that is 00:09:05.67\00:09:06.71 mentioned in the Book of 00:09:06.71\00:09:07.81 Revelation, the last book in the 00:09:07.81\00:09:09.08 Bible, and it's a very 00:09:09.08\00:09:10.85 proud church. 00:09:10.85\00:09:12.45 It's called the Church of 00:09:12.45\00:09:13.58 Laodicea. 00:09:13.58\00:09:15.05 This church is the last of the 00:09:15.05\00:09:17.02 seven churches. 00:09:17.02\00:09:18.02 The condition of the Laodicean 00:09:18.02\00:09:19.75 church is the condition of the 00:09:19.75\00:09:21.89 Christian church in the last 00:09:21.89\00:09:23.59 days, just before Jesus returns. 00:09:23.59\00:09:26.56 So Jesus gives His assessment 00:09:27.76\00:09:30.03 of this last day church, this 00:09:30.03\00:09:31.63 Laodicean church. 00:09:31.63\00:09:32.83 He defines it as a 00:09:32.83\00:09:35.07 self-satisfied church. 00:09:35.07\00:09:36.57 He says, "I know your deeds, 00:09:36.57\00:09:38.71 that you are neither hot 00:09:38.71\00:09:40.84 nor cold." 00:09:40.84\00:09:42.64 Jesus has been examining 00:09:42.64\00:09:44.75 this church. 00:09:44.75\00:09:45.75 He knows their true condition. 00:09:45.75\00:09:47.95 He says... 00:09:47.95\00:09:49.05 Jesus is saying, "You make Me 00:10:04.23\00:10:05.77 sick." 00:10:05.77\00:10:06.80 So think about the- 00:10:14.68\00:10:16.54 this last day church, 00:10:16.54\00:10:17.71 the Laodicean Church. 00:10:17.71\00:10:19.98 Who do they depend on? 00:10:19.98\00:10:22.48 Themselves. 00:10:22.48\00:10:23.62 No one else. 00:10:23.62\00:10:24.62 No one else, themselves only. 00:10:24.62\00:10:27.42 They are self-sufficient 00:10:27.42\00:10:28.99 self-made men, self-made women. 00:10:28.99\00:10:31.39 And of course, we already know 00:10:32.19\00:10:35.13 that that is not possible. 00:10:35.13\00:10:37.50 No one lives without the 00:10:37.50\00:10:39.20 benefits of someone else's 00:10:39.20\00:10:40.97 efforts blessing their lives. 00:10:40.97\00:10:43.37 But they say... 00:10:44.57\00:10:45.94 God is here identifying 00:10:58.45\00:11:00.12 ingratitude as being a sin that 00:11:00.12\00:11:03.09 is Laodicean in nature. 00:11:03.09\00:11:06.16 Only a selfish, thankless 00:11:06.16\00:11:08.80 and ungrateful person 00:11:08.80\00:11:11.07 says or thinks, "I am wealthy, 00:11:11.07\00:11:13.30 says or thinks, "I am wealthy, 00:11:13.30\00:11:13.70 a self-made man or a self-made 00:11:14.04\00:11:16.64 woman. 00:11:16.64\00:11:17.81 My entire world is a product of 00:11:17.81\00:11:19.67 my own efforts only. 00:11:19.67\00:11:21.64 I have earned it by my own 00:11:21.64\00:11:23.85 hard work, my own talent, 00:11:23.85\00:11:25.48 my own ingenuity. 00:11:25.48\00:11:27.65 I need to thank no one 00:11:27.65\00:11:30.62 for what I have or for the life 00:11:30.62\00:11:32.69 that I live." 00:11:32.69\00:11:33.72 Let's take a look at 00:11:34.96\00:11:35.29 Let's take a look at 00:11:35.49\00:11:36.69 the Bible. 00:11:36.69\00:11:37.89 In Luke chapter 17 00:11:37.89\00:11:39.96 from verse 11 to verse 19. 00:11:39.96\00:11:42.53 So this is the passage where 00:11:42.53\00:11:44.17 Doctor Luke tells the story of 00:11:44.17\00:11:46.37 the ten lepers who came to Jesus 00:11:46.37\00:11:48.94 for healing. 