Thanksgiving
By Steve Crowley
I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with Thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30 (ESV)
Thanksgiving Day is one of my favorite holidays because it is one of the few holidays where we celebrate giving thanks to God for His blessings He has bestowed upon us. We actually pause from our hectic lives and give thanks for the blessings that we have received. In fact Thanksgiving is almost like the last rest area for us to pull into before the stress of the holiday shopping kicks into high gear. About the only stressful thing that occurs during Thanksgiving is the pressure of my waistline from enjoying God’s bountiful harvest.
Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, or declare all his praise? Psalm 106:2 (ESV)
Thanksgiving is a time of reflection, a time to pause and take stock of the blessings that surround us. Far too often in the busyness of our lives we fall into complacency of taking for granted the beauty of God’s creations as well as His grace. We go through our lives at such a hectic pace that we rarely stop to ponder the majesty of a crisp fall sunrise or the beauty of the colorful landscapes of Fall. Life has gotten too busy for anyone to stop and take in the splendor of God’s creations.
Therefore Thanksgiving comes at a prefect time of year. It comes at a time of year when the year is winding down. It comes at a time when the sun begins to set earlier. It comes at a time of the year when we experience a significant change in the climate. God seems to culminate the changes of season to remind us of His majesty.
Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. Psalm 30:4 (ESV)
This Thanksgiving let us pause before the bountiful harvest before us and give thanks to The Lord for His many blessing. Let us thank Him that while we were still sinners He sent His only Son to be sin and die upon the cross so we might become the righteousness of God. Let us thank Him for the air we breathe, the people whom He has placed in our lives. Let us thank Him for the ability to live in the nation and be free to worship His name.
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Chronicles 16:34 (ESV)
Heavenly Father, creator of the heavens and the earth, Lord of Lords King of Kings Holy be your name. Father we come to you this Thanksgiving Day thanking you for what you have given us in this world. Your grace is beyond our understanding and the blessing that you have bestowed upon us are overwhelming, we thank you from the depth of our hearts.
Father, thank you for the bountiful harvest that you provide us each day. Father thank you for the friends and family we have and for all the blessing you have graced us with. Father, may we partake of your blessings with a grateful heart and cheerful spirit as we rejoice and give thanks to you O Lord.
For it is in Your Holy Loving Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior that we pray,
Amen
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