In honor of this Thanksgiving weekend, I have some words on Thanksgiving and praise to share with you today. Someone once said, “If you can’t be satisfied with what you have received, be thankful for what you have escaped.” Or you may want to look at it like this. “Compare what you want with what you have and you’ll be unhappy. Compare what you deserve with what you have and you’ll be happy.”
Every day should be Thanksgiving Day, so why has one day in the year been designated specifically as “Thanksgiving Day”? Well, the pilgrims came to America to make a home in the wilderness. They came to this country looking for freedom to worship God according to the desires of their own conscience. They had their first harvest in 1621. So, at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in the fall of 1621, a little handful of devoted people, in the midst of many perils and great hardships, set apart a day for thanksgiving to God. And on that day, they feasted and gave thanks. President Lincoln appointed the last Thursday of November, 1864, as Thanksgiving Day. Now the Thanksgiving Day tradition is firmly established in America.
Every person who has a grateful heart should devoutly thank God, take stock, and count his blessings. Actually, Thanksgiving Day should simply get us in the mood and in the spirit to be thankful throughout the entire year. In fact, David the psalmist wrote in Psalm 34:1 “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Again in Psalm 35:28 he said “And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.”
We spend a huge amount of our time wishing for things that don’t really matter; hoping for things that aren’t important, and frustrated about stuff we don’t have yet. Folks, let’s make a choice instead to spend our energy reflecting on the things that God has done and is doing in our lives.
See, when we live in such a bountiful land like we do, even the poorest among us are richer than 90% of the world. And when we live life so rushed, we tend to not reflect on the ordinary everyday blessings from God:
-A hug from your kids going out the door to school
-A car that starts most of the time
-A bed to sleep in every night
-A furnace to warm us up this time of the year
-A cup of water any time we want it
So often we take this stuff for granted, don’t we? Take a minute today and move beyond the daily grind of life. Make a choice to reflect on what God is doing, and when you do, be thankful!
How important is praising the Lord? The word praise appears 248 times in 216 verses in the Bible. God has given you many ways to praise Him. Don’t let the rocks do your praising but be willing and glad to give praise unto the name of Jesus.
Here’s some scripture about praising the Lord:
Who shall praise?
“Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.”
Where?
“I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.”
Why?
“The Lord in my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with song will I praise Him. I will praise thee: for thou has heard me, and art become my salvation.”
When?
“Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honor all the day.”
How?
“My mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud voice. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.”
Does God want your praise? Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
I hope that you’ve had a blessed Thanksgiving weekend. Remember to always reflect on God’s many blessings in your life and give Him the praise he is due.
