In Everything Give Thanks - Thanksgiving Day

In Everything Give Thanks - Thanksgiving Day    

November 19, 2016

 

Feasts of God – Review them each year – Helps us to remember meaning 

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated in United States. 

It is a time for families to get together for a day of giving thanks to God for the blessing that God has given to each of us this last year. 

The problem is, the meaning of Thanksgiving for many of us usually includes feasting, four-day weekends, out of school, football games, floats, family reunions, or eating a great dinner.  It is not bad, unless we do not know what the meaning of the day.  But to many people, its meaning is lost. 

We enjoy turkey dinners, cranberries, candied yams, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and family gatherings—these are all commonly associated with of giving thanks—Thanksgiving Day!

“We “gobble till we Wobble” (read this, thought it was good) 

What is each of us going to do this Thanksgiving? 

What traditions have you made for your family. 

As our family gathers together for Thanksgiving, we would form a large circle, hold hands, say what Blessings we had this last year. Then have the prayer. 

The general thought that the first thanksgiving was after the Mayflower’s arrival at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620.  The Pilgrims suffered the loss of 46 of their 102 members.  They survived a bitter winter and had a bountiful harvest in 1621.  They celebrate with a festival with the local Indian population and gave thanks to God for their deliverance, a blessing and gratitude for their survival.  As a side, I read, there were only 4 adult Pilgrim women alive, cooking for 140 guests. 

Many years later in 1789, President George Washington proclaimed November 26 as a national day of Thanksgiving unto the Lord. This was in response to God's granting America independence from Britain. 

In 1863 Abraham Lincoln revived this tradition of giving thanks to the Lord, and finally in 1941, the United States Congress decreed that the fourth Thursday in November was to be a national day of Thanksgiving.  

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. I love gathering with all my family.  Family fellowship with a big thanksgiving dinner and eating so much that I will fall asleep watching the Dallas Cowboys football game.

It is a blessing when we can stop and give thanks, for truly God has been good to my family and myself.  

But we should never be guilty of only thanking the Lord, even on Thanksgiving Day, a Day a grateful Nation set aside to recognize God!  

Every day is Thanksgiving Day for the believer. 

Philippians 4:6 Never worry about anything. Instead, in every situation let your petitions be made known to God through prayers and requests, with thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving focuses upon relationship.  We look at it as a family relationship.  The true meaning of Thanksgiving is the relationship between us and God.  We are to acknowledging God as faithful, earnestly honoring and giving God thanks, in advance, for His abundant blessings.   

Thanksgiving is an attitude of the heart that reinforces our relationship with God. 

Although Thanksgiving is not directly mentioned in Scripture, Thanksgiving Day is a holiday based on biblical principles and commands and the Feast of Tabernacles. It was to be a day to spend with family and friends, honoring and thanking God for the bountiful blessings He provides. 

The Words, thanks and thanksgiving show up 334 times in the Scriptures,  so many verses covering this subject.  

Why We Should Be Thankful

2 Corinthians 4:15 All this is for your sake so that, as his grace spreads, more and more people will give thanks and glorify God. 

Because it honors and Glorify God. 

When we give thanks, we recognize that God exists

We recognizes our total dependence on God  

Because it is commanded in Scripture 

the Psalms are filled with the call to give thanks 

Psalms 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything be thankful, because this is God's will for you in the Messiah Jesus. 

Apostle Paul gives the command to be thankful 

Colossians 3:15-17 Let the peace of the Messiah also rule in your hearts, to which you were called in one body, and be thankful.  (16)  Let the word of the Messiah inhabit you richly with wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and singing to God with thankfulness in your hearts.  (17)  And whatever you do, whether by speech or action, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Thanklessness is dangerous to ourselves and others 

It dishonors God and leads to being dependence on man rather than God 

Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him. Instead, their thoughts turned to worthless things, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 

Leads to bitterness, complaining, and a joyless life

Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up and causes you trouble, or many of you will become defiled. 

Bitterness creates depression and feelings of hopelessness, because we become focused on our problems rather than on the Lord.  

2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God! He always leads us triumphantly by the Messiah and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of knowing him. 

The Scriptures is a heart full of praise and thanksgiving.  These Scriptures are so powerful to turn a hurting heart into one that is strengthened and enlivened.  We should be practice and thinking about being thankful every day of our lives. 

Is an evidence of the condition of our spiritual life and value system, 

Ephesians 5:4 Obscene, flippant, or vulgar talk is totally inappropriate. Instead, let there be thanksgiving. 

Ephesians 5:20 you will consistently give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah; 

Always give thanks in everything and for everything 

Hebrews 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 

Psalms 26:7  That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works.  

Psalms 69:30  I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.  

Psalms 95:2  Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

Psalms 100:1-5  A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!  (2)  Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.  (3)  Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.  (4)  Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.  (5)  For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. 

Psalms 147:7  Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; Sing praises on the harp to our God,  

2 Corinthians 9:11  while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 

2 Corinthians 9:12-15  For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,  (13)  while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,  (14)  and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.  (15)  Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!  

Colossians 2:7  rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.  

Expressing overflowing thanks to God that you have been made acquainted with truths so precious and glorious. If there is anything for which we ought to be thankful, it is for the knowledge of the great truths respecting our Lord and Savior. 

Colossians 4:2  Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;  

What Jesus our Lord did for each of us, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that, He became a man,  He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve,

He was died, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Scriptures and right now on His throne at the right hand of the Father.  

This is the  lesson we should learn about Thanksgiving, always in the attitude of giving thanks to God and this attitude to be part of our everyday life. 

As Thanksgiving draws upon us this year, we should think deeply of all the Blessings He has given us this past year and thank Him for them. 

One final thought, read it on facebook this morning, Ever just sit and think about all the things God has done for you, just today. Realizing Our God is Awesome

As we celebrate this thanksgiving, remember to always give Thanks to our Lord and King and just say, Thank You, not just on Thanksgiving, but throughout the whole year.