Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Thank You!

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Praise the Lord! For he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. The Lord gives his people strength. He is a safe fortress for his anointed king. Save your people! Bless Israel, your special possession. Lead them like a shepherd, and carry them in your arms forever. Psalm 28:6-9

Here we are a few days before the national holiday of Thanksgiving, so you’d expect a message of being thankful. So, here it is:

There is just something right about being thankful.

The Psalmist, King David, had plenty about which to be thankful. He writes this prayer as a gushing sense of gratitude for God’s deliverance from powerful enemies. The words reveal David’s relief and reasons for being so thankful; he calls the Lord my strength and shield, a safe fortress, save your people! These are images of someone who has experienced extreme vulnerability and helplessness against almost certain destruction.

There was a story in yesterday’s news feed[1] about a Florida man whose puppy was grabbed by an alligator. The man leaped into the pond, grabbed the gator, and forced its jaws open to release the dog. I can imagine that puppy was one thankful hound. That had to have been what David felt, like he was snatched from the alligator’s mouth. Thanksgiving flows naturally and without hesitation when the heart recognizes what God has done.

It’s tempting to dwell on how unthankful we can be, especially in America, over-blessed with financial wealth and the creature comforts that go with it. And how strange it is that, living in the land of blessing, we must focus on thankfulness. It would seem more natural to walk in thankfulness constantly. But we humans are a forgetful lot; we spend most of our days wanting more than we already have.

I must confess that I look forward to Thanksgiving, perhaps more than any other holiday. And it’s for good reasons, gathering of family (COVID notwithstanding), down time from regular activities of work, chores, and doctor’s appointments, and, lest we forget, THE MEAL…how could we forget turkey, dressing, and pies? All those things are good (except if you dare to mention the scale).

But, most importantly, there is that sense of sharing around the table a sense of thankfulness for so many blessings my family has received which lights my fire for this holiday. There are trials and disappointments, as there are for every other family. But Thanksgiving Day, and its sense of remembering God’s goodness to us in so many ways, is a benchmark of Christian living; it defines our sense of worship. Like the puppy, we too were snatched from the jaws of sin by one who leaped into the pond of this life and stayed for the cross. The stone trying to hold him in death’s jaws couldn’t resist the resurrection power of God.

Who could not be thankful for such a gift?

For You Today

Like your mother told you about sharing that last piece of pie with your brother, remember to share that gift of Christ with others through your thankful ways.