Thankful

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God 

I want to be more engaged with our national holiday, Thanksgiving. It is arguably the most underrated holiday in America. It is tucked between two highly celebrated events, Halloween and Christmas. And it seems to me that the moment we put the Jack-O-Lanterns away and finish eating all the candy, we go into a Christmas frenzy mode. 

We start watching for Holiday Specials at stores that have already decorated their aisles with snowflakes, mistletoe, reindeer, and chubby men in red suits. I wonder if they got chubby from eating all the Halloween candy! It shouldn’t come as a surprise though; the spirit of Christmas is very infectious, and let’s face it, it’s a lot harder to profit off a holiday that promotes thanksgiving.

You may be saying, “Come on, Pastor Rick, it’s not like that at all.” Well, the truth is, we are much faster at coming up with a list of the things we want for Christmas than making a list of the things we are thankful for. I would add that our prayers are often like a Christmas wish list - “God, I want…” God, please give me…” At times, it’s like we get tied up with what we want God to do for us rather than thanking Him for what He has done for us. 

Years ago I had a friend with severe emphysema. He needed a constant supply of oxygen to help his breathing. Every time I greeted him with the customary, “How are ya,” he invariably responded, “Thankful.” 

One day, I asked him about his “thankful” response. He said (tongue-in-cheek), “I’m vertical and above room temperature.” You really can’t argue with that!

With that in mind, let’s be thankful people all the time, not just merely on Thanksgiving Day. Still, amidst football, turkey and dressing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie (or whatever your desired “feast” is), take time to thank God for all He has done in your life. We give thanks because God is good — all the time, and, All the time —  God is good!

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3.16