-5 Min Read
Introduction
After they completed their most famous song, In Christ Alone (2001), Keith Getty and Stuart Townend collaborated in 2003 to compose a modern hymn called “My Heart Is Filled With Thankfulness.” The hymn was published in 2004 and to this day is in many modern hymnals. As you can tell from its title, this song is a hymn of thanksgiving. Getty explains that the three verses should be understood as “What Christ has done in the past, what Christ is doing for us today, and what Christ will do for us in the future” [1]. As we approach that time of year when we gather together to celebrate Thanksgiving, let us be reminded as Christians what we especially should be thankful for. This modern hymn provides us with three truths that stir the Christian heart to thankfulness.
“To Him who
bore my pain”
My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who bore my pain
Who plumbed the depths of my disgrace
And gave me life again
Who crushed my curse of sinfulness
And clothed me in His light
And wrote His law of righteousness
With pow’r upon my heart
First, let us be reminded of what Christ has done for us. Our hearts should be filled with thankfulness because Jesus has atoned for our sins and has given us new life in Him. One of the three necessary ingredients for a thankful heart is remembering the goodness of the past. It is appreciating where you are now in light of where you once were.
A deeper level of thankfulness in this regard is particularly true of Christians because of the spiritual deliverance Christ has provided for them. We as believers can certainly be thankful for our circumstances in this world; however, we must acknowledge that these can and will frequently change. We are to be especially thankful for our spiritual circumstances: Christ has delivered us from the curse of sin (Gal. 3:13) and has made us into new creations (2 Cor. 5:17). We are reminded of the prophet Isaiah who said;
Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
– Isaiah 53:4-6 (LSB)
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our peace fell upon Him,
And by His wounds we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But Yahweh has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
Our Lord underwent such pain on our behalf. We, who were so sinful and unlovely, undeserving and undesirable, were shown such pity and kindness through Jesus (Titus 3:3-7). This is truly something to be thankful for. That God who is rich in mercy, set His affection on us in Christ Jesus and saved us from our sins.
“To Him who
walks beside”
My heart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who walks beside
Who floods my weaknesses with strength
And causes fears to fly
Whose ev’ry promise is enough
For ev’ry step I take
Sustaining me with arms of love
And crowning me with grace
Another thing we can be thankful for is that Christ does not leave us after saving us. Instead of being abandoned, we are accompanied. We can be thankful because we have a shepherd and not a hired hand (John 10:11-13). Christ is our Good Shepherd and unlike the hired hand who “is not concerned about the sheep,” He walks beside us and drives our fears away. Jesus is our faithful companion.
Having a thankful heart is to be expected when one has no fears. We can walk every step knowing that our Savior lives and intercedes on our behalf, and therefore no one can bring a charge against us (Rom. 8:31-35). As believers in the Lord Jesus, we have the gift of eternal life and therefore have no fear of death as we walk through the dark valley (Psalm 23:4).
The Lord sustains His people by His love and crowns them with His grace. In the ages to come, we will be displayed as those who have received the “surpassing riches of His grace [and] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:7). Upon this we the Church will be welcomed into His loving arms on the Last Day as a bride to her husband (Eph. 5:27).
“To Him who
reigns above”
My hеart is filled with thankfulness
To Him who reigns abovе
Whose wisdom is my perfect peace
Whose ev’ry thought is love
For ev’ry day I have on earth
Is given by the King
So I will give my life, my all
To love and follow Him
To love and follow Him
Let us be thankful that Christ has risen and reigns from above. We have a God who lives and reigns over His creation. The Lord Christ is able to grant perfect peace to His people because He lives and is seated on His throne. The foundation of the faith we profess as Christians is the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Without it, there is no basis for hope.
And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
– 1 Corinthians 15:17-19 (LSB)
But because Jesus has risen and has ascended we can live the Christian life in hope and peace. Our King is the King over all creation and therefore sovereignly grants to us all our days. Every breath we have is from Him. Therefore, our hearts are full of thankfulness because the Lord is actively sustaining us. He can sustain us because He reigns over us.
As Christians, we should be so thankful because our Savior rules and reigns. By His wisdom, we find perfect peace. Through His Scripture, we find great comfort. Though He reigns above, His Spirit dwells in us and teaches us to walk according to His ways (Gal. 5:16). Because the King grants us these things we can then say, “So I will give my life, my all to love and follow Him.“
Conclusion
One of the marks of believers is that they are thankful people. We should regularly thank God for all He has done for us. As this hymn does for us, so we should remind ourselves of the blessings of God we enjoy in Christ. Let us be thankful people and express our thankfulness to God. We can do this through proclamation, prayer, and praise. This season, let us especially remember to thank God for all He has done, is doing, and will do for us.
I will praise the name of God with song
– Psalm 69:30 (LSB)
And magnify Him with thanksgiving.