Thankfulness and Thanksgiving go hand in hand. It may seem redundant to say that, but in our society we often associate the fourth Thursday in November with time off work, eating, and even family time. All of which are necessary and a blessing to us. Thanksgiving didn’t begin with the Pilgrims after that first harvest. They were expressing what every believer has experienced in recognizing the marvelous bounty that God has provided. It begins in knowing the greatness of His Love in providing eternal Salvation in His Son Jesus Christ. Without that our thankfulness would be shallow and temporary. To know the Love of God is to know Him in His completeness. He has created each of us for a reason and purpose according to His perfect will.
May Thanksgiving not be just a day for you, but a season that lasts 365 days. Thanksgiving is a condition of heart, that bursts out into the world we live in on Thanksgiving Day. It is such a blessing to live in a country that uses the title of Thanksgiving Day. As you count your blessing, remember that it begins with a Heavenly Father that loves you and is willing and able to provide what the Epistle writer, James, wrote: ” Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. ” James 1: 17 & 18.
One of the great blessings we have is the memory of those that have loved us. God established that first and foremost in Christ Jesus. I am thankful for the memories of the many fellow believers that have passed on to glory. God’s love, shed abroad by human hearts, is a precious gift. It is not temporary! It is the reflection of our Eternal God. In the last few months we have seen two special “ordinary” loved one pass on. In July Ruth Alcantara and this month Ida Kumma. They may not have been a vocal part of our congregation, but there was no doubt where their hope rested. They expressed their love in the way that God gave them. It was sufficient and a blessing to so many including me. A smile or a simple handshake and greeting of “God’s Peace” expresses more than many words sometimes.
As you reflect on the many blessing this Thanksgiving, reflect on how everything flows through the God that has created you and all things. His peace begins and ends in Jesus Christ and is our supply every day.
Pastor Stan
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