00:11:48.94\00:11:50.71 So there are some things 00:11:50.71\00:11:52.91 that we need to notice about 00:11:52.91\00:11:55.48 who this group is. 00:11:55.48\00:11:56.91 It is a group of 00:11:58.45\00:11:59.88 how many people? 00:11:59.88\00:12:01.55 Ten. 00:12:01.55\00:12:02.85 And what is the makeup 00:12:02.85\00:12:04.65 of this group, the demographic 00:12:04.65\00:12:06.05 composition of this group 00:12:06.05\00:12:07.69 of ten? 00:12:07.69\00:12:09.32 There is one Samaritan, 00:12:09.32\00:12:11.46 nine Jews, nine of the 00:12:11.46\00:12:14.00 promised chosen people, nine 00:12:14.00\00:12:16.16 believers and one stranger, one 00:12:16.16\00:12:18.53 nonbeliever or foreigner. 00:12:18.53\00:12:20.87 And when Jesus healed all ten 00:12:20.87\00:12:23.14 lepers, how many returned 00:12:23.14\00:12:25.87 to thank Him? 00:12:25.87\00:12:27.68 Only one. 00:12:27.68\00:12:29.21 And which one? 00:12:29.21\00:12:30.48 The Samaritan nonbeliever. 00:12:30.48\00:12:32.68 The Bible says he fell down 00:12:32.68\00:12:35.35 on his face 00:12:35.35\00:12:36.69 at His feet. 00:12:36.69\00:12:38.52 And here's the three operative 00:12:38.52\00:12:39.85 words: giving Him 00:12:39.85\00:12:42.32 thanks. 00:12:42.32\00:12:43.93 Those are important words, 00:12:43.93\00:12:45.16 giving Him thanks. 00:12:45.16\00:12:46.46 And then Jesus asked... 00:12:46.46\00:12:48.20 So giving glory to God is when 00:12:57.64\00:12:59.84 you put the spotlight on God. 00:12:59.84\00:13:02.81 And Jesus says giving Him thanks 00:13:02.81\00:13:05.78 is putting the spotlight on God, 00:13:05.78\00:13:08.05 it is giving glory to God. 00:13:08.05\00:13:09.98 "Has no one come to give glory 00:13:09.98\00:13:11.35 to God except this foreigner?" 00:13:11.35\00:13:13.79 And Jesus said to the man, 00:13:13.79\00:13:16.76 "Stand up and go, 00:13:16.76\00:13:19.26 your faith has healed you." 00:13:19.26\00:13:21.76 So gratitude is an expression 00:13:21.76\00:13:23.93 of faith. 00:13:23.93\00:13:25.50 Let's go a little deeper 00:13:25.50\00:13:26.57 with that. 00:13:26.57\00:13:27.50 Gratitude is living by faith. 00:13:27.50\00:13:30.47 Psalm 100, verse 4 tells us 00:13:30.47\00:13:33.38 how to live by faith, how to 00:13:33.38\00:13:35.31 worship God. 00:13:35.31\00:13:36.31 It says... 00:13:36.31\00:13:37.31 Whenever you pray, 00:13:45.85\00:13:47.56 start with thanking God. 00:13:47.56\00:13:49.92 Thank Him, thank Him. 00:13:49.92\00:13:51.69 Think about all the things to 00:13:51.69\00:13:52.99 thank Him for and praise Him. 00:13:52.99\00:13:55.46 And that will change you, 00:13:55.46\00:13:56.83 guaranteed. 00:13:56.83\00:13:58.50 Whenever you express gratitude, 00:13:58.50\00:14:00.90 it changes you. 00:14:00.90\00:14:01.97 It changes your mindset, it 00:14:01.97\00:14:03.71 reduces depression, it increases 00:14:03.71\00:14:06.07 resilience, it lessens anxiety, 00:14:06.07\00:14:08.14 it relieves stress. 00:14:08.14\00:14:09.81 Your grumpy self dies 00:14:09.81\00:14:10.25 Your grumpy self dies 00:14:10.38\00:14:12.71 and you are set free 00:14:12.71\00:14:14.65 to be happy. 