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November 20, 2005
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Thanksgiving
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Dave Bernel
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"Thanks for What? Thanks to Whom?"
Deuteronomy 8:7-18; Thessalonians 5:18
I was seated in a coffee shop the other day at a table next to two middle aged ladies. They were apparently talking about their families and upcoming events. One said "Are you ready for the 24th?" The other said "Oh, the 24th! that' s Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving…... Well, with all the troubles I'm having, I guess that I don't have a heck of a lot to be thankful for."
It got me to thinking about Thanksgiving and it's meaning in my life too. Gosh, at this point in my life, so many Thanksgivings have come and gone, it's not funny! Sure, I remember those magic days when I was young. No school, everyone at home for the day, football games on TV and the wonderful smells emanating from the kitchen where my mother and grandmother were hard at work.
Many years later, with a young family of my own, I remember being so grateful to move here to Banks. That was 27 years ago (guess that makes me an old-timer). Over those years here, I remember meeting new friends in the community, which was much smaller then. Looking back now, it seems that we were all preoccupied with raising families, building houses out in the woods, making ends meet, helping each other cut wood (the winters seemed colder then and there was no natural gas as we have it today). Speaking for myself, I don't think I thoroughly stopped to focus, as a believer, on the true meaning of this season.
So what is it that we mean when we say "Thanksgiving?" Is this just a day to be more deeply focused on our family time, our possessions, our lot in life, or what? What does our Maker and Creator say about all this? Let's explore a bit and see if we can learn more about the true nature of this season of appreciation.
I came across a little story that I would like to share with you today.
One afternoon a shopper at the local mall felt the need
for a coffee break. She bought herself a little bag of
cookies and put them in her shopping bag. She then got in
line Starbucks for coffee, found a place to sit at one of the
crowded tables, and then taking the lid off her coffee and
taking out a magazine she began to sip her coffee and
read. Across the table from her a man sat reading a
newspaper.
After a minute or two she reached out and took a cookie.
As she did, the man seated across the table reached out
and took one too. This put her off, but she did not say
anything.
A few moments later she took another cookie. Once again
the man did so too. Now she was getting a bit upset, but
still she did not say anything.
After having a couple of sips of coffee she once again
took another cookie. So did the man. She was really
upset by this - especially since now only one cookie was
left. Apparently the man also realized that only one
cookie was left. Before she could say anything he took
it, broke it in half, offered half to her, and proceeded
to eat the other half himself. Then he smiled at her and,
putting the paper under his arm, rose and walked off.
Was she steamed. Her coffee break ruined, already
thinking ahead of how she would tell this offense to her
family, she folded her magazine, opened her shopping bag,
and there discovered her own unopened bag of cookies.
What was this person's first reaction to this experience? I ask myself; would mine be any different? Here, a perfect stranger appears to be casually helping himself to, what she believed, were her cookies….without so much as a "may I?"
I like this story - mostly because it makes me think about how well God treats us even when we are not thinking all that much about him….. to me, God's grace and kindness are exemplified in the manner that this perfect stranger generously and silently treated his table partner that day……
It also serves to prompt me… how, many times, I don't really appreciate what I have or act like I know where the blessings in my life have ultimately come from…. let alone WHO they have come from. It serves as a kind of reminder to me - just like that reminder Moses delivered to the Israelites, during the final months of his life, in Chapter 8 of Deuteronomy.
"For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.
Take heed lest you forget the LORD your God, by not keeping his commandments and his ordinances and his statutes, which I command you this day: lest, when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth; that he may confirm his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as at this day."
Chapter eight of Deuteronomy is really one of my favorite chapters of the Old Testament. It speaks so well of what we all know somewhere in our hearts, but often seem to forget in our actions and our attitudes.
In this passage, Moses, first tells the people of Israel how they will
prosper in the Promised Land that they are about to enter. How,
after so many years of slavery and then years of wandering in the
wilderness, they will now eat their fill, .. have fine houses and
large herds, and that their silver and gold will multiply. But, recall again that Moses then says:
Do not say to yourself, "my power and the might of my own
hand have gotten me this wealth." But remember the Lord
your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth,
so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your
ancestors, and as he swearing to you today."
This passage speaks of how everything we have is a gift from God, a gift worked upon by our hands, and a gift perhaps even enhanced by our own earthly wisdom and strengths, but a gift none-the -less.
If only I could remember this most of the time. I think it would make my life so much easier, and it would bless those around me, and it would be a blessing to my Creator.
Perhaps you read, some time ago, where famous people all over the world were polled by a magazine which asked them the question - "if you could be granted one wish that will come true right now - what would that be?"
There were all the usual responses you would expect. But among those, were some very interesting responses - and one response stood out from all the others. That response was this -
"I wish that I could be given a greater ability to appreciate all
that I already have."
