It is the Thanksgiving season. Soon many will be knee deep in turkeys, stuffing, and pie. Families will be getting together, football will light up the TV, and the kids will be running around. Tis the season, right? Well, regardless of your interpretation of where Thanksgiving came from or if you celebrate it, it does give us the opportunity to stop and reflect on our lives and look over the past year. The opportunity is there, but do most people take it? Outside of a simple prayer over the meal or casual discussion without much thought into it, I would suspect that most miss it. One of the signs of the last days according to Scripture is the unthankfulness of men (2 Timothy 3:1-2). While we could talk about that for a while, I want to encourage you and give you some things to meditate on from the Word of God.
As I reflect on what God has done in our lives, it is so important to me to give Him thanks above all for who He is and for His goodness towards us. James 1: 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. The Bible tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from Him. If you have repented and are a believer in our Lord Jesus Christ, we need to look no further than our eternal salvation and redemption as the perfect gift. God has reconciled us to Himself through the cross of our Lord Jesus and given us the forgiveness of our sins. He has removed them as far as the east is to the west. That is the good news. After the cross, however, is also the Resurrection. We must never forget that because He lives, we will live also. We are living eternal life with our Savior beginning now. What a wonderful thing to be thankful for!
We are also instructed in the Word of God to be thankful in all things. Ephesians 5: 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. All means all right? Learning the sovereignty of God enables us to believe this statement. You see God is in control and is working all things after the council of His own will (Ephesians 1:11.) It is His plan working through the earth. I know that can be hard to believe when you stop and look at the mess the world is in right now. Trusting in His power through the storms enables us to have that peace that passes all understanding while the fiery trials go on around us. 1 Thessalonians 5: 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. It is God’s will that we give thanks. Many people will say they just want to do the will of God for their lives. Well, here we have a direct answer. Give thanks in everything to Him. As we grow in our faith and trust of the Father, our spiritual senses begin to be exercised, and we are able to see that He works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28.) We can be thankful if our heart is right and does not condemn us before God. We can know in certainty that whether we are in good or in trial, God is taking care of us and will fulfill His plan in your life.
Did you know it is also a sacrifice to offer thanks? Why? Could it be because we are acknowledging that as much as we try, we are not God? Psalm 107:21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! 22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing. It is the Lord who sees from Heaven and gives the rain to the just and the unjust. It is He who sustains life in His hands. It is He who causes the sun to rise and set everyday. He calls the stars by name. He is the Almighty Lord of the universe. His mercy and goodness endure throughout the generations. There are some that do not understand that the sacrifices did not end in the Old Testament. We, the body of Christ, are a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) offering up spiritual sacrifices to our Lord. The fruit of thanksgiving on our lips is well pleasing to Him. Let us please Him, Amen!
Many times when we begin to think on what we are thankful for it can take a turn to the material side as in what do we possess. I encourage you to keep in mind the things that God has done in you and through you that stores treasure in Heaven. Not by earthly measures, but the treasure that bears the fruits of righteousness and truth. Has God used you to train the children in your home in His Word? Be thankful. Has God used you to bless others through the giving of your time, money, or resources? Be thankful. Has God revealed to you deeper revelation of His Word because you have been faithful to Him? Be thankful.
Psalm 100:1 Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing. 3 Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting. And His truth endures all generations.
I encourage you all to stop and take some time during this season to tell the Lord you are thankful. May the grace of our Lord be with you all.
