All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

A Day for Thanks Giving

Listen here: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/204dda7e/a-day-for-than...

Thanksgiving Day is a day that prompts us to stop and thank God ~ for who He is, that we can have a relationship with him, and for family and friends. A good and right day. Ha, I have a theory that on God's wall calendar, he has this day circled in red because he loves it when we thank him.

Oh sure, we talk about being grateful throughout the year, but to have a day set aside is brilliant! It seems that a long time ago, Americans really were a thankful people. Pilgrims first came together on American soil in 1621 to thank God for helping them bring in a life-sustaining harvest. "Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together." Edward Winslow, governor of Plymouth colony

Those early Americans did what God-fearing people do--they recognized that 'All good gifts come down from the Father above. '1 Because of that, they stopped to thank God. By 1623, giving thanks had become an annual religious observance, and then in 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared an annual national Thanksgiving observance. So, for 161 years, our nation has officially stopped to 'give thanks'.

It would seem that being mindful of God's great love and his many gifts, apart from spiritual things, things like eyesight, hearing, a voice, health, a home, family, clothing, food to eat, clean water to drink, a car to drive, etc.--I would be walking around constantly filled with gratitude, right?! I wish I could say that am.

One thing I have noticed -- a sense of entitlement is mutually exclusive to a life of thanksgiving. When we expect God will do this or that in our lives, it can be terribly destructive. It seems some feel 'entitled' to have this, or do that, or go there, and gratitude slips away. Or is it because gratitude has slipped away, that a sense of entitlement takes its place? Which comes first? Something to think about.

Memorized as a little girl, these words of the psalmist ring so true:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Serve the Lord with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100

That is it right there - God is worthy of our thanks because he really is good. He has proven it by his steadfast love--his immovable, forever, unconditional love lived out in his faithfulness to us through the generations who have come before and those who are yet to come.

When I choose to be thankful, to have a spirit of gratefulness - fully aware of how much I have for which to be grateful - I am a different person. Humble, aware, filled with joy and awe, that God should think of me, that I should know his saving grace.

Let us choose to camp in thankfulness - not just for this one day, but daily.

When we rightly see our humble stations before God, we can only have thankful hearts.

'Remember the old song-My Tribute?2 It expresses my thoughts so well:

"How can I say thanks for the things you have done for me?

Things so undeserved, yet you gave to prove Your love for me.

The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude ...

All that I am, and ever hope to be I owe it all to Thee.

To God be the glory for the things He has done-

With his blood he has saved me, with his power he has raised me,

to God be the glory for the things he has done!

Just let me live my life and let it be pleasing Lord to Thee,

and if I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary ...