Three Reasons to Give thanks,
As we come to Thanksgiving we have many reasons to give thanks. The Psalmist in Psalm 106:1 says, “Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good. For his steadfast love endures forever!” Abraham Lincoln when he proclaimed the national holiday wanted a day when the nation would remember God. We as believers should especially desire to remember God. I want to remind you of three reasons that we have to give thanks.
The God of Creation
The Bible tells us that God is the creator of the universe if we forget this truth we forget one of the central truths of the Bible. The Bible declares that God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth. That God gave the earth form and substance and filled it with all of the good things that we enjoy in the world. As Christians we should never allow the ideas of ungodly men to color our views of the world and of God. Today the doctrine of evolution is being touted as being true. We as Christians should never fail to give glory to God for the wonders of his creation. We should declare to the world that the heavens do “declare the glory of God.” So this Thanksgiving as the pilgrims did, give thanks to God for the bounty of his creation.
The God of Provision
The psalmist tells us in Psalm 103 “blessed the Lord Oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Often times we so focus on the things of this world that we fail to realize all the things that God does for us on a daily basis. If we fail to give thanks to God for all that he is done we fail to glorify him. God reminded the people of Israel through Moses in Deuteronomy 8:18 that, “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.” Just as they needed to remember that it is God who gives them the power to work we must remember that the power to work comes from God. Therefore all of our incomes everything that we have comes from God.
After seeing the coverage of the wildfires in California and seeing a family who had lost everything but were thankful that they had each other. I was reminded that God is given us the relationships in our lives. What is really valuable in our lives is our relationship with God in our relationship with others. This Thanksgiving thank God for those that God is placed into your life.
The God of Salvation
The greatest thing that we can thank God for though is his gift of salvation. God acted on our behalf when we didn’t deserve it and could not help ourselves. If nothing else went well this year you still have the joy and the hope of salvation to give thanks for. Believers who were stripped of absolutely everything, because of the hope of salvation have reasons for Thanksgiving. In salvation God has given us a hope that is beyond this life and it is the hope of eternity with him. In Ephesians 1:3 Paul reminds us, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,” It is God who is acted on our behalf in history therefore we who enjoy the benefits of salvation have an infinite reason to give thanks.
This year as you come to Thanksgiving don’t fail to give glory to God for the things he is made. When you eat that Turkey and potatoes and stuffing; think of the God who made these things. Remember all of the ways that God has provided for you; write them down so that you will not forget. Remind your children that everything on your Thanksgiving table comes from the hand of God. And greatest of all remember the wonders of Christ and God’s gift of salvation through him. As the apostle Paul says to us, 2Co 9:15 “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
Giving thanks with you Pastor Steve Wenner.
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