Thanksgiving to Who? - Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving to Who?
It is Thanksgiving in America. Yeah! I received a beautiful Thanksgiving card from my insurance company this past week. It’s a portrait of the beauty of the fall colors in the woods with a running river. The art is first class by a lady identified as a “naturalist painter”. The words were penned by an accomplished lady poet. I read the words and was confused and wondering what it was saying.
It had the right words such as gratitude but I couldn’t make out who was being thanked. I could identify the things that were being appreciated but I couldn’t see who was being thanked for those things. This will score very high as one of the most politically correct seasonal greetings.
Here is excerpt from the card: “We forever roam through the landscapes of our heart, finding strength in the arms and roots of ancient trees…We give thanks for eternal places that call our name, urging us to pause, breathe and grow. Happy thanksgiving.”
This is a classic example of what Apostle Paul wrote. “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened... 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” Romans 1:21-25
This is where we are today. During this thanksgiving, may we pause to make sure who it is we are thanking as individuals, families, churches and nation. Do you know God and believe Christ?
We really cannot thank a God we do not know. We cannot thank a God we do not believe in and we cannot thank a God that does not exist and who did not make all things that exist both in heaven and earth.
It’s polite in America to say “Happy thanksgiving. Is it for what and to whom?
Any thanksgiving and gratitude that is not directed to God almighty is a false worship and idolatry. We must be grateful for all we have but when those things by themselves become our focus then we have made them idols in our hearts.
I am grateful for my family and friends but when I forget that God gave them to me, then I have missed it. We will go to all lengths to get things we want and at the end stamp them with “God has blessed” when in reality God was never our focus. We must be attentive to false worship and ways of the god of this world.
“16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights. James 1:16.
What are you thankful for this season and are those things more important to you than God himself?
The ultimate blessing is God himself and when we know and believe in Christ then we are truly blessed for the purpose of blessing others.
Let’s bless others this season as we give thanks. We can thank God for all people because they are made in God’s image regardless of their current unbelief or behavior. We can share the words of Christ with them especially those in our families. We can be so obsessed in making our families perfect that we forget who can make us all perfect - Christ.
As we give thanks to God now and always, let us watch our mouths too. Let’s heed the words of Apostle James. “8 But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison. 9 We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God. 10 Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen!” James 3:8-10.
Are we truly thanking God when we use our tongues to castrate and castigate others? This thanksgiving, let’s give people especially in our extended families, words of grace that can build them up.
Of all people we are the most to be thankful to our God from whom all blessings flow.
“You are my God, and I give you thanks;
I will proclaim your greatness.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good,
and his love is eternal.” Psalm 118:28-29.
I thank God for you and your family.
Happy thanksgiving to God the creator and maker of all things!
It is Thanksgiving in America. Yeah! I received a beautiful Thanksgiving card from my insurance company this past week. It’s a portrait of the beauty of the fall colors in the woods with a running river. The art is first class by a lady identified as a “naturalist painter”. The words were penned by an accomplished lady poet. I read the words and was confused and wondering what it was saying.
It had the right words such as gratitude but I couldn’t make out who was being thanked. I could identify the things that were being appreciated but I couldn’t see who was being thanked for those things. This will score very high as one of the most politically correct seasonal greetings.
Here is excerpt from the card: “We forever roam through the landscapes of our heart, finding strength in the arms and roots of ancient trees…We give thanks for eternal places that call our name, urging us to pause, breathe and grow. Happy thanksgiving.”
This is a classic example of what Apostle Paul wrote. “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened... 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” Romans 1:21-25
This is where we are today. During this thanksgiving, may we pause to make sure who it is we are thanking as individuals, families, churches and nation. Do you know God and believe Christ?
We really cannot thank a God we do not know. We cannot thank a God we do not believe in and we cannot thank a God that does not exist and who did not make all things that exist both in heaven and earth.
It’s polite in America to say “Happy thanksgiving. Is it for what and to whom?
Any thanksgiving and gratitude that is not directed to God almighty is a false worship and idolatry. We must be grateful for all we have but when those things by themselves become our focus then we have made them idols in our hearts.
I am grateful for my family and friends but when I forget that God gave them to me, then I have missed it. We will go to all lengths to get things we want and at the end stamp them with “God has blessed” when in reality God was never our focus. We must be attentive to false worship and ways of the god of this world.
“16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights. James 1:16.
What are you thankful for this season and are those things more important to you than God himself?
The ultimate blessing is God himself and when we know and believe in Christ then we are truly blessed for the purpose of blessing others.
Let’s bless others this season as we give thanks. We can thank God for all people because they are made in God’s image regardless of their current unbelief or behavior. We can share the words of Christ with them especially those in our families. We can be so obsessed in making our families perfect that we forget who can make us all perfect - Christ.
As we give thanks to God now and always, let us watch our mouths too. Let’s heed the words of Apostle James. “8 But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison. 9 We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of God. 10 Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out from the same mouth. My friends, this should not happen!” James 3:8-10.
Are we truly thanking God when we use our tongues to castrate and castigate others? This thanksgiving, let’s give people especially in our extended families, words of grace that can build them up.
Of all people we are the most to be thankful to our God from whom all blessings flow.
“You are my God, and I give you thanks;
I will proclaim your greatness.
29 Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good,
and his love is eternal.” Psalm 118:28-29.
I thank God for you and your family.
Happy thanksgiving to God the creator and maker of all things!
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