Weekly Devotional
Proverbs 21:21
“He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity, and honor.”
As I enter this Thanksgiving week, I am surrounded by busyness. The stores are busy decorating for the Christmas season. Schools and churches are busy collecting food for the needy. People are preparing to take vacations to be with loved ones. Grandmothers are busy making pies. Children are busy counting the days until break. Some are busy with their holiday shopping lists. I sometimes feel that we all get so caught up in the holidays that we neglect to stop and reflect on Thanksgiving: On Giving Thanks. Are we truly thankful? Many of us go around the dinner table and say, “I am thankful for my children. I am thankful for my husband, my family, my health. I am thankful for Christ’s sacrifice.”
But are we truly thankful? Do our lives reflect that thanks?
Are we giving our thanks to God?
When Christ taught the disciples how to pray, he began his prayer, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” His first objective was to praise God.
Psalms 26:7 says, “Proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds.” And 30:12 states, “My heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.”
Daniel says, “I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power.”
Paul says in Colossians 1:3 “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.”
Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:12, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.”
The men giving thanks in the above scriptures were men who maintained their faith and praise to God through some very rough times. These men withstood peril that we will never encounter in our lifetimes, yet remained thankful to God.
We are all thankful that Christ remained on the cross to forgive us of our sins. We are all very thankful that we have a hope of eternal salvation if we are faithful to him. Are we showing him our thanks? No matter what our lives bring forth, do we remain faithful to his commands? Do we seek righteousness? Do we thank God for our trials as well as our good times?
We are truly a blessed people. We are truly a blessed nation. We are truly blessed to be called daughters of the King.
The scriptures tell us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11-24, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."
Throughout this Thanksgiving week, in the midst of shopping, baking, cleaning, greeting and eating, truly give thanks. Be a doer of God’s Word. Be a giver. Love. Show mercy. Show kindness. Tell God thank you. Show God thank you and may God’s grace be with you.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Margie