Dear friend in Christ.
May we be still before the Lord today and know that He is God. (Psalm 46)
As we begin to think on thanksgiving on this Sunday before our National Holiday of Thanksgiving, may we be found in reflection of just how blessed we are by our Creator and our Saviour. May He give us minds that will be open to considering and counting, and therefore being thankful for Who He is and what He has done, what He is doing and what He will do for us.
Psalm 100 is the scripture today that we will think on, meditate upon and ask that the Lord by His Spirit bring His gracious Word into our minds and hearts today.
KJV Psalm 100:1 <A Psalm of praise.> Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
This psalm has its own historical background, for it was sung by our brothers and sisters in faith of many years ago, a worship which was related to the Old Testament shadows and types of the worship of God in spirit and in truth, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They praised God for the Messiah who was to come, and we praise God for the Messiah who has come and delivered us from sin and death. The temple in Jerusalem was the place that God had ordained that His people meet with Him and where He would meet with them.
We note that the call is for all ye lands to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Why is the call put forth?
We are called to make a joyful noise unto Him, to serve Him with gladness and to come before His presence with singing! We do this because we know…..
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
We have been given the knowledge to know that the Lord is God, and not only to have this knowledge, but we are given to know that He made us, and that we are His people, and that we are His sheep. In this sentence we are given to know our origin, we are given to know that He has promised us salvation through Christ and that as individuals, He takes care of us as a shepherd takes care of His sheep.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Therefore, we are thankful, and we do come into worship with Him with praise, being thankful unto Him and therefore we bless His name. We praise His name because…….
5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Lamentations 3:2 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
How do we nurture thankfulness? We recall from out studies in Philippians that Paul was a thankful man, who realized that God was the source of all blessing for all.
Philippians 1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
How do we nurture thankfulness?
Live in fellowship with God through Jesus Christ through His Spirit by the Word. He is the Vine and we are the branches.
Recognize that thankfulness comes as a result of worshipping God in spirit and in truth. It is the fruit of faith, the fruit of the tree that is grounded in Christ and His Word.
Cultivate being thankful in everything as part of our regular communion with our God.
Harley H giving thanks at the invitation of the Holy Spirit to be thankful as he watched his house burning.
Handicapped man, in wheel chair when asked as to how he is doing: “I have never been happier. Why? I used to be burdened by my handicap, but then I read in Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; about being thankful in all things, and I began to ask God daily to apply this verse to myself. Now I am happier than ever…..
Remember that often times disappointment in our lives is God’s appointment with us for our blessing.
E. Resist and pray to be delivered from a complaining, or forgetful and or unthankful heart.
Deuternomy 8:10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.
11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;
14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;
16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;
17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.
18 But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.
As we partake of Holy Communion today, may we remember that He has delivered us from sin and death, and has given us His Sacrament so that we would be strengthened in faith, as we remember His love for us. This is a celebratory feast for what He has done and a taste of that which is to come. May we be strengthened in faith today as we receive His gift again today.
He has made us, He has made a way for us to return to Him through Christ and now we are His beloved children. May our hearts be swelled and expanded in thankfulness through knowing Him through Christ.
Thankful for you, dear reader.
Pastor Orval