“Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.” (Psalm 145:4–7 NLT)

 

It seems as though merchants today don’t really know what to do with this holiday called Thanksgiving. When it comes to other observances, such as the Fourth of July and Halloween, they make a lot of money from their marketing efforts. And, of course, Christmas is a financial windfall. But Thanksgiving? Aside from selling more turkeys and cranberry dressing than they normally do, there’s nothing that makes the holiday especially important from a retailer’s perspective.

Merchants have had more than 160 years to get it right. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln designated November 26 as a day of national Thanksgiving. Our nation celebrated it annually on that day until 1942, when President Franklin Roosevelt designated Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November.

And that’s just the official government designation. The celebration of Thanksgiving on this continent stretches back at least another 250-plus years to 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia. And just so we aren’t fuzzy about which God we should give thanks to, this is what the pilgrims wrote in the Mayflower Compact in 1620: “We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign lord King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc. Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia. . . .”

They were not just coming to our fair shores to simply bring European civilization; they were coming to bring the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s very easy during our feasting to forget about the One whom we are celebrating. Yet His goodness is what makes it possible for us to celebrate.

The Bible writers celebrated God’s goodness. First Chronicles 16:34 says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever” (NLT). And Psalm 145:4–7 says, “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness” (NLT).

The primary reason we are put on this earth is to glorify God and to give Him thanks. The Bible doesn’t say to give thanks to the Lord because we feel good. Rather, it says, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever!” (1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT).

We give thanks to God because He is worthy of our praise. God makes it easy for us by giving us so much to be thankful for.

 

Reflection question: What will you praise God for on this Thanksgiving Day?

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