00:14:14.65\00:14:15.92 Professor Shawn Achor, Harvard 00:14:17.12\00:14:18.99 professor known for his research 00:14:18.99\00:14:20.92 in happiness and the writer of a 00:14:20.92\00:14:23.43 very good book, I recommend to 00:14:23.43\00:14:25.23 you, The Happiness Advantage, 00:14:25.23\00:14:27.03 he has determined that gratitude 00:14:27.03\00:14:29.23 is the single greatest 00:14:29.23\00:14:30.70 influencing factor in happiness. 00:14:30.70\00:14:33.27 In another book, 00:14:33.94\00:14:34.94 The Ministry of Healing, 00:14:34.94\00:14:36.47 we find support 00:14:36.47\00:14:38.84 for Shawn Achor's finding. 00:14:38.84\00:14:40.68 It says... 00:14:40.68\00:14:41.61 The nine healed lepers, 00:14:49.75\00:14:51.99 these nine men who did 00:14:51.99\00:14:54.66 not give thanks, 00:14:54.66\00:14:56.99 they were the promised 00:14:56.99\00:14:59.19 chosen believers in God, 00:14:59.19\00:15:02.06 but they had a 100% 00:15:02.06\00:15:04.30 failure rate when it came to 00:15:04.30\00:15:06.10 expressing their gratitude. 00:15:06.10\00:15:07.80 I see this as a warning 00:15:09.20\00:15:11.31 to us as believers, 00:15:11.31\00:15:13.74 that whoever forgets to thank 00:15:13.74\00:15:15.74 God fails to appreciate 00:15:15.74\00:15:17.95 what God does for them 00:15:17.95\00:15:19.55 and is in grave danger 00:15:19.55\00:15:21.42 of forgetting, forgetting God 00:15:21.42\00:15:24.22 all together. 00:15:24.22\00:15:25.25 Because gratitude is 00:15:25.25\00:15:27.09 an expression of our faith. 00:15:27.09\00:15:29.62 In fact, saying thank you to God 00:15:29.62\00:15:32.56 is living by faith, and living 00:15:32.56\00:15:35.03 by faith is an expression 00:15:35.03\00:15:37.47 of dependence on God. 00:15:37.47\00:15:39.33 Whenever you say thank you to 00:15:39.33\00:15:40.80 God for whatever 00:15:40.80\00:15:43.17 you have or whatever you do, 00:15:43.17\00:15:45.31 or whatever righteous acts 00:15:45.31\00:15:47.11 you perform, 00:15:47.11\00:15:48.81 you are automatically 00:15:48.81\00:15:49.84 acknowledging that everything in 00:15:49.84\00:15:51.75 your life, your blessings, your 00:15:51.75\00:15:54.02 good deeds, your righteous acts, 00:15:54.02\00:15:56.35 are a gift from God, 00:15:56.35\00:15:58.29 not from yourself. 00:15:58.29\00:16:01.19 Gratitude actually safeguards 00:16:01.19\00:16:03.09 and strengthens the experience 00:16:03.09\00:16:05.03 of righteousness by faith. 00:16:05.03\00:16:07.60 Because gratitude enables 00:16:07.60\00:16:09.83 self-transcendence. 00:16:09.83\00:16:12.70 And the reverse is also true. 00:16:12.70\00:16:15.30 The first step away from God 00:16:15.30\00:16:18.01 is to be ungrateful. 00:16:18.01\00:16:19.67 Ingratitude erodes 00:16:19.67\00:16:22.14 faith in God. 00:16:22.14\00:16:24.41 So Paul, in the book of Romans 00:16:24.41\00:16:26.75 in the Bible, he writes... 00:16:26.75\00:16:28.42 So Paul is saying that 00:16:56.11\00:16:57.78 ingratitude leads to idolatry 00:16:57.78\00:17:00.68 and the corruption of 00:17:00.68\00:17:01.92 your faith. 00:17:01.92\00:17:02.88 Unwillingness to give thanks to 00:17:02.88\00:17:04.72 God for His love and His 00:17:04.72\00:17:06.62 goodness hardens the heart 00:17:06.62\00:17:09.42 and leads men to forget 00:17:09.42\00:17:11.26 the being to whom 00:17:11.26\00:17:13.19 they are unwilling to express 00:17:13.19\00:17:14.76 thankfulness. 