Thanksgiving is Here!

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Norman Rockwell

“Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples!”
 – Psalm 105:1

Thanksgiving to many is centered upon family and friends gathering to enjoy each other’s company, stuff themselves with hearty food, and fall into a lazy day of naps and football.  This of course is not bad, for I greatly enjoy all of these things.  I remember going to my Aunt Deb’s in Wisconsin to feast, shoot hoops outside, or hit up the local skating rink.  The spread was impeccable with every morsel you could think of ready to be consumed.  There was of course the grown-up table and the kid’s table, the latter of course being more rambunctious and fun.  Looking back, I can see that it was all about relationship.  It is both wholesome and beneficial to commune and laugh together, just as Jesus did so many times with all he loved.  Like him, let us remember to whom thanks should be given, God, our wonderful creator!

In this hymn the people of God give thanks to the LORD.  They recognize that he has kept them safe from their enemies, keeping his promise to protect them as his chosen people.  He has blessed them with the necessities of food, water, and shelter, sustaining their needs and allowing them to flourish.  As his children, we too have been chosen, as Jesus spoke to his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide…” Thank God that he has turned our callous hearts toward him!  Because of this, we should, “call upon his name,” so that we can continue to rely on his magnificent and most awesome love and abundant grace. No doubt there have been trying days the past few months; sickness, loss of a loved one, loss of a job or opportunity, there are so many things that can cast a shadow upon our life, but in these situations we are to call upon his name in faith, in trust.

This Thanksgiving let us come together as friends and families, sharing, “…his deeds among the people!” Take the time to go around the table as you share a meal together to “make known,” what God has done for you this past year. Praise God for the blessings that he has bestowed upon you, whether large or small, share how his truth has made a difference in your life.  Simply put, do what Jesus does, give thanks (Matthew 15:36, 26:27).

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