THE DAY OF GIVING THANKS
“In every situation, no matter what the circumstances be thankful ,and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Jesus.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:18)
What Thanksgiving has become and what it was intended to be are opposites.
The original plan was a day to stop and thank God for all the blessings He bestowed upon those who had accepted Him and made Him the King of their lives.
Historians are unclear regarding the exact events of the first Thanksgiving or how it began. Some say that the settlers in the colonies at some point had several days in a row where they ceased from their labors to praise God for their very survival. The few who survived the hunger and brutal winter were very glad to be alive. Another life-threatening and frigid winter was about to begin. They knew that the only thing that made their existence possible was their faith.
Some believe that the culmination of the days of praise and worship was a feast of celebration, which included many foods raised with the help of Native American Indians. It is said that the Indians slaughtered deer and brought venison so that there would be meat to supply much-needed proteins.
The point is that there was no guarantee of survival in the harsh wilderness. The Western Europeans emigrated to America because they wanted to live in a land where Jesus was exalted above all things. They tried to live their lives in obedience to God’s Word and the peace and prosperity that Jesus provided them. They wanted to use the free gift of His Faith to produce the life of joy, happiness, contentment, Love, kindness, generosity, caring, and peace that He had promised and given them.
Not only so, but their primary objective was to obey the great commission and take the Gospel of Jesus, “The GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY WHICH SHALL BE TO ALL PEOPLE”, to all nations.
The unexpected hardships of hunger, illness, fear, anxiety, and worry brought a heavy toll on them. Their only hope was to praise, glorify, trust, adhere to, and rely on God in the person of Jesus.
Their minds were not polluted with white noise, such as broadcast news, social media, newspapers, magazines, etc. They had never seen a movie or a hologram. Medicine was made from herbs, spices, oils, and other homeopathic recipes. Some worked, others made the patient terminally ill. The only reliable medication was the Gospel of Jesus, which never failed.
It was easy for the first settlers to trust God. They had no other choice. Their lives depended on the relationship they forged with the living God.
Fast forward to today:
Thanksgiving is now a four-day weekend, PATTAY! No work, football, alcohol, parades, the lighting of the great public Christmas trees, visiting friends and loved ones.
Thanksgiving is about consuming food as easy to get as going to the grocery store. Speaking of stores, it’s about bargain hunting to the point of brutality and danger. Some rise as early as 1 or 2 am to rush to engage in the mania known as Black Friday. They put their bodies and very lives at risk on that day to save $40 on their Christmas purchases.
While the Mom is engaged in brutal hand-to-hand combat at the bargain stores, Dad is at home trying to relate to the kids he rarely sees. They are entrenched in video games, and he is trolling the net.
Some turn it into a good day. They feed the homeless, the elderly, or the sick to express their gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon them. Some perform other acts of generosity and kindness.
For the most part, God is not mentioned. That is, of course, except for the ubiquitous and mandatory pre-thanksgiving dinner prayer by somebody who goes to church or the oldest patriarch or matriarch in the family; sometimes, it is delivered by some besotted relative who wouldn’t know Jesus from the turkey on the table.
It is an unwritten law that the prayer may last no more than a few moments so that the hungry participants should not be diverted from their deranged gorging. Many fill their plates with several pounds of food and scarf it down ferociously. It is impressive to watch this strange behavior which is not very different from how one acts at the Golden Corral.
There is some nexus that says, ‘Get your money’s worth,” that drives folks to a frenzy. So it is with the Thanksgiving feast.
The results are reliable and vary only slightly from one to another. Bloating, Gas, Explosive eliminations, L-Tryptophan ingestion induced unconsciousness, cramps, and often nausea follow the great meal. Uncle Ned eats the most and suffers the worst. Ned makes the entire family pay the price for his uncontrolled food lust.
Quickly, no one is in the mood to help the host repair the damage to the home and kitchen. The desire to rush home to bed or the commode overcomes the requisite participation in the repairs. Soon, only Aunt “We had to go; it was a physiological emergency, right?”
OR MAYBE NOT
Use your imagination for a moment. What if we made Thanksgiving a day of giving thanks?
Imagine awakening Thanksgiving morning and penning a gratitude list. Imagine making a list on a legal pad of everything our Love-driven Father has given us freely.
What if, on this day, we sequestered ourselves and our families from any but those who choose to give praise to God? What if we avoided alcohol, drugs, gossip, backbiting, the trauma that holidays bring to many, the cares of this world, etc? What if we wiped our minds, souls, and spirits clean of thoughts other than how breathtakingly blessed we are?
What if we tabled our family feuds and enmity and gathered lovingly to heap gratitude on our Father? What if we all read our gratitude lists to each other and Jesus, who is always with us?
What if we sat in silent contemplation of our magnificent Father and His glory? What would it be like if we followed the recommendation of Paul, our God-selected teacher, and gave PRAISE, LAUDATION, AND EULOGY to the One who loved us so much that He gave everything He had to ransom us for and to Himself?
What if we gave Praise, Laudation, and Eulogy, not hurried so we can eat, prayers! Imagine giving a eulogy at the memorial service, of a great leader and wonderful person.
How would praise, laudation, and eulogy sound? Try this on for size:
“The Lord is my shepherd!
I shall not want!
He makes me to lie down in green pastures!
He leads me beside the STILL waters!
He restores my soul!
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake!
Yes, even though I walk through the SHADOW of death, I shall fear no evil.
For YOU are with me!!!
Your Rod and Your Staff They comfort me!
(His Word and the Holy Spirit)
You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies!
(ridiculing them)
You anoint my head with (healing) oils until my chin cup runs over.
Surely, Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all of the days of my life!
And I shall live in the House of the Lord forever!”
(Psalm 23)
The 23rd Psalm is not a funeral message!!!! It is David’s confession about his king and his relationship to his king. It declares how much David trusted, appreciated, loved, and honored His Father. You could use this one, but God seeks YOUR confession.
What will your day of giving of thanks be like?
Blessings and Love to you all!
Pastor Allen