00:17:14.76\00:17:15.80 To counteract this danger, Paul 00:17:16.90\00:17:18.83 encourages you and he encourages 00:17:18.83\00:17:20.84 me with these words... 00:17:20.84\00:17:22.37 But you say, "Pastor... 00:17:30.18\00:17:31.61 ...you don't know my 00:17:32.68\00:17:33.82 circumstances." 00:17:33.82\00:17:35.02 That's true. 00:17:35.02\00:17:36.55 I may not know you, but I know 00:17:36.55\00:17:38.95 that most people have been 00:17:38.95\00:17:40.42 through some very, very 00:17:40.42\00:17:41.89 dark moments. 00:17:41.89\00:17:43.26 Jesus Himself went through some 00:17:43.26\00:17:44.86 very dark moments, and maybe you 00:17:44.86\00:17:47.50 have some very dark moments 00:17:47.50\00:17:49.20 in your past. 00:17:49.20\00:17:50.70 You might be in a dark moment 00:17:50.70\00:17:51.23 You might be in a dark moment 00:17:51.40\00:17:52.17 right now. 00:17:52.17\00:17:53.64 The biblical exhortation is give 00:17:53.64\00:17:55.47 thanks in all circumstances. 00:17:55.47\00:17:57.54 And it's tempting to say, 00:17:57.54\00:17:59.34 "Not in my circumstances, 00:17:59.34\00:18:01.41 because my circumstance 00:18:01.41\00:18:04.18 is a little bit different. 00:18:04.18\00:18:06.35 It's a little darker, it's a 00:18:06.35\00:18:07.78 little deeper." 00:18:07.78\00:18:09.38 I'd like to challenge that 00:18:09.38\00:18:10.52 thinking. 00:18:10.52\00:18:11.49 If you don't know the story, 00:18:11.49\00:18:12.99 I'll tell it to you briefly. 00:18:12.99\00:18:14.36 In World War II, Corrie 00:18:14.36\00:18:15.72 ten Boom, she and her sister 00:18:15.72\00:18:17.99 Betsie were held in a flea 00:18:17.99\00:18:19.96 ridden concentration camp 00:18:19.96\00:18:21.40 in Germany. 00:18:21.40\00:18:22.86 Corrie's sister Betsie preached 00:18:22.86\00:18:25.17 this verse, “Give thanks in all 00:18:25.17\00:18:27.40 circumstances,” and Corrie was 00:18:27.40\00:18:29.84 so angry. 00:18:29.84\00:18:31.51 "You cannot give thanks in these 00:18:31.51\00:18:32.37 "You cannot give thanks in these 00:18:32.37\00:18:33.71 flea infested barracks. 00:18:33.71\00:18:35.54 There's nothing to be 00:18:35.54\00:18:36.78 thankful for. 00:18:36.78\00:18:38.15 Betsie, just be quiet." 00:18:38.15\00:18:39.85 And Betsie said, "Corrie, 00:18:40.92\00:18:42.98 you have to! 00:18:42.98\00:18:44.39 The Bible says, 'Give thanks in 00:18:44.39\00:18:46.19 all circumstances.'" 00:18:46.19\00:18:47.79 It's unlikely that any of us 00:18:48.72\00:18:50.99 have spent any time in a German 00:18:50.99\00:18:52.86 concentration camp. 00:18:52.86\00:18:54.30 Corrie begrudgingly 00:18:54.30\00:18:56.77 said okay and she joined her 00:18:56.77\00:18:58.83 sister and she thanked God 00:18:58.83\00:19:01.67 for the fleas 00:19:01.67\00:19:03.27 in the dormitory barracks. 00:19:03.27\00:19:05.04 And it was after a few days 00:19:06.68\00:19:08.81 that they overheard the German 00:19:08.81\00:19:10.51 guards complaining 00:19:10.51\00:19:12.41 that they would not enter those 00:19:12.41\00:19:15.15 barracks because of 00:19:15.15\00:19:16.92 the fleas, 00:19:16.92\00:19:18.42 because they did not want to be 00:19:18.42\00:19:20.02 exposed to the fleas. 00:19:20.02\00:19:22.32 So even the fleas in that 00:19:23.16\00:19:24.96 setting were a blessing 00:19:24.96\00:19:26.90 that were a protection for 00:19:26.90\00:19:28.96 Corrie and Betsie's safety. 