Word of the Week - Thanksgiving
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.Psalm 107:1,8-9
Thanksgiving defined by Webster is; the act of giving thanks; a prayer expressing gratitude; a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness. I love Thanksgiving and the fact that we as a nation set aside a day to give thanks and acknowledge our blessings both individually, as a family and as a country. It is by far my favorite holiday, a time to slow down to “express gratitude and acknowledge and celebrate God’s divine goodness”.
Life can be very difficult at times. In fact Jesus tells us this in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But Take heart! I have overcome the world”. The real question is how we will respond to the challenges and disappointments we face. Will we focus and dwell on the negative or will be decide to focus on our blessings? The tendency of the world is to focus on the negative, which is our natural inclination. This is not God’s will for us and does not lead us to the abundant life Jesus desires for us. By focusing on the challenging issues of life, which will always be here this side of heaven, we often lose perspective on the blessings of life and God’s goodness towards us, which can easily lead to the trap of negativity, despair, bitterness, envy, depression etc, this is bad thinking. Or, we can choose the Lord’s way, which is to “Give Thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:16. This approach leads to peace, hope, joy, encouragement etc., a life giving perspective.
My friend John Michael Pierce who recently passed away demonstrated this like no one I have ever seen. In the face of the worst circumstances, he chose to focus on the blessings of God and he truly lived life to the full in his last months on earth. In doing so he had a tremendous impact on thousands of people to the Glory of God. Watch this short video that was shot a few before he died to get a glimpse of this young man’s heart and impact John Michael Video . If we keep our eyes on Jesus and maintain an eternal perspective, we are much more inclined to have a heart of gratitude even when we face trials and setbacks in life.
The benefits of a grateful heart:
- It gets our eyes off ourselves, and helps us to focus back on God.
- It reminds us we're not in control, but that we serve a Mighty God who is.
- It takes our attention off of our problems and helps us instead to reflect on, to remember, the goodness of His many blessings.
- A grateful heart reminds us that ultimately God is our Provider, that all blessings and gifts are graciously given to us by His hand.
- A heart of gratitude leaves no room for complaining. For it is impossible to be truly thankful and filled with negativity and ungratefulness at the same time.
- It makes the enemy flee. The forces of darkness can't stand to be around hearts that give thanks and honor to God. Our praise and thanksgiving will make them flee.
- It opens up the door for continued blessings. It invites His presence. Our spirits are refreshed and renewed in Him.
This is a simple and powerful spiritual principle. There is no question that we will reap what we sow in this very important area of life. Therefore, I challenge you this week to begin each day (First Fruits/Priority) by acknowledging God’s goodness by counting your blessings and giving thanks to Him. Before you put your feet on the floor each morning think of something you are grateful for and give Thanks. No matter how bad things are we can always find something to be Thankful for. God loves it when we enter His presence with praise and thanksgiving, it blesses Him but it also really blesses Us. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name” Psalm 100:4
I am thankful for each of you and pray you and your family had a blessed Thanksgiving.
Thanks,
-Duane