Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

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Thankful Heart

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Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name.   Psalm 30:4

Life with an invisible illness can be tricky.  There are limitations which others cannot see that become frustrating.  They are vexing because one cannot do the things that they used to do or would like to do.  They may be annoying to others as they expect more than the illness allows one to deliver.  It’s a balance to be maintained as well as managing the illness itself.  But then, all trials present limitations and hurdles that must be managed or overcome.  In the fray, it’s easy to lose sight of the blessings of life and to be thankful for them.  This holiday week, my illness has been pushed to the background to focus on better things as I truly have a thankful heart. 

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Give Thanks to the Lord!

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Farm Pic with Psalm 100:4

Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.  Psalm 105:1

As it is Thanksgiving in the United States, please join me in refection upon Psalm 136 which is a beautiful model for being truly thankful.  As this Psalm states, no matter what God is doing, His love for us is everlasting.  It starts with who God is, moves through various things that He has done and finishes with how He is ever mindful of us.

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Prelude to Thanksgiving-Blessings and Lessons

Gratitude for Everyone in our Lives

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Picture of lake in Brown County

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.  Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.  Colossians 3:12-14

 

Within the past couple of weeks there have been quite a few conversations to make plans for Thanksgiving.  While the menu hasn’t varied too much from year to year, the people with whom we share the meal have varied greatly.  Naturally, the core group has always been our immediate family. However, many years have regularly included extended family, friends and acquaintances.  As I consider those with whom I have celebrated this holiday, I am reminded that I am most thankful for the people that God has chosen to weave in and out of my life.  Their roles, the length of time in my life and the affection for them has varied greatly, but they have all had a purpose.  As the saying reminds us, some people are a blessing while others are a lesson. 

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Thanksgiving Part 5

Thankful for Salvation

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Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!  2 Corinthians 9:15

As we move from the celebration of Thanksgiving to the celebration of Christmas, I can think of no better way to conclude the series about thankfulness than to consider being thankful for the salvation provided by Christ our Lord.  While there is much that can be, should be and has been said about this gift, I’d like to focus on the act of love, the ongoing gift and the benefit yet to be received.

One of the first verses we learn as Christians is John 3:16 and it is certainly a great passage to know for it speaks of the love that is the backdrop for this indescribable gift.  The Father has done what He has never asked of any of us in that He has sacrificed His only son.  However, to truly put it into perspective we need to also look to Romans 5:7-8.

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Thanksgiving Part 4

Thankful for God

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I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations.  For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds.  Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be above all the earth.  Psalm 57:9-11

While it may seem a bit elemental, are you ever just thankful for God?  I’m certainly not often enough.  We regularly thank Him for what He provides and what He does for us, but the root of all that we are thankful for rests in God alone and who He is.  He is the starting point. He is a living being who desires a relationship with us…those that He has lovingly created for specific purposes, those whose lives He has carefully planned and those whose righteousness has been purchased with the death of His only Son.  If we took the time to consider His attributes, His care and His concern for us, wouldn’t our souls be overwhelmed with thankfulness for our Creator…Father, Son and Holy Spirit?  The reasons that we can and should be thankful for our God are innumerable and exceed the scope of our awareness in this life, yet scripture is still full of so many details that we can comprehend and appreciate.  Consequently, for this post, I have selected a sampling of passages that speak to Our Lord’s character as well as a few of the reasons that we should fall on our knees in awe and be thankful for our God and our relationship with Him. 

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Thanksgiving Part 3

Thankful for Our Circumstances

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Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Most people are fairly comfortable being thankful for God’s provisions and for the people in their lives.  While we may not feel that our circumstances are quite as perfect as those depicted in Norm Rockwell’s “Freedom from Want”, we can generally muster a fairly strong attitude of thankfulness.  Certainly when we feel that things are going relatively well, we are filled with thankfulness, but what about when the times are tough.  Thanksgiving of 1992 I woke up in the hospital after having an ERCP the previous day.  I was in pain and groggy; I barely remember celebrating the holiday, let alone being thankful. 

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Thanksgiving Part 2

People

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Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  1 John 4:7

The call to live and to die well especially in the face of adversity, i.e. according to God’s will, has at least three purposes: it strengthens our relationship with our Lord, it provides us a better quality of life and it strengthens the body of Christ.  With respect to the latter, sometimes we learn from studying scripture and sometimes we learn from and are encouraged by watching others as they live by faith. For this post, rather than presenting a discussion of the precepts that encourage healthy relationships for which we can be thankful, I’d like to present evidence of God working through the body of Christ.

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Thanksgiving Part 1

God's Provision

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Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.  The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.  Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.  Psalm 34:9-11

Our pastor kindly reminded our congregation this past Sunday that there were 57 days until Christmas.  I find that challenging for a few reasons.  First, there seems to be so much that “needs” to be done to prepare.  Second, my health issues regularly make it a challenge to face a “normal” day, let alone the additional activity that surrounds a holiday…or two very close together.  Finally, there is the mental hurdle…many of us facing challenges and trials will find it difficult to enjoy the holiday season let alone be thankful and joyful.  Yet as Christians we are called to be both at all times.  As those of us in the United States will be celebrating Thanksgiving this month, I will be focusing November posts on various reasons why we should be thankful.  This week, I would like to reflect on God’s provision for us.

“I recall hearing something:  a boy who lived in a box by the trash heap said ‘You westerners are the ones we can’t understand.  God has given you so much, you have been so blessed …why are so many in your country so unhappy?’”   This quote is from the book “When God Weeps” by Joni Eareckson Tada and Steven Estes.  Joni is recalling the statement spoken by boy who lived in a dump in Ghana as they left a joyful time of praise celebrated by those lived there following the distribution of some wheelchairs.  Sadly it’s true. 

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Living With a Thankful Heart

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“Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples.  Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; speak of all His wonders.  Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.”  Psalm 105:1-3

This week Thanksgiving is being celebrated across the United States.  The day has been set aside to thank God for His provisions and mercies.  However, as we approach the day, we hear more about food, football, sales and traveling rather than we do about giving thanks to God.  When the concept of being thankful is brought up, it’s usually in terms of a general attitude rather than focusing on the one to whom we give thanks. 

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Healing

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“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases.”  Psalm 103:2-3

Several years after I became ill, my wife and I participated in a study of the book “Experiencing God”.  That study was the first in a series of events over several years that would help me understand my illness from God’s perspective.  One night during the small group review of our homework, Psalm 103 was discussed.  As the group reviewed these verses, the frustration with my illness and the seeming lack of concern on God’s part became overwhelming and I left the room in tears.  I could not understand Psalm 103:3 in the context of my health issues and it hurt deeply.  I knew that I was probably missing the point of the text, but the words were haunting me.

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