00:19:28.96\00:19:31.67 Because the German guards would 00:19:31.67\00:19:33.17 not have their way with them 00:19:33.17\00:19:34.94 because the fleas were a barrier 00:19:34.94\00:19:37.27 to the assaults. 00:19:37.27\00:19:38.51 Gratitude really is 00:19:39.34\00:19:41.21 a spiritual discipline 00:19:41.21\00:19:42.88 that we can practice 00:19:42.88\00:19:44.05 in all circumstances. 00:19:44.05\00:19:46.31 There is a certain song in our 00:19:47.38\00:19:49.52 hymnal that is entitled, "Now 00:19:49.52\00:19:52.12 Thank We All Our God." 00:19:52.12\00:19:53.72 It was written around 00:19:53.72\00:19:54.92 1636 00:19:54.92\00:19:57.69 by a Lutheran pastor by the name 00:19:57.69\00:19:59.69 of Martin Rinkart, 00:19:59.69\00:20:01.80 who came from Eilenberg, 00:20:01.80\00:20:04.47 Germany at a- at the beginning 00:20:04.47\00:20:06.57 of the 30 Years War. 00:20:06.57\00:20:08.60 So this was one of the most 00:20:08.60\00:20:10.54 destructive conflicts in 00:20:10.54\00:20:12.21 European history. 00:20:12.21\00:20:14.11 An estimated 8 million soldiers 00:20:14.11\00:20:16.68 and civilians died from 00:20:16.68\00:20:18.65 the effects of the battle, the 00:20:18.65\00:20:20.05 famine, the disease. 00:20:20.05\00:20:21.88 While parts of Germany reported 00:20:21.88\00:20:23.82 population declines of over 50%. 00:20:23.82\00:20:26.82 Can you imagine that? 00:20:26.82\00:20:28.39 So this walled city of 00:20:28.39\00:20:29.96 Eilenberg, where Martin lived, 00:20:29.96\00:20:31.29 became the refuge for political 00:20:31.29\00:20:33.66 and military fugitives. 00:20:33.66\00:20:35.96 But the result was overcrowding, 00:20:35.96\00:20:38.53 deadly pestilence, and famine. 00:20:38.53\00:20:40.70 The home of Pastor Martin 00:20:40.70\00:20:42.34 Rinkart was a sanctuary 00:20:42.34\00:20:44.87 for the victims, even though 00:20:44.87\00:20:47.91 he was often hard pressed 00:20:47.91\00:20:50.31 to provide for his own family. 00:20:50.31\00:20:53.15 Martin would give away 00:20:53.15\00:20:54.75 his own food. 00:20:54.75\00:20:56.62 During the height of 00:20:56.62\00:20:58.19 this severe famine, 00:20:58.19\00:21:01.29 Martin was the only surviving 00:21:01.29\00:21:03.53 pastor in Eilenberg, conducting 00:21:03.53\00:21:05.99 as many as 50 00:21:05.99\00:21:08.20 funerals in one day. 00:21:08.20\00:21:10.33 He performed more than 4000 00:21:10.33\00:21:12.70 funerals in a year, 00:21:12.70\00:21:14.37 an average of 80 funerals 00:21:14.37\00:21:16.64 a week, including that of his... 00:21:16.64\00:21:19.37 ...two closest friends in 00:21:20.08\00:21:21.44 ministry and his own wife. 00:21:21.44\00:21:23.71 And that's when Martin 00:21:23.71\00:21:25.18 wrote the words of this hymn. 00:21:25.18\00:21:25.75 wrote the words of this hymn. 00:21:25.88\00:21:27.32 "Now thank we all our God 00:21:27.32\00:21:29.92 with heart and hands and voices, 00:21:29.92\00:21:32.22 who wondrous things hath done, 00:21:32.22\00:21:33.82 who wondrous things hath done, 00:21:33.82\00:21:34.29 in whom this world rejoices." 00:21:34.52\00:21:36.99 I don't know, but you may be 00:21:38.36\00:21:39.73 going through a very dark valley 00:21:39.73\00:21:42.33 right now. 00:21:42.33\00:21:44.10 But there is never a valley too 00:21:44.10\00:21:45.90 dark to eliminate gratitude 00:21:45.90\00:21:48.14 from the believer's life. 00:21:48.14\00:21:50.07 Turn with me in your Bibles and 00:21:50.07\00:21:52.54 look in Isaiah chapter 25. 00:21:52.54\00:21:55.58 And there we see these words, 00:21:55.58\00:21:58.15 "And it shall be said in that 00:21:58.15\00:22:00.58 day," and it's talking about 00:22:00.58\00:22:01.82 when Jesus comes... 00:22:01.82\00:22:03.18 When Jesus came to this world, 00:22:10.49\00:22:12.13 He was rejected and yet 00:22:12.13\00:22:14.13 He lived in this world 00:22:14.13\00:22:16.00 beholding His father. 00:22:16.00\00:22:17.87 And we should live as Jesus no 00:22:17.87\00:22:20.10 matter the rejection, no matter 00:22:20.10\00:22:21.97 how dark the valley, Jesus is 00:22:21.97\00:22:24.27 with us and we can look up 00:22:24.27\00:22:26.11 and say, "Behold our God. 00:22:26.11\00:22:29.18 Nothing can compare to Him." 00:22:29.18\00:22:31.75 [orchestral music intro] 00:22:32.61\00:22:35.58 ¤¤ 00:22:35.58\00:22:38.52 ¤ Who has held ¤ 00:22:39.95\00:22:42.66 ¤ the oceans in His hands ¤ 00:22:42.66\00:22:47.23 ¤ Who has numbered ¤ 00:22:47.23\00:22:50.87 ¤ every grain of sand ¤ 00:22:50.87\00:22:54.47 ¤ Kings and nations ¤ 00:22:54.47\00:22:58.11 ¤ tremble at His voice ¤ 00:22:58.11\00:23:01.81 ¤ All creation ¤ 00:23:01.81\00:23:05.11 ¤ rises to rejoice ¤ 00:23:05.11\00:23:10.39 ¤ Behold our God ¤ 00:23:10.39\00:23:15.76 ¤ seated on His throne ¤ 00:23:15.76\00:23:19.16 ¤ Come, let us adore Him ¤ 00:23:19.16\00:23:23.77 ¤ Behold our king ¤ 00:23:23.77\00:23:29.20 ¤ nothing can compare ¤ 00:23:29.20\00:23:32.47 ¤ Come, let us adore Him ¤ 00:23:32.47\00:23:40.45 [orchestral interlude] 00:23:40.45\00:23:43.39 ¤¤ 00:23:43.39\00:23:46.35 ¤ Who has given ¤ 00:23:50.49\00:23:53.63 ¤ counsel to the Lord ¤ 00:23:53.63\00:23:56.70 ¤ Who can question ¤ 00:23:56.70\00:23:59.77 ¤ any of His words ¤ 00:23:59.77\00:24:02.97 ¤ Who can teach ¤ 00:24:02.97\00:24:05.31 ¤ the one who knows all things ¤ 00:24:05.31\00:24:09.24 ¤ Who can fathom ¤ 00:24:09.24\00:24:12.35 ¤ all His wondrous deeds ¤ 00:24:12.35\00:24:16.75 ¤ Behold our God ¤ 00:24:16.75\00:24:21.66 ¤ seated on His throne ¤ 00:24:21.66\00:24:24.73 ¤ Come, let us adore Him ¤ 00:24:24.73\00:24:29.00 ¤ Behold our king ¤ 00:24:29.00\00:24:34.10 ¤ nothing can compare ¤ 00:24:34.10\00:24:37.21 ¤ Come, let us adore Him ¤ 00:24:37.21\00:24:42.61 ¤ Come, adore Him ¤ 00:24:42.61\00:24:46.18 ¤ Adore Him ¤ 00:24:46.18\00:24:48.92 ¤ Adore Him ¤ 00:24:49.35\00:24:54.46 ¤ Who has felt ¤ 00:24:54.46\00:24:56.96 ¤ the nails upon His hands ¤ 00:24:56.96\00:25:01.26 ¤ Bearing all the ¤ 00:25:01.26\00:25:04.53 ¤ guilt of sinful man ¤ 00:25:04.53\00:25:07.80 ¤ God eternal ¤ 00:25:07.80\00:25:10.97 ¤ humbled to the grave ¤ 00:25:10.97\00:25:14.11 ¤ Jesus, Saviour ¤ 00:25:14.11\00:25:17.15 ¤ risen now to reign ¤ 00:25:17.15\00:25:21.58 ¤ Behold our God ¤ 00:25:21.58\00:25:26.69 ¤ seated on His throne ¤ 00:25:26.69\00:25:29.82 ¤ Come, let us adore Him ¤ 00:25:29.82\00:25:34.13 ¤ Behold our king ¤ 00:25:34.13\00:25:39.17 ¤ nothing can compare ¤ 00:25:39.17\00:25:42.30 ¤ Come, let us adore Him ¤ 00:25:42.30\00:25:46.61 ¤ Behold our God ¤ 00:25:46.61\00:25:51.45 ¤ seated on His throne ¤ 00:25:51.45\00:25:54.58 ¤ Come, let us adore Him ¤ 00:25:54.58\00:25:58.72 ¤ Behold our king ¤ 00:25:58.72\00:26:03.43 ¤ nothing can compare ¤ 00:26:03.43\00:26:06.46 ¤ Come, let us adore Him ¤ 00:26:06.46\00:26:14.90 >> Praise God, don't we have so 00:26:22.61\00:26:24.51 much to be thankful for? 00:26:24.51\00:26:26.05 When you behold the goodness of 00:26:26.05\00:26:28.22 God, nothing can compare. 