Happy Thanksgiving! I
know the official day of national gratitude is past and that the turkey has
long been camouflaged in various forms of leftovers, but before we pack up the
pilgrims and unwrap the angels, let’s say thanks again. And again.
To be honest, our gratitude should never lessen or let up, for God’s abundant
grace and blessings compound in our lives daily.
Physically, He provides the very breath that gives us life
and then supplies jobs, homes, food, clothing, transportation, and
communication. Emotionally, He places us
in families and surrounds us with the love of friends and the community of
church. And spiritually, He Himself has
become our salvation and is our eternal life(John 17:3).
Because of such glorious grace, all that we do should be
done with thanksgiving. “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”(Col 3:17). And no matter our situation, sorrow, or
struggle, we should “give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”(1 Thess 5:18). Though tears and trials may seem all too
frequent this side of forever, by the blood-stained cross and the empty tomb we
are assured of an eternity in the joy of His presence. No wonder God’s Word and our words are full
of gratitude. “Thanks be to God for
his indescribable gift! Thanks be to God! He gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God, who always leads us
in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the
fragrance of the knowledge of him.”(2 Cor 9:15, 1 Cor 15:57, 2 Cor 2:14)
Because of God’s blessings, we should continually be “overflowing with thankfulness”(Col 2:7)
and “always giving thanks
to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”(Eph
5:20). But
sometimes we forget to say thanks, we focus on what we want not what we need,
and we find ourselves full of complaints, discontent, and envy. When this happens, may I suggest two simple songs. One I learned to sing when I was quite young
in a small Baptist church in southern Alabama.
“When upon life’s billows you are
tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged,
thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it
will surprise you what the Lord hath done. “
The other, Madam Blueberry of Veggie Tales fame finally learned
to sing after realizing that stuff can fill your house but not your heart. “A thankful heart is a happy heart. I’m glad for what I have; that’s an easy way
to start. For a God who really cares,
who listens to our prayers, that’s why I say thanks every day.”
Both are good thinking.
Both are good theology. And both
are even better when we put them into practice.
Happy Thanksgiving—today and always.
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