Thankfully Confessing the Sovereignty of God
Thankfulness to God is not about picking the good things in life and itemizing them, but confessing the sovereignty of God and our contentment with, and safety in, His providential plan for our lives.
- Mark R. Rushdoony
Many people have observed a tradition at Thanksgiving of asking each person at the dinner table to name something for which they are thankful. I do not object to this practice at all, but we should note the giving of thanks cannot be offered in a vacuum, as if we should pick and choose those things we value and acknowledge them to God. Paul told the believers at Thessaloniki that they should “in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess. 5:18).
If we thank God for any one “thing,” we must acknowledge it as part of His total providence and we are then confessing Him as our Sustainer and Provider. This recognition is a form of worship. If we thank God for something good, we praise Him for His goodness. If we thank God for our salvation, we praise Him for His grace. The more we recognize what God does for us, the more we see Who God is.
Thankfulness to God is not about picking the good things in life and itemizing them, but confessing the sovereignty of God and our contentment with, and safety in, His providential plan for our lives.
You are not thankful if you are bitter about what you have received. Habakkuk was a prophet of coming judgment, yet concluded his prophecy blessing God:
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield not meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stall:
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
May God bless you richly for your enabling help to our ministry.
- Mark R. Rushdoony
Mark R. Rushdoony graduated from Los Angeles Baptist College (now The Master’s College) with a B.A. in history in 1975 and was ordained to the ministry in 1995.
He taught junior and senior high classes in history, Bible, civics and economics at a Christian school in Virginia for three years before joining the staff of Chalcedon in 1978. He was the Director of Chalcedon Christian School for 14 years while teaching full time. He also helped tutor all of his children through high school.
In 1998, he became the President of Chalcedon and Ross House Books, and, more recently another publishing arm, Storehouse Press. Chalcedon and its subsidiaries publish many titles plus CDs, mp3s, and an extensive online archive at www.chalcedon.edu.
He has written scores of articles for Chalcedon’s publications, both the Chalcedon Report and Faith for all of Life. He was a contributing author to The Great Christian Revolution (1991). He has spoken at numerous conferences and churches in the U.S. and abroad.
Mark Rushdoony lives in Vallecito, California, his home of 43 years with his wife of 45 years and his youngest son. He has three married children and nine grandchildren.
