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Thanksgiving

At the End of the Day . . .

How did it go today?

Some days are a challenge from start to finish. Others seem monotonous. Yet always, it is the Lord Who brings us safely to the close of each day. It’s easy to forget the Lord’s role, to feel that each day just grinds along on its own, somehow dragging us with it; or that by our own powers we have seized the day and bent it to our will.

In his evening prayer, Martin Luther (I mean, the first Martin Luther, 1483-1546, Bible-based reformer of the church in Germany) wrote, “I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me today.” YOU HAVE GRACIOUSLY KEPT ME TODAY! The Father has compassionately gotten you past the humps and bumps of today. He has helped you deal with the problems of your own making, and also with those of others’ making. He has given you strength to expend all, if need be. He has given you wisdom to solve the difficult issues. He has given you courage to deal with matters into which you had to be dragged. And so on, and on. “Father, thank You for bringing me safely to the end of this day.”Read More »At the End of the Day . . .

‘Going All In’ with Thanksgiving

‘To the max,’ ‘pedal to the metal,’ and ‘nothing in reserve’
are several more slang terms that express a total commitment
to a cause or undertaking.

If one were to poll Americans as to what that means for them in connection with their Thanksgiving Day activities, no doubt many would answer they were ‘going all in’ with a day of football or ‘leaving nothing behind’ on the dinner table.

King David would have been amazed, if not shocked, for he put high value on actually giving thanks. Many are the psalm verses where he gives praise and thanksgiving to God for His wonderful works and words.

But there is one incident in David’s life when he especially ‘gave it all he had.’ It is recorded in the second book of Samuel (chapter 6), with a parallel account in 1 Chronicles 16.Read More »‘Going All In’ with Thanksgiving

Reason to Give Thanks Every Day!

Thanksgiving Day is not an appointed church holiday but a national celebration. Nevertheless, the church celebrates it for good reason. Surely, when we consider the blessings from our Heavenly Father from whom comes every good and perfect gift, we have reason to say every day: “Praise the Lord. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 106:1).

“But really?!” 

Yes, there is much happening in this nation that prompts the question. As Christians we are not unaffected by the economic, political, moral, and cultural deterioration. Christians too suffer personal afflictions. On top of all, we are appalled at the terrorism that has the nations of the world on edge.Read More »Reason to Give Thanks Every Day!

“Oh,Give Thanks to the Lord…!”

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever!” is a familiar prayer expressing our thankfulness to God for the food with which He has blessed us and reminding us to give thanks to God.

Such reminders are always in place because, quite frankly, we don’t always remember to return thanks to God. I am not just talking about thanking Him for food, but also for the countless blessings He graciously pours out upon us every day. Because of our forgetfulness and our tendency to take things for granted, we are apt to be like the nine lepers who, after being healed by Jesus, did not return to thank Him (see Luke 17:12-19). Lord, have mercy upon us for not thanking You as often as we ought!

The prayer  “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” is found in a number of psalms (see psalms 106, 107, 118, and 136). Please take your Bible and read Psalm 136. Do you notice how many times the psalmist encourages his readers to give thanks to the Lord? Why is this? Is it perhaps because we need to be repeatedly reminded to give thanks to the Lord for all His goodness towards us?

A striking feature about this psalm is the refrain at the end of each verse. The worship leader would speak the first part of the verse, and the congregation would respond with “For His mercy endures forever.”

I am not just talking about thanking Him for food,
but also for the countless blessings He graciously
pours out upon us every day.

Read More »“Oh,Give Thanks to the Lord…!”

Appreciating, With Thanksgiving, the Gifts We Have

As children of God we have been richly blessed. If we have to ask how we have been blessed or how richly, that indicates we are taking those gifts for granted.

Above all, we thank God the Father for His love in Christ Jesus. The precious gospel of salvation in Jesus is our greatest blessing, the most secure and enduring. Our salvation is rooted in Christ and His cross; it is sealed by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. We have the promise that not one of His sheep shall be snatched from Him (John 10:28), and that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).Read More »Appreciating, With Thanksgiving, the Gifts We Have

“Please Pass…the Word!”

“Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3, ESV)

It’s just not Thanksgiving without football?
While it might be missed, we could enjoy the festival without watching a game.

What about celebrating Thanksgiving Day without family around?  

Or what about a Thanksgiving observance without the smell of cooking turkey?

Fellow Christians, let’s be real.
The one thing we truly need for Thanksgiving is the Word of God!

Moses reminded God’s Old Testament people, the children of Israel, of this very thing as they were poised to enter the promised land of Canaan. Read More »“Please Pass…the Word!”