Thursday; November 25

Happy Thanksgiving! I make no secret of the fact that this is my favorite holiday of the year. Food, family, friends and football – it just doesn’t get any better than that!

Through the years Americans have been celebrating a National Day of Thanksgiving. While there have been some tweaks in the process here and there, the need to stop and express our gratitude has been firmly entrenched in our nation for the last half of our existence. While we still stop and observe the day, I wonder if we are losing our focus. I am in favor of celebrating all the aspects of giving thanks – including being appreciative to our friends and family – but unless we stop and appreciate the gifts we have been given by the Greatest Giver of all, we miss out on an important part of the day. Honestly, I wonder if this might be part of an overall problem in modern society. When we ignore God, we are bound to lose sight of what is important and necessary for contentment. This past week I have thought a lot about Psalm 111. This poem of thanksgiving reminds us of the value of the nature of God and the need to publicly proclaim our commitment to Him. He has shown us what He can do through His power, but He also models what we should be doing. By being gracious, compassionate and caring He demonstrates how we should live. By displaying truth and justice, He establishes the values that are important for society to function successfully.
As we stop and celebrate a day of Thanksgiving, let’s take a minute to appreciate His influence on us – not just as a benevolent Father, but as the Great Example. David expresses it this way, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.” (Psalm 111:10).

Think About It!

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