It wasn't: "I wish that I could be a famous movie star", or "I wish that I could have a new car, or "I wish that My stock would appreciate faster, or "I wish that I could win the lottery".
What do you think would happen if each one of us became a more thankful person … if all of us suddenly became a more appreciative people?
In my case, I know that my wife, Terry, would be very happy if I expressed my appreciation to her a little bit more than I do. I know that because she tells me so whenever I am apparently forgetting who she is and what she does for me.
All of us like to be appreciated; all of us like to be thanked, and all of us, I believe, would like to see those we love and care for live thankful, appreciative, and therefore happier lives.
And so, I would ask you -- as I ask myself:
Where do you believe that your sense of thankfulness is right now?
How complete is it?
How deep does it run in your life?
Reflect for a moment. What has God provided for you? For me? What has he, through His incredible grace and power enabled in our lives?
We have a lot to be thankful for. Things that run the gamut from simple, mundane things, like the clothes on our backs that keep us warm, to more important things like the food in our pantrys that keeps us fed, and the secure homes we live in, to vital and irreplaceable things like our families. In this country we are blessed with a wealth of material and political blessings that people in some other countries can only dream of. By third world standards even the poor in America are well off. And we take for granted liberties that are only dreamed of in some places. And we are healthy enough to gather here and for that we give thanks.
1 Thessalonians, 5:18 says:
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
and in Ephesians, chapter five, where Paul is telling new Christians how they should live, he says:
"Give thanks to God the Father at all times and for
everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
To me, the word of God is clear in this matter:
1. Give thanks in all circumstances.
2. Give thanks for everything.
3. Give thanks at all times.
This is a step beyond remembering God and thanking Him for all the wealth that we enjoy in this our promised land.
This is a step beyond remembering God and obeying his commands, because he has given us fine houses and filled our bellies.
This is even a step beyond thanking God, as the leper thanked Him, for healing him through Jesus of his disease on that old border road to Galilee.
This is what might be called- "thanks living" - and it is demanding - but it is rewarding!
I can say it is demanding - because when I am feeling stressed and am struggIing, I find it difficult to fulfil the word in Philippians 4:6 that says:
"Do not worry about anything, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be made known to God."
Or in Psalm 95, where it says:
"O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation
Let us come before His presence with Thanksgiving".
So…. What is it that gets in the way of us showing our gratitude to God and others? in my case, it's my own weakness and propensity towards anger and self-pity in difficult or trying circumstances that makes me focus inward, on myself, instead of outward towards God and others in my life.
It's easier when things are rosy, but when I am feeling struck down by some affliction or I'm angry at someone for doing something that seems to me to be thoughtless; or I'm upset at my life situation, I have real difficulty feeling grateful to God for the circumstances I am in.
Instead of wanting to praise God - or to pray to him about the situation with thanksgiving,
- I want to feel sorry for myself and the troubles I'm having
- I get angry at my situation and blame others; shutting God out of my thoughts.
How about you?.......
Do you have a faith that is thankful in everything?
It's something to think about. Especially it when you consider the amazing power of thanksgiving and how not only are we blessed or rewarded for it, but so is God and all those around us.
Most of us have had the delightful experience of praising a small child
For something they did, and then watching their reaction. Isn't it great to watch the transformation that comes over their faces when we thank them for something as simple as clearing the dishes or when we praise them for something as normal as being kind to other children.
Just watch them; they beam, they light up the room, and we, who may have simply praised or thanked them because it is the right thing to do, suddenly feel one hundred percent better than we did just a minute earlier. Inwardly, we feel better about them, better about ourselves, and better about the world in general.
Giving thanks blesses the person who is thanked and it transforms the person who gives thanks. It works the same way everywhere, with everyone, even with God -- when we remember to give thanks, and when we give it sincerely.
When we forget - hard things get harder…..
As I mentioned a minute ago, when we allow the situation we are in to swallow us up and in doing so, block out all thought of God's power and goodness; When we begin to think we have earned and deserve all the good things we have; and when we forget that God is able to help us in the midst of all the bad things that occur, well….. life becomes empty, and true virtue and satisfaction in our daily walk become a lot harder to find.
God wants us to celebrate his love. God wants us to give thanks at all times, in every circumstance, and for everything.
He doesn't want this because he is greedy for praise.
He doesn't want it so that he will feel better about himself.
He wants it because He knows that it will bless us
- and because it will bless the world and those around us.
He wants us to remember what He has done for us and given to us
- so that we don't grow arrogant or egotistical when we are prospering.
He wants us to remember and give thanks to him, and to those around us
- so that our lives will be full of light and hope and so our actions can be full of tenderness and of love, and of THANKSGIVING.
Praise be to God, this day and always, and thanksgiving to Him for his many blessings in our lives!
Thank you for listening and have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!
Amen.
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