As we approach Thanksgiving the first things that come to mind are my salvation, my husband, my family and my church family. We are given so much more. Most important is that we remember, It All Begins With Jesus!
If it weren’t for Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross—saving us from sin and the power of death and giving eternal life to all who receive Him—nothing else would matter. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
God’s presence:
“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)
God’s peace:
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
God’s provision:
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) and,
“I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.” (Psalm 37:25)
God’s protection:
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire,
You shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.” (Isaiah 43:2)
Let me add one more reflection:
Thankfulness is a conscious response that comes from looking beyond our blessings to their source. As Christians, we have been forgiven, saved from death, and adopted as God‘s children.
There can be no better reason for a grateful heart!
Debbie Fergus loves Jesus with all her heart and serves Him with a deep, unwavering passion wherever He leads. She is blessed with a loving, faithful, and wonderful husband. Together, they make their home in Mesquite, NV, where they enjoy spending time with their three children and four grandchildren.
Image by Wallpaper Safari
We Serve God through our gratitude. One of my favorite stories in the Bible is that of Hannah, Samuel’s mom (see I Samuel 1:1—2:10). Her gratitude for giving birth to Samuel after having been unable to have children has always been a reminder to me of what genuine and earnest gratitude looks like.
Hannah doesn’t just say, “Thank you, God, for giving me a child” and move on. She instead goes on to give a long poem of deep gratitude that goes well beyond her difficulty. She praises God for His infinite love, mercy, and care for those in need and for the destruction of evil. She says, “There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.” To me, it seems that her healing and gratitude gave her a much deeper understanding of God. She realized that this wasn’t just about her but about God’s ever-presence and His all-power over everything around her.
I see Hannah’s obedience and gratitude as ways of serving God. It can be easy to think of serving God as needing to be a giant gesture or sacrifice, but I feel this is a very limited way of thinking about it. Gratitude is acknowledging that God is present and evident in our lives, and this is an effective way to serve Him. While gratitude, which the Bible often calls thanksgiving, can sometimes feel like a small act, it is actually a powerful affirmation that God exists and is almighty.
Your Friend- His servant,
Isaac Otieno
Very well put! Thanks for the great insight!
This was very good! We should always give thanks to the Lord!
Amen, Dear! And thank you for your support.
Thank you Debbie. As the Bible says all things give thanks for this as God’s will for us in Christ Jesus. I pray you have a great Thanksgiving, take care and God bless.
Absolutely. You and your family have a great Thanksgiving as well. God bless.