Last Thursday People living in US Celebrated thanksgiving festival. On the same day I saw a news paper advertisement on Black Friday deal. It struck me very hard how much we have drifted from the core of thanks giving to the business sense of thanks giving.
What is thanks Giving / Why is it celebrated ?
Thanksgiving is an American holiday that US and Canadians celebrate annually on the fourth Thursday of November.
Thanksgiving is commonly known as a way to commemorate the colonial Pilgrims' harvest meal that they shared with Wampanoag Indians (who "were key to the survival of the colonists during the first year they arrived in 1620") in 1621
Congress (US Parliament house) asked President George Washington for a national day of thanksgiving. Thursday, November 26, 1789 was, therefore, declared the "Day of Public Thanksgiving."
President George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation - he stated its purpose:
“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favour”
Both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favours of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.'”
Purpose statement from President George was truly meant to be giving thanksgiving & Prayer to Lord our God for all his many blessings.
Over a period of times this thanksgiving and Prayer - Become only thanksgiving (with Prayer gone), later thanksgiving has given to make the food centric - “Turkey” and “Black Friday” , with the core purpose of thanksgiving slowly getting lost.
A better way for us to reflect how we should give thanks can be learnt from David’s life and what he wrote in Psalms 118 - there are many things to learn from David’s thanksgiving writing.
How to Thank God Emphatically
Psalms 118:1 'Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good; his love endures forever. '
There are three parts to this in this verse - Thanks to the lord, Goodness of Lord and his love that he describes. There are many things for us to learn
Psalms 118:1 and 29 are the same, David starts with the same verse and ends the same verse in his writing of Psalms 118. It clearly tells a emphatic thanks of how he thanked God
Empathic ways of thanking can come only if you feel from your inner heart that all what you have got from some is real. Here David’s victories over his enemies and all his experience with the Lord is called out very clearly.
Psalms 118:2-4 - 'Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.” '
David did not stop there.he invited the people of Israel, the priests of the house of Aaron, and even Gentiles who honoured God (those who fear the LORD) to join in the emphatic chorus, His love endures forever.
Lessons for us to learn
Does each of our thanksgiving be so emphatic like David ?
Take a moment to list top 10 Blessings you received from Lord, which you can thank God emphatically.
How to thank God when your in distress
Psalms 118:5-13 - 'When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord ; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down. I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. '
David says - “I cried to the Lord” verse 5 , “All Nations surrounded me” Verse 10, “They surrounded me on every side” Verse 11, “They swarmed around me like bees” Verse 12 it’s a distress call by David, it’s a situation where he is helpless and hopeless that he can do nothing and expect help only from the Lord who is the maker of everything.
David thanked God for redeeming from his distress situation
“I cried to the Lord” verse 5 - he gives thanks as “he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me”
“All Nations surrounded me” Verse 10, he gives thanks as “but in the name of the Lord I cut them down
“They surrounded me on every side” Verse 11 he gives thanks as “but in the name of the Lord I cut them down
“They swarmed around me like bees” Verse 12 he gives thanks as “but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down. I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me.”
Confidence that LORD is on my side: The never-ending mercy of God was shown by God’s open favour and help to the one who called upon him. Knowing God was on his side
The LORD is for me: Hundreds of years before the book of Romans was written, the psalmist understood the principle of Romans 8:31: If God is for us, who can be against us? The psalmist had nothing to fear, even from those who hated him.
Lessons for us to learn
Recall your hopeless and situations in life where you had no hope outside God, thank him for the help he gave to you and me in our time of distress
Thank him for the trust you have with the Lord and how God has strengthen you like David - If your enemies swarm you like bees to sting, how he has delivered you and not put to shame.
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man
How to thank God for his Goodness
Psalms 118:18-21 'The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord . This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. '
James 1:17 says - 'Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. '
David understood this early “Every good and perfect gift is from above”
The good things that David refers
1. Lord’s chastening - Verse 18 “The Lord has chastened me severely”
Our selfish nature makes us drift away from God’s plans, because of God’s Love we are chastened to get back to God’s plan.
David experienced that in his life as he committed the sins of adultery and how God brought him back, He thanked God that he has not given over to the death of the Sin - “but he has not given me over to death”
2. Lord’s righteousness - Verse 19 - “Open for me the gates of the righteous”
When David describes “he opened me the gates of righteous” - all righteous qualities of David came from God
We are born with a curse of Sin and there is no righteous deeds in us - unless God opens the gate of righteousness we cannot have that righteous qualities.
The righteousness is given to us to make us walk the path of holiness with God
David thanked God for all the righteous ,as he walks in the path of righteous deeds - I will enter and give thanks to the Lord
3. Lord’s salvation Verse 21 - 'I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. '
Due to the righteous works of God, he thanked God for becoming his salvation.there is no salvation for us outside Jesus
God’s promise of salivation for us in Isaiah 51:6 - 'Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. '
Lessons for us to learn
Thank God for all the chastening that you have gone thru, which has prevented you from going a bad way, thank him for all the chastening by your parents / teachers or loved ones to get the goodness of Lord
Thank God for keeping you away from the sins which would have removed us from his Child status.
Thank the Lord for all the righteous qualities you have and what he continues to Give to you every day. As all good and perfect Gifts comes only from above (God).
Thank him for the salvation promise he has given to you and the assurance that we are his blessed inheritance.
How to thank Gods love
Psalms 118:22-26 - 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Lord , save us! Lord , grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord . From the house of the Lord we bless you. '
David showed his love to God by expressing him as he writes the poetic word - “'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. “
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone: We don’t know what personal experience the psalmist might have had that led to these words. Perhaps it was purely a prophetic statement, because it certainly was fulfilled in the work of Jesus.
This is a strong and important statement quoted by Jesus himself in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10-11, and Luke 20:17. Peter quoted it in reference to Jesus in Acts 4:11. Paul alluded to this verse in Ephesians 2:20, and Peter also referred to it in 1 Peter 2:7-8. No text in the Old Testament is quoted more in the New Testament.
Lessons for us to learn
Thank Father God for giving us his son, Jesus - who is the cornerstone of our life - who took the cross for all our sins and redeemed us from the death of sins.
Inspite of our deep sinful behaviour, God continue to give us his grace and mercy every day - Thank God for all the grace and mercy given to us every day, thank him for the Love he has for us.
Let every thanks we do, be like David . Thanksgiving need not be one day of year, thank him every day for his goodness in our lives.
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