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Thanksgiving comes and goes in a hurry.
Savory, sumptuous Butterball turkey and all the fixins have been happily consumed. Delicious desserts have been dutifully devoured. Thanksgiving Day football games are in the books. Memories have been made. Family members have packed up and returned home. The holiday has passed. The house is empty. Now what? What about the day after Thanksgiving? And the days after gathering together as family to give thanks to God for His abundant blessings? How about giving thanks to God every day? What a great idea! In the Bible, the Psalmist declares that it is good to give God thanks. “It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Thy name, O most High.’ Psalm 92:10. Christians, above all people, should sing praises to the Lord from thankful hearts. It is a good thing for God’s people to be grateful. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul instructs and encourages us to give thanks in everything. “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:18. Why should Christ’s followers give God thanks in everything? Because giving thanks to God is His will for those who call themselves by the name of Jesus Christ. If you are wondering what God’s will is for your life, start giving thanks in everything. Then you will be doing His will. It is God’s will for His people to be grateful. I want to be dead center in God’s will. I believe you do too. So what would happen in our lives if we celebrated Thanksgiving every single day? I know we can’t bake a turkey everyday. In all honesty, I don’t know how many days in a row I can stomach turkey! Sleepiness would overcome me for sure! The family can’t come home every day. But what if giving thanks became our daily habit? What if thanksgiving became thanksliving? Christians should be the most thankful people on earth. Just stop and realize what Jesus Christ has done for you by dying on the cross for your sins. Having purchased eternal life for us through the shedding of His precious blood, how can we not be thankful? But too often we aren’t. Like an ungrateful world, we get caught up in grumbling, groaning and griping about what we don’t have instead of giving God praise for what we do have from His good, gracious, and generous hand. I admit, to my embarrassment and shame, to being guilty of ingratitude and most likely, you have too. I heard a new phrase today that shook my spirit. Steve Whitaker, director of the John 3:16 Mission in downtown Tulsa shared on a Christian radio talk show about the need of hungry people in our city. He said many people around us are “food insecure.” That simply means they don’t have enough to feel secure about how to feed their family. The state of Oklahoma is the fourth hungriest state in our union. Reverend Whitaker shared real life stories about people and families who are suffering from food insecurity. He discussed how one single mother told him she decided on Monday that she wouldn’t eat until Thursday when the Mission fed hungry families so that Tuesday through Thursday her kids could eat the little food they had. Mom wasn’t going to eat for three days so her children would have some meager meals. Her story shredded my heart. Suddenly, the Ding Dong I was eating didn’t taste so good. Today, my family is food secure because of God’s gracious and bountiful provision. I am very thankful for that….and am and will be every day. When I stop to give God thanks, here some things that happen in my life.
Giving thanks to God lightens the loads and brightens the day. Oh Lord, may Steve Roll be found to be grateful everyday of his life. May my thankfulness bring You glory and inspire others to be thankful too. A Word For Your Week: Begin today to give God thanks in everything every day. |
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