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thanksgiving

Whole Lot of Shoutin’ Going On!

by TerryLema

As Thanksgiving approaches, my email inbox is full of reminders to be thankful. They come by way of my daily verse, offers for e-greeting cards, Black Friday sales announcements, and offers to buy some “thanksgiving messages” from well-known ministries.

I usually do not pay attention to most, but I always read the daily verse.  One that came last week is very familiar, out of Psalm 95.

“Come, let us shout joyfully to the Lord, shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation! Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout triumphantly to Him in song.” [Psalm 95:1-2 HCSB]

I like the three reminders in this verse to shout. We are to shout joyfully to the LORD! We are to shout triumphantly to our Rock of Salvation. We are to shout triumphantly to God in song. Oh yes, and then there is that wonderful reminder that when we enter His presence those shouts are to embrace thanksgiving.

Those things may not be easy to do this year what with this virus-and-fear pandemic raising its voice around us constantly. And if we focus on what is going on in this world, we may not find a lot for which to be thankful. One local mayor has instituted strict restrictions, many local schools are going back to online learning, things are shutting down once again. Washington and Oregon have issued travel and quarantine guidelines that are severe. And California’s governor has issued a 10 PM to 5 AM curfew! (Lot of shouting going on about that!)

The church’s focus, however, is not to be on what is going on in this world. Her focus is to be on the LORD, our Rock of Salvation, our Savior and King. When we “see Jesus” and know how blessed we are to be called His, there should be a whole lot of shoutin’ going on – with thanksgiving!

So church, raise your voice. Let the world know that we serve a King who will reign forever and ever! Amen & Amen!

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A Thanksgiving Sacrifice

by TerryLema

Did you know that the first mention of a formal thanksgiving in the Bible is found in Leviticus 7? Most of us do not wake up in the morning excited to read through that book.  Instead we probably try to avoid it, what with all the references to mildew, sin, skin diseases, bodily discharges, and such.

Yet right there, in Leviticus 7:11-15, a formal offering of thanksgiving is referenced. “Now this is the law of the fellowship sacrifice that someone may present to the Lord: If he presents it for thanksgiving, in addition to the thanksgiving sacrifice, he is to present unleavened cakes mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers coated with oil, and well-kneaded cakes of fine flour mixed with oil. He is to present as his offering cakes of leavened bread with his thanksgiving sacrifice of fellowship.” [v11-13 HCSB]

It seems odd to put thanksgiving and sacrifice in the same sentence. We usually apply thanksgiving to all the great and wonderful blessings we experience. We offer thanks readily when things are going well in life. We have our health, or financial security, good jobs, family peace. Yes, we may become forgetful at times, but once reminded we go down our list of blessings and find much to praise God.

In those tough times, when health declines, financial security disappears, jobs are tenuous or family upheavals are the norm, thanksgiving truly becomes a sacrifice. Hebrews 13:15 is clear, however: “Therefore, through Him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess His name.” [HCSB]

There is no excuse for ingratitude when we remember all God has done for us in Christ’s sacrifice. All those things we found in Romans 5:1-2, in Psalm 100, are ours. They are eternal. They will never disappear or diminish or be overcome, not even by the trying circumstances of this life.

So yes, sometimes thanksgiving is a sacrifice because of what we have around us … but it must always be offered considering the eternal sacrifice of our Lord and Savior on that cross for us.

 

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Thank you LORD for the things You have done …

by TerryLema

One final thought this week on that wondrous name of Jesus. Thanksgiving.

We have entered the final three months of the year. It is a time when we are refreshed with thoughts of thanksgiving. We are reminded in the Scriptures that our thanksgiving is offered in “the name of Jesus.”

“Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” [Ephesians 5:20]

I am always amazed when I am reminded to be thankful … I am amazed that I could forget all the things God has done for me. But I do forget. The world gets loud. My infirmities of body, soul and mind push to the front. Circumstances, griefs, discouragement, and hordes of other things want my attention. Then suddenly, I read a reminder in God’s Word or feel the Holy Spirit’s whispering “be thankful,” and I am amazed I could have forgotten to be so once again.

When we stand in thanksgiving before God in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, not only do we honor and glorify our God, we testify to the world about the blessings of God. We remind the world that we stand with God in everything, no matter the circumstances or trials, no matter the successes or failures. We are one with our Father because Christ Jesus has made the way for us to be one with Him.

