Bible Nuggets

Thanksgiving

When someone mentions "thanksgiving" most of us probably think turkey. What a shame that this powerful concept can be relegated to just a holiday. God's word speaks many times about thanksgiving, and not just for one day each year.

Psalm 100 encourages us to "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise." In a call to worship, Psalm 95 reads, "Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods."

So what is it about giving thanks to the Lord that has so much power? God desires us to be continually thankful, because if we are, then we are continually focusing on the Lord's provision for us instead of our own strengths. In other words, being thankful to the Lord is one way to remain humble. As we are thankful to the Lord for everything in our lives, we are confessing that they have come from His hand, and not our own.

Thanksgiving, however, is also a condition to several of the "great and precious promises" (2 Peter 1:4) found in God's word. In Psalm 50, verse 15, we read the promise of God: "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." That promise, though, is preceded by this condition: "Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High." If we are to rely on God's promised deliverance in our times of trouble, then we have to be offering thanks to God in our every day life.

In Philippians 4:7, another promise is given to us. "...and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." And again, this promise of peace is contingent on a condition. That condition is (vs. 6), "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." If we want to know the peace of God, we need to not only trust Him with every situation we face, but to offer thanks in each one as well.

Notice, though, that it says "in everything" and not "for everything." God does not tell us to be thankful "for" everything in our lives. But He does tell us that we can be thankful "in" everything. There are things that we would not give thanks for, but there are ALWAYS things that we can be thankful for. Family, friends, provision, the church, His word, and if all else fails, His ever-abiding presence.

So, just as in the time of year when we are most conscious of being thankful of the many wonderful blessings God has bestowed upon us, try to cultivate a life-style of thanksgiving that will last the whole year long. After all, if God blesses us all year long, shouldn't we give thanks to Him much more than once a year?