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I also want to remind you of the word about God’s Providence, told in the Old Testament in the book of Job—for the encouragement and rebuke (for salvation; to arouse in us zeal for good-thanksgiving) of those who live in a time when the Gospel has long been sounded (and preached, and will be sounded forever and ever) on earth: God is Love! The Kingdom of God has come! Jesus Christ is the Son of God!… After Job heard the news (Job 1: 13-19) about the misfortunes-losses that befell him (the death of all his children…), he: “fell to the ground and worshipped and said: naked I came out of my mother’s womb, naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord! In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” After the devil struck (by God’s Mercy, by God’s inexpressible Love) Job with severe boils (a very severe illness) from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, his wife said to him: “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die.” But Job said to her: “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks: shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin with his lips” (see Job 2: 7-10). I want to emphasize—this is all the Old Testament!!! Yes, Job is a great man (see Ezek. 14: 14-23); but the least in the Kingdom of God, in the New Testament (that is, a Christian) is greater than the greatest in the Old Testament! If someone does not measure up to the level of Job (at least in understanding God’s Providence), then what kind of Christianity can we talk about?! Glory to You, God! Glory to You, God! Glory to You, God, forever!
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Gratitude = Good-giving = Good-doing = Good-serving = serving with Good deeds, Goodness! To love = To Serve = To do Good! To give thanks = To Serve = to joyfully do Good to the One to whom you are grateful, to serve Him by fulfilling His good (for the good) will! Every “Thank you” is addressed primarily to God (for everything is from Him), and then to angels and people through whom the Lord has done us Good, Grace-Gift! Gratitude-Thanksgiving = Love for God and for the image of God, for one’s neighbor (every person; primarily for those close by kinship (both spiritual (fellow believers) and blood…), and generally in space and time).
So, beloved: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Col. 3: 17); “Rejoice always! Give thanks for everything!”; “Be grateful!”