I am so blessed. Father God wanted me. Me! Father God found me. Father God saved me. Father God adopted me into His family and made me a “Child of the Living God!”  Father God sent His Only Son so I might have life and that more abundantly. How can I forget so often to thank Him?

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for your gentle reminders of all I have, all we have, because of Christ Jesus. May I always remember to be thankful. Amen.

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I will …

by TerryLema

I was reading Psalm 138 this morning. It is a beautiful song of thanksgiving. It opens simply. “I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing Your praise before the heavenly beings. I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your constant love and truth.” [Psalm 138:1-2 HCSB]

I will. So much of what we do as human beings begins with those two little words—I will. What follows those two little words often determines not just how we live our lives each day (I will stop for groceries, I will go for that job promotion, I will call my friend), but also determines the focus of our lives as a whole.

This song reminds us that the atmosphere of our hearts is to be thanksgiving to the LORD. “I will give you [LORD] thanks with all my heart.”

I will do that by singing in the presence of heavenly hosts. I will do that by bowing down in worship. I will do that because your love and truth are constantly with me.

But the psalmist does not stop there. He finds many more reasons to bring his thanksgiving to the LORD. In verse 3, he says he called on the LORD who answered him with increased strength within. In verse 7, the psalmist says even when he walks in danger, the LORD will preserve his life and save him. Then in verse 8, he reminds himself that the LORD will not abandon him but will “fulfill His purpose” for him.

There has been a lot in 2020 that has perhaps driven thanksgiving away from our hearts. Uncertainty in so many areas is thriving, and desperation is hovering for many around the edges of their lives. No matter what is happening now, however, it does not change the truth that God will fulfill His purpose in us – and for that we can, and should be, eternally grateful to Him.

“I will give you [LORD] thanks with all my heart.” Amen.

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Daily Bread

by TerryLema

I have been thinking about the prayer Jesus gave His disciples (The LORD’s Prayer) and I’ll be writing a bit more about what is contained in it over the next weeks, but today I want to look at just one part.

In our backyard are six evergreen trees. Winter, spring, summer and autumn they are filled with little birds. The birds call them home. About six feet away sits a platform on the fence that Bob has set up as a bird feeder. We go through a lot of bird seed each year, especially in the colder months. During some seasons we only need to replenish it about twice a day, other seasons require much more.

The birds always minister to me. They sing. They sit on the top branches and enjoy the sunshine when it hits the trees. They flock to the safety of the inner tree when they sense danger nearby. They hold on during the wind and remind me that “A bird can sing on a branch that swings because she knows how to fly!”

Lately, however, they’ve reminded me of how Jesus told us to pray. “Give us day by day our daily bread.”

 The birds are not panic-driven. They know when the sliding door opens in the morning that they are about to get a fresh supply. They tweet at us and sing and grow louder and louder as we get closer and closer to their feeder. When we walk back and shut the door that is their signal to flock to the feeder for their fill.

This same scenario plays out multiple times during the day. They know we are bringing them their “daily bread” and even before it hits the feeder, they are serenading their thanksgiving.

We are dependent upon God for our daily bread. Not just physical bread, although our supply and resources are based solely in Him for everything we need, but also for our daily spiritual bread. The birds remind me to come to Him each morning for everything I need – both in dependence upon Him and thanksgiving to Him.

Daily Bread!

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Learned Your Lesson?

by TerryLema

I grew up learning what were called the rules of common courtesy. Requests contained the word “please” and were follow with the words, “thank you.” Another’s thank you was to be responded to with, “You’re welcome.” We were to hold doors open for others. Stand in the presence of elders. Greet people with a handshake and a smile. Not interrupt when someone was talking but wait for a pause in the conversation. I tried to pass these common courtesies on to my children.

I say all that because this morning I am laughing at myself. I often use the “Alexa” function on my Kindle, or the “Hey Google” function on my phone to set an alarm or a timer. This morning it was, “Alexa, set a timer for 45 minutes starting now.”

To which Alexa (on my Kindle) responded, “Setting a timer for 45 minutes starting now.” Then I told my automated “Alexa” system, “thank you.” It did not acknowledge my thank you nor respond with “You’re welcome.” You know you’ve learned your “thank you” common courtesy well when you say it to an inanimate object.

But have I learned my “thank you” common courtesy well? Especially when my thanksgiving should be offered to God for all He has done and is doing and will do for me. Do I thank Him on the difficult days as well as the pleasant ones? Do I thank Him amid the trials, or the pain, or the discouragement, or the grief?

I hope I do. I try to do so. I’m just not sure I do it enough. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name” [Heb 13:15]

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