November 22
"I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people." -Psalm 116:17-18 (RSV)
What do you have to be thankful for today? Thanksgiving is a deeply Christian holiday whose date varies but is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November. It originates in our Pilgrim forefathers who found refuge in America seeking religious freedom after hard struggles. Without help of Native Americans, they would have perished. After their first year of death and hardship when the Pilgrims realized they had survived winter, they expressed gratitude by celebrating with a feast offering God a "sacrifice of thanksgiving." They knew the Bible calls for this, especially in hard times. And so it was Governor Bradford of Plymouth Colony proclaimed in 1623: "Inasmuch as the great Father ... has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God ... Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims...do gather at ye meeting house....on Thursday, November 29th...there to render thanks-giving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings."
Yet the pilgrims were only doing what the bible commanded. We find descriptions of many holidays of Thanks-giving in the Bible. In confusing times, we all need to find ways to rekindle attitudes of Gratitude and eliminate the growing secular attitudes of "Baditude" with its debt, doubt, discord, and despair. For if we embrace the power of Giving Thanks and rejoice in God’s provision, we will be able to share the life transforming blessings of Thanks Giving with all around us! For God is truly greater than any needs we can have as a nation or individuals. Our Lord is waiting today to change your fears to faith, disasters to victory, and your needs to abundant provision! The key to unlocking the transforming power of gratitude is your willingness to offer a "sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving" to God in all seasons of life, in good and bad times. For as you thank God, He will remove burdens, replace fear with faith, and transform your anxiety to trust. Or as Paul says, "Rejoice...with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God... will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Php.4:6-7)
Prayer: God, May Thanks Giving fill my soul with joy. Amen.
Meditation For The Day: Thanks Giving gives happy healthy living.
Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Fall Renewal (Volume 3) Paperback – August 23, 2017 by Rev. Dr. Mary B. Johnson (Author)
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