Posts Tagged ‘Thanksgiving’

On Thanksgiving

Friday, November 24th, 2006

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Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing. Know you that the Lord is God: it is He that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations. [Psalm 100]

Yesterday, here in the US, we celebrated our National Day of Thanksgiving. To some it may seem we spend the day celebrating our abundance, more than thanking God for it. That’s because they don’t understand that we are celebrating with God, in keeping in remembrance that He is the author of all our blessings.
God is pleased to see us enjoying a great day of celebration and feasting. The bible is full of examples of Holy Days set aside for just that purpose. In fact, though we may think we are quite the party animals, our celebrations pale in comparison to our forefathers. Take King David for example, he couldn’t contain his joy before the Lord. At any given time he could break out in song and dance in celebration of what the Lord has done, and he didn’t care who he embarrassed in the process. [II Samuel 6:15-21]
You see, for God’s children thanksgiving should not be merely a holiday, but a way of life. It is an attitude of gratitude. A condition of the heart by which we are continually thankful for all of our blessings great and small. The blessings seen and unseen, the ones we understand and the even ones we don’t.
We can accomplish this if we have no anxiety about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. [Philip. 4:6-7]
Therefore, join me as I offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and call on the name of the Lord. [Psalm 116:17] That we may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all His wondrous works. [Psalm 26:7] Let us come before his presence… and make a joyful noise to him with psalms. [Psalm 95:2] Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be to our God for ever and ever. Amen. [Rev. 7:12]