00:26:28.22\00:26:30.55 Come, let us adore Him. 00:26:31.42\00:26:33.69 Give Him our heart, give Him 00:26:33.69\00:26:36.12 our gratitude and our praise. 00:26:36.12\00:26:39.09 Friends, both science and the 00:26:40.00\00:26:42.40 Bible reveal the extraordinary 00:26:42.40\00:26:44.47 benefits of gratitude. 00:26:44.47\00:26:46.97 It costs nothing. 00:26:46.97\00:26:48.67 Anyone can do it. 00:26:48.67\00:26:50.01 And the upside is 00:26:50.01\00:26:52.04 enormous. 00:26:52.04\00:26:53.78 Today, our free offer, 00:26:53.78\00:26:55.78 The Blessings of Gratitude. 00:26:55.78\00:26:57.98 You can find out 00:26:57.98\00:26:59.45 how to develop 00:26:59.45\00:27:01.15 a habit of thankfulness 00:27:01.15\00:27:03.85 and how your life will change 00:27:03.85\00:27:06.42 as a result. 00:27:06.42\00:27:07.82 These simple principles can have 00:27:07.82\00:27:10.43 an enormous impact on your life 00:27:10.43\00:27:12.96 and on the lives of others. 00:27:12.96\00:27:14.93 Before you go, I would like to 00:27:16.97\00:27:18.77 thank all of you who have 00:27:18.77\00:27:20.30 supported the ministry of 00:27:20.30\00:27:21.47 It Is Written Canada with your 00:27:21.47\00:27:22.74 prayers and financial 00:27:22.74\00:27:23.77 contributions. 00:27:23.77\00:27:24.81 Without your support, this 00:27:24.81\00:27:25.87 television ministry could not 00:27:25.87\00:27:27.61 have reached so many people 00:27:27.61\00:27:29.64 for so many decades. 00:27:29.64\00:27:31.58 Let me also invite you 00:27:32.38\00:27:34.62 to follow us on Instagram and 00:27:34.62\00:27:36.55 Facebook, and subscribe to our 00:27:36.55\00:27:38.35 YouTube channel, and also listen 00:27:38.35\00:27:40.59 to our podcasts. 00:27:40.59\00:27:42.06 And if you go to our website, 00:27:42.06\00:27:43.73 you can see our latest programs. 00:27:43.73\00:27:46.16 Friends, if you want to discover 00:27:47.03\00:27:49.76 how to live like Jesus with a 00:27:49.76\00:27:52.10 heart filled to overflowing with 00:27:52.10\00:27:54.44 gratitude to God, I recommend 00:27:54.44\00:27:57.04 that you daily 00:27:57.04\00:27:58.57 open this book, 00:27:58.57\00:28:00.31 the world's number one 00:28:00.31\00:28:01.81 bestselling book of all time, 00:28:01.81\00:28:03.78 the Bible, where it is recorded 00:28:03.78\00:28:05.88 that Jesus Himself declared... 00:28:05.88\00:28:08.55 ¤ ...our King ¤ 00:28:20.23\00:28:22.20 ¤ nothing can compare ¤ 00:28:22.20\00:28:25.27 ¤ Come, let us adore Him ¤ 00:28:25.27\00:28:29.57 ¤ Behold our God ¤ 00:28:29.57\00:28:34.51 ¤ seated on His throne ¤ 00:28:34.51\00:28:37.61 ¤ Come, let us adore Him ¤ 00:28:37.61\00:28:41.75 ¤ Behold our king ¤ 00:28:41.75\00:28:46.39 ¤ nothing can compare ¤ 00:28:46.39\00:28:49.39 ¤ Come, let us adore Him ¤ 00:28:49.39\00:28:57.90