Ever heard of Martin Rinkart? I would guess that most of us haven't. Martin Rinkart was a Lutheran minister in Germany during the Thirty Years' War (mid-1600s). It was a terrible time where famine, plague and war raged rampant throughout the countryside. As the only surviving pastor in his area, Rinkart stayed, despite the danger of disease and violence, and took the refugees, the sick, and the dying into his own home. Just to give you a sense of how bad things really were, Rinkart buried nearly 5,000 of his own parishioners in one year, including his own wife. Sometimes he conducted up to fifty funerals a day. Imagine burying fifteen of the people you know every day for a year. If anybody had a reason to be discouraged or angry with God, Martin Rinkart did. But you know to amazing thing? In the midst of all this horror, Rinkart wrote a prayer and taught it to his children, to remind them of the goodness of God, in spite of the horrible things they saw going on around them. This is what he wrote:
Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices;
who from our mothers' arms has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
and keep us still in grace, and guide us when perplexed;
and free us from all ills, in this world and the next.
All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
the Son, and him who reigns with them in highest heaven;
the one eternal God, whom earth and heaven adore;
for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.
You might recognize those words as a hymn, and one that is often sung at Thanksgiving. But if you were in Martin Rinkart's shoes, would you have written something as beautiful, as hopeful, and a joyful as that when surrounded with death and destruction? 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us to "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Martin Rinkart knew, about everything else, that he had been saved through Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, and because of that, he was thankful to God for his gift of grace. Rinkart lived out his thankfulness, continuing to demonstrate love and faithfulness to others, even during the darkest times. He gave thanks in all circumstances.
We are supposed to give thanks in all circumstances...not just at Thanksgiving..not only when things are going right, but even when they're going wrong. As believers in Christ Jesus, we have a lot to be thankful for; much to be hopeful about. Give thanks. Live your thanks.
Try it with me this crazy holiday season, when the world is telling you to go here, do that, buy that, etc., etc., etc. When family tensions run high, or you are feeling disappointed or discouraged, give thanks. Sit down and make a list about the things you are grateful for...and let the blessings of God remind you that no matter what happens in this world, we always have a reason to be thankful.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:15
