Gratitude in the Kingdom of God
(Psalm 100, Matthew 6:25-34)
November 9, 2025 – Stetson Memorial UMC
<Little
Princess>
Have you ever
read or watched The Little Princess? It’s one of our family’s favorite
stories. In the story, Sara Crewe lives in luxury because her father is a
wealthy soldier in India. Everyone treats her like a real princess. But one
day, her father is reported missing, and his fortune is gone. Overnight, Sara’s
life changes completely—from a beloved student who wore silk dresses and
celebrated grand birthdays to a servant girl working in the attic.
What touched me
deeply was not only her suffering but her dignity. Even when she had nothing,
Sara still believed she was her father’s daughter. Her circumstances changed,
but her identity did not. Later, when her father returns and restores her
place, she no longer needs to work or suffer.
When I watched
that scene where she meets her father again, I couldn’t hold back my tears. She
had been living like an orphan, unloved and forgotten, but now she is back in
the arms of the one who loves her most. That reunion reminded me of our own
relationship with God. In His presence, we have nothing to fear. In His care,
we are safe and at peace.
<Seek
First the Kingdom of God>
In Matthew
6:25-34, Jesus tells us four times not to worry. “Do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or drink… Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or
reap, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.”
Are you someone
who worries a lot? I admit that I do—especially about small things. I didn’t
worry much when I took my citizenship test last week, but I often worry when my
kids play outside—what if they fall or get hurt? My children teased me often when I
shouted, “Be careful.” They said, “Mom, I was scared not by this, but by you!” Yet the Bible clearly says, “Do not
worry.”
Jesus tells us
that worrying is what unbelievers do—those who do not have God as their Father.
Verse 32 says, “For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and
indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”
So I want to
ask: who is God to you? Is He like a distant neighbor, or is He truly your
Father—the One who gives peace the world cannot give? Are you living like His
child, His little prince or princess? Or are you living like an orphan, trying
to control and carry everything by yourself?
Verse 33 gives
us one simple instruction: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” That
means our task is not to worry about our needs but to grow closer to God.
The kingdom of
God means God’s reign—where He is the King, and His will is done. Seeking His
righteousness means following His character—justice and love. When we live in
alignment with His heart, we can trust that our Father knows exactly what we
need and provides at the right time. Even
when life feels uncertain, when we face loss or failure, we can still live one
day at a time without fear—because our Father reigns.
<Life
Cared for by the Father>
We have heard
many testimonies of how God, our Father, takes care of His children. I am so
thankful that in our church, such testimonies overflow every week. Today, I
want to share my own story of how God cared for me.
In 2023, my
family and I traveled to Korea for a month. Through a friend, I got a health
check for the first time in years, and they found something wrong with my
thyroid. It was hard to get an appointment with a specialist, so I almost gave
up. But God intervened. An ENT doctor who treated my husband heard about it and
did an immediate biopsy, sending it as an emergency. Within two days, I learned
I had thyroid cancer. Through ENT doctor’s
connection, I met a top specialist at the National Cancer Center who made room
in his schedule for me.
Within that one
month, all the tests and preparations for surgery were completed. The surgery
was scheduled for November, after I returned to the U.S. But I had so many
worries—how to afford the flight back to Korea, who would take care of my
ministry and children while I was away.
Then God began
to show His fatherly care. My coworkers covered my ministry. Church members
raised money—amazingly, the exact amount for the plane ticket. Others provided
meal plans for my family for three weeks. Without them, my husband and kids
would have really struggled!
When
I arrived in Korea, it was my mother’s birthday—the first one we celebrated
together in fifteen years. The next morning, before my surgery, my father led an early morning prayer from Psalm 100. That psalm names five ways God relates to
us:
“The Lord is God”—our Sovereign.
“It is He who made us”—our Creator.
“We are His”—He is our Master.
“We are His people”—He is our King.
“The sheep of His pasture”—He is our Shepherd.
Hearing those
words, I felt like Sara was reunited with her father. I was safely in my Heavenly
Father’s arms. The surgery went well. People who had raised me, taught me, and
prayed for me in Korea all came together and even collected money, exactly the
amount of the medical bill.
Through it all,
I realized again that when we seek His kingdom and righteousness, our Father
truly provides everything we need.
One more story
touched me deeply. A woman I had never met before—she was the wife of one of my
friends—felt God urging her to come see me. She had never driven on the highway
before, but she did it just to visit. She told me that God wanted me to feel His
comfort and gave me an offering as a gift. I wept for hours. In that moment, I
felt embraced by my Heavenly Father once again. That couple is the one who
provided us with bags and some gifts.
Laos Mission
<Gratitude
Sunday>
Today, on
Gratitude Sunday, we give thanks for how God has provided for our church
through every season. As Rick shared, God has fed, clothed, and guided us this
far.
Because our
church sought God’s kingdom first, He met all our needs. The $850 offering from
our UWF and VBS became seed money for a mission project in Laos, which they have now started for 1,300 children.
Hallelujah!
True gratitude
is not forced or grumpy giving. It is the joyful response of children who know
they are loved by their Father. I pray that we, too, will give our time,
talents, and treasure out of that deep gratitude and trust in Him.
Just as the
Little Princess found peace when she was reunited with her father, may we also
remember today that we are not orphans responsible for everything ourselves. We
belong to the Almighty Father who calls us His own.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Sovereign God, Creator of the world, our Lord, our King, and our Shepherd,
we confess that we often forget You are the Master of our lives and worry about
many things.
Take away our anxiety, our restlessness, and our fear.
Open our eyes to see Your goodness and care in our daily lives.
Fill our hearts with gratitude, and teach us to give thanks to You—
The Lord who provides all we need.
We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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