This is one of those times when I have to remind myself that
Thanksgiving is not merely a humanly contrived holiday but is a command of God.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV).
Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation of Thanksgiving said in part:
“No human counsel hath devised nor
hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts
of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath
nevertheless remembered mercy… I do therefore invite my fellow citizens… to observe
the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our
beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that
while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular
deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our
national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those
who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil
strife…”
It is curious how we’ve turned the day away from thanking
God for His divine mercy, and instead use Thursday and Friday for
overindulgence and overspending. Quite honestly, I experience little enjoyment
in the “holiday” that this has become. I would rather spend the day as a
spiritual retreat (and I may well do that next year).
In an effort to refocus on reasons for gratitude toward God,
here are a few reminders from Scripture:
“It is good to give thanks to the
Lord, to sing praises to Your name; O Most High; to declare Your steadfast love
in the morning, and Your faithfulness by night… How great are Your works, O
Lord! Your thoughts are very deep!” (Psalm 92:1-2, 5).
“I praise You, for I am fearfully
and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well”
(Psalm 139:14).
“O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt
You; I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things, plans formed
of old, faithful and sure” (Isaiah 25:1).
“But as for me, I will look to the
Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me” (Micah
7:7).
“For all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).
“Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual
blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3).
“Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy He has caused us to be born
again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven
for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).
“His divine power has granted to us
all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who
called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His
precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers
of the divine nature…” (2 Peter 1:3-4a).
“In this the love of God was made
manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might
live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He
loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).
As we go through the next several weeks of Advent and
Christmas, may we all be reminded of the blessings that are ours in Christ
alone, and may we give thanks to Him every day.
“Through Him then let
us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of
lips that acknowledge His name” (Hebrews 2:15).
© 2018 Dawn
Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from
pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of
my church or employer.
