As the famous 4th Thursday in November approaches, I thought it was only reasonable to take a look at the things we can be thankful to God for. After all, make no mistake about it Thanksgiving is a spiritual holiday or rememberance. It was established by the early settlers to thank God for bringing them to the new world and giving them the freedom to worship as they chose to do. While I am sure they were thankful to the Indians for giving them food and showing them how to survive, the thanks in Thanksgiving was reserved for God alone.
I believe God wants to hear us thank Him for what He has given us. It's not enough to say that God knows we are thankful.. HE WANTS TO HEAR IT FROM US. Much like a woman likes to hear a man say he loves her (even though she knows he does) God wants to hear from us that we love Him and that we are thankful for what He has done for us. Our ultimate thanks to God is for sending Jesus Christ to pay our sin debt on the cross through the shedding of His precious blood.
So on Thursday, besides just thanking God for the food you are about to eat, thank Him for all the blessings He has given you and for the ones He will be giving you in the future. As a means of gratitude to God, go find someone else who needs a kind word or prayer or anything and be a blessing to someone else. Let's not be "spiritual turkeys" and think this day is only about stuffing ourselves and watching football.
Phillipians 4:6-7 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Psalm 26:
1 Vindicate me, O LORD,
For I have walked in my integrity.
I have also trusted in the LORD;
I shall not slip.
2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.
3 For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have walked in Your truth.
4 I have not sat with idolatrous mortals,
Nor will I go in with hypocrites.
5 I have hated the assembly of evildoers,
And will not sit with the wicked.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence;
So I will go about Your altar, O LORD,
7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
And tell of all Your wondrous works.
8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house,
And the place where Your glory dwells.
9 Do not gather my soul with sinners,
Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 In whose hands is a sinister scheme,
And whose right hand is full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
12 My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the LORD.
