“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 to spend a day stopping to 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 times had several days in a row when they ceased 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 that included many foods raised with the help of Native Americans. It is said that the Indians slaughtered deer and brought venison so there would be meat to provide much-needed protein.
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 in the peace and prosperity that Jesus shed His blood to guarantee. They wanted to use the 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.
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 tremendous public Christmas trees, visiting friends and loved ones.
Thanksgiving is about consuming food as easily gotten 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.
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.
HOW WONDERFUL WOULD IT BE IF WE ACTUALLY SPENT THE WHOLE DAY WORSHIPPING AND GIVING THANKS TO GOD FOR ALL THE BLESSINGS HE HAS LAVISHED ON US?
Imagine awakening Thanksgiving morning and penning a gratitude list. Imagine making a list on a legal pad of everything our Love-driven Father has freely given us.
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 Himself?
WHAT IF WE SPENT THE DAY THANKING JESUS?
GOD loves you so much just the way you are that He died the worst death any human ever will, to prove it!
He paid the price for all your sins, past, present, and future, and has erased them from His memory. He gave you the indwelling Holy Spirit. He gave you the power to do the same things He did and even greater things. He healed all of your diseases. He gave you the power to speak things into and out of existence. He defeated the evil one and gave you dominion over all of his minions and powers. He gave you all things that pertain to life and godliness, including His faith. Most importantly, He gave you the choice to spend forever in His glory, and all He asks is that you believe in Him.
(Romans 5:8, Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 103:1-3 &12, John 1:29, Hebrews 8:12, Hebrews 10:10:18, Revelations 1:5,John 16:7, John 14:12, Psalm 103:1-3, Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:16-17, 1 Peter 2:24, Mark 11:22-24, Luke 10:18-19, 2Peter1:1-4, John 3:14-18, Romans 10:9-10, John 6:28-29)
FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS ALONE AND FOR THE THINGS ON OUR GRATITUDE LIST WE SHOULD MAKE EVERY DAY, A DAY OF GIVING THANKS!
THAT IS ALL FOLKS, END OF TEACHING
END OF TEACHING
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