Psalm 107:1 says, "Oh, give thanks to YHWH, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!" Clear enough, isn't it? Give thanks. Why? He is good. How? His steadfast love endures forever! Good start. The Bible, in fact, has a lot to say about giving thanks.
Paul wrote, "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving" (Col 4:2). That echoes his instructions to the Philippians: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Php 4:6). Which is, essentially, an excellent subset of "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thess 5:18). Or "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph 5:20).
It would seem, then, that Thanksgiving Day is moot. We should be people of gratitude, people with an attitude of gratitude. We should be giving thanks in everything. Why? Because God is good. Because God's steadfast love endures forever. And because the consequences of failing to give thanks are too high (Rom 1:21). In which case "Thanksgiving Day" should be the first day of the rest of your thanksgiving life.
2 comments:
To me, Thanksgiving Day is just like any other of our religious holidays or sacraments. They're not a one and done thing, but a reminder to be doing these things daily. But we are too often a forgetful people and need these types of reminders to keep His Word in our hearts and to be doers of His Word.
It is sad that the original purpose for establishing the American Thanksgiving holiday--deliberately pausing our daily routines in order to express gratitude to God--is often obscured as many people focus instead on the “Four F’s” (free time, family, feasting, and football) and barely think of God at all in any of their celebrations. As you pointed out several times recently, believers should cultivate and express gratitude to God continuously--certainly not just one day out of the year. So, yes, I concur that “Thanksgiving Day is moot.” May I hold “an attitude of gratitude” every day of the year--as consistently as God is good, which is all the time!
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