Thanksgiving 2014 Challenge
Thanksgiving can't get here soon enough, right?
I mean, it's a BREAK. A break from class, from your job (as long as you're not in retail!), and from your normal, everyday life. It's a break from studying, stress (hopefully), and, to top it all off, it creates one of the greatest 4-day weekends ever.
We're thankful for Thanksgiving.
But I'm not content to head into Thanksgiving season with just a thankful heart. And I'm not content for you to do that, either. :)
So consider these questions:
Why are you thankful?
For what are you thankful?
Who are you thanking for those things?
I challenged myself several years ago (and I'd challenge you to do the same) to dig into the book of Psalms and analyze thankfulness according to the men who wrote those immortal songs. David and the other writers were very thankful, obviously, because the word thank in one form or another (thankful, thanks, thanksgiving) is found 43 times.
But what they are thankful for might surprise you.
Here's a sample:
"I will thank the Lord for His righteousness; I will sing about the name of Yahweh the Most High," (Psalm 7:17).
"Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and pay your vows to the Most High," (Psalm 50:14).
"I will praise God's name with song and exalt Him with thanksgiving," (Psalm 69:30).
"We give thanks to you, God; we give thanks to You, for Your name is near," (Psalm 75:1).
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name," (Psalm 100:4).
"Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever," (Psalm 106:1).
"I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth; I will praise Him in the presence of many," (Psalm 109:30).
"I will give thanks to you because you have answered me and have become my salvation," (Psalm 118:21).
"All you have made will thank you, Lord. The godly will praise you," (Psalm 145:10).
[All scriptures HCSB.]
Lots of thankfulness. But did you notice what was missing?
The psalmists weren't thankful for their families. Or their country. They weren't thankful for health or food or friends or any other blessing that they could look around and see.
They were thankful for God.
Not just thankful to God. Thankful FOR Him.
Because maybe they realized something we don't really consider: without God, there would be no blessing. No goodness. No food or family or health or turkey.
He is the source of it all.
He deserves credit for every single thing that makes you thankful.
He made you. He made the blessings you have. He gave you anything that is beautiful or joy-giving or nourishing.
He deserves your thanks, not just for what He gave you but even more so for who He is.
His blessings reveal who He is:
Loving.
Beautiful.
Creative.
Satisfying.
The perfect planner.
Hundreds of years ago He planted those trees that gave you the beautiful fall foliage. A millennium ago He thought of turkeys and that we would enjoy eating them. His perfect plan brought you to this time, in this place, for a perfect reason, which was to reveal Himself to you so that you can point Him out to your generation.
Now that's something to be thankful for.
So take one of the verses from Psalms above and make it your motto over the next week. Or read Psalm 136 and Psalm 107 every day from now until Thanksgiving. Do a word study on "thankfulness." Whatever, you do, have your heart full of thankfulness FOR GOD before Thanksgiving even gets here.
Then, as you go home and eat and watch football and shop, consider what makes you thankful. And turn every single thankful thought into a song or a prayer or a shout of thanksgiving to the One who made it all and pours His love all over you.
That's real Thanksgiving.
Please keep subscribing! Put your email in the box at the top right.
Or follow me on twitter @leslienotebook
And if you're going to be home on Thanksgiving Sunday, PLEASE come visit me! You know where I'll be at 10:30....
myleslienotebook@gmail.com
I mean, it's a BREAK. A break from class, from your job (as long as you're not in retail!), and from your normal, everyday life. It's a break from studying, stress (hopefully), and, to top it all off, it creates one of the greatest 4-day weekends ever.
We're thankful for Thanksgiving.
But I'm not content to head into Thanksgiving season with just a thankful heart. And I'm not content for you to do that, either. :)
So consider these questions:
Why are you thankful?
For what are you thankful?
Who are you thanking for those things?
I challenged myself several years ago (and I'd challenge you to do the same) to dig into the book of Psalms and analyze thankfulness according to the men who wrote those immortal songs. David and the other writers were very thankful, obviously, because the word thank in one form or another (thankful, thanks, thanksgiving) is found 43 times.
But what they are thankful for might surprise you.
Here's a sample:
"I will thank the Lord for His righteousness; I will sing about the name of Yahweh the Most High," (Psalm 7:17).
"Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and pay your vows to the Most High," (Psalm 50:14).
"I will praise God's name with song and exalt Him with thanksgiving," (Psalm 69:30).
"We give thanks to you, God; we give thanks to You, for Your name is near," (Psalm 75:1).
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name," (Psalm 100:4).
"Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever," (Psalm 106:1).
"I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth; I will praise Him in the presence of many," (Psalm 109:30).
"I will give thanks to you because you have answered me and have become my salvation," (Psalm 118:21).
"All you have made will thank you, Lord. The godly will praise you," (Psalm 145:10).
[All scriptures HCSB.]
Lots of thankfulness. But did you notice what was missing?
The psalmists weren't thankful for their families. Or their country. They weren't thankful for health or food or friends or any other blessing that they could look around and see.
They were thankful for God.
Not just thankful to God. Thankful FOR Him.
Because maybe they realized something we don't really consider: without God, there would be no blessing. No goodness. No food or family or health or turkey.
He is the source of it all.
He deserves credit for every single thing that makes you thankful.
He made you. He made the blessings you have. He gave you anything that is beautiful or joy-giving or nourishing.
He deserves your thanks, not just for what He gave you but even more so for who He is.
His blessings reveal who He is:
Loving.
Beautiful.
Creative.
Satisfying.
The perfect planner.
Hundreds of years ago He planted those trees that gave you the beautiful fall foliage. A millennium ago He thought of turkeys and that we would enjoy eating them. His perfect plan brought you to this time, in this place, for a perfect reason, which was to reveal Himself to you so that you can point Him out to your generation.
Now that's something to be thankful for.
So take one of the verses from Psalms above and make it your motto over the next week. Or read Psalm 136 and Psalm 107 every day from now until Thanksgiving. Do a word study on "thankfulness." Whatever, you do, have your heart full of thankfulness FOR GOD before Thanksgiving even gets here.
Then, as you go home and eat and watch football and shop, consider what makes you thankful. And turn every single thankful thought into a song or a prayer or a shout of thanksgiving to the One who made it all and pours His love all over you.
That's real Thanksgiving.
Please keep subscribing! Put your email in the box at the top right.
Or follow me on twitter @leslienotebook
And if you're going to be home on Thanksgiving Sunday, PLEASE come visit me! You know where I'll be at 10:30....
myleslienotebook@gmail.com
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