Thanks Always

TITLE: Thanks Always
DATE: January 14, 2019
TEXT: Psalm 106:1 – ESV - Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,  for his steadfast love endures forever!

Now thank we all our God.

1. Singing that hymn is a proper way to begin a New Year. And if you wonder why that is,  let me tell you about the composer of that hymn, a man, a minister, by the name of Martin Rinkart. In the year 1617, Martin became the pastor of his hometown of Eilenburg, Germany. He stayed there the rest of his life…

… and he wrote a hymn about thanks…a really good hymn about thanks… when he didn’t have much to give thanks for.

​ Seriously.

1. You see, the year after Martin became a pastor, a war, a war known today as the Thirty-Years War broke out. That war lasted the entire life of Martin’s ministry… all except for the last year.
2. The city of Eilenburg’s location meant Martin frequently had soldiers quartered in his home, it meant his furniture, his food, almost everything he owned was often carted off by looters. 

But a 30-Years-War was not the only cross Martin Rinkart had to carry.

1. In 1637 the plague hit his refugee swollen town with terrible consequence. In that first year alone 8,000 people died. All of the town council, except for three, succumbed to the disease. School children, clergymen from the neighboring towns dropped down and died. Rinkart spent his days at the bedside of the sick and failing. He buried more than 4,000 people. 4,000 people, including most of his family.
2. The plague was followed by a famine… a famine so terrible that when a cat or crow died on the streets of Eilenburg, people would fight over the carcass. Rinkart tried to organize aid, he gave away all he had, except for the most meager of rations for what was left of his family. The poor and starving camped on his doorstep.

In spite of this, in spite of all he had suffered; in spite of his pain and loss, Martin Rinkart managed to write these words:
1. Now thank we all our God With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done, In whom His world rejoices;
Who from our mother's arms  Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,  And still is ours today.

Now thank we all our God. Do you understand, Rinkart wasn’t thanking God FOR a 30-Years-War; he was giving thanks for a God who took people through that war. Rinkart wasn’t thanking God FOR a plague which wiped out and ripped apart families; he was giving thanks for a Savior Who would take all who believed on Him to a place where every plague and each pestilence has been eradicated.

I’m sure, when Rinkart did funeral 3,999, that worn out old pastor must have wondered if there would ever be an end to the sufferings. Then, as one of Christ’s redeemed, he would have remembered, and relied upon the promise of Revelation (21:4) where it says Jesus “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I do not know what will come my way in this New Year. Grant that I, in all circumstances, may give thanks to you for my Savior. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written by . Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active:

The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html