The Thanksgiving Gateway

Offering thanksgiving at all levels is great, but don’t stop there.

I think of Thanksgiving as a “gateway” attitude.  Being grateful implies something very precious to God: Humility.  Indeed, Micah 6:8 reveals that you are to “walk humbly with your God.”  It’s the polar opposite of something God hates, as He tells us in Proverbs 6:17: Haughty eyes, otherwise known as pride.

Humility leads to submission.  Submission leads to obedience, following His ways, His will, His word, His commandments.  Blessings naturally follow.  And it all flows out of a heart filled with gratitude.

So this Thanksgiving, be thankful for all you have.  Be grateful regardless of circumstances, in times of plenty and during trials.  Praise God for all He’s done; praise Him for who He IS.  It’s a formula that can’t lose!

From Praise to Worship

What’s the difference between praise and worship?  Quite a lot, actually.

It’s not about what God gives, for which we come to Him with thanksgiving and gratefulness.  It’s not even about what God does, for which we offer praise.  There’s a fourth level . . . the HIGHEST level . . .  about who God IS.

In Jeremiah 10:6, we read, “No one is like you oh Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power.”  That’s just one of many scriptures worshiping God.  “How great you are, Lord; how amazing you are!”  We’re not used to that, are we?  It’s easier to thank Him for all the blessings than for His very being.

So let me suggest this Thanksgiving season you don’t stop your prayers short.  Thanksgiving, Gratefulness, Praise?  Yes, of course, but lace those prayers with plenty of Worship!

Praise God for What He’s Done

During this season of Thanksgiving, do you praise God for what you have . . . or for what He’s done?

Thanksgiving comes in multiple levels: Simple thankfulness for the things you have, gratefulness even in the face of trials, and then . . . PRAISE . . . Praise for what God has actually done.

Remember when the children of Israel faced the Red Sea, which God miraculously parted?  Beyond ensuring their safe passage, the Lord then inundated Pharaoh and his armies.  Miriam led the people in a song in Exodus 15:21, in which she exalts God by detailing the great things He’s done.

What about you friend?  Think of the little things He’s done in your life.  More importantly, reflect often on the BIG thing: Sending Jesus to give you His righteousness and bear your sins . . . so you will enter His heaven.

Thanksgiving in Multiple Levels

With Thanksgiving almost upon us, we’d do well to fully understand all its dimensions.

Think of Thanksgiving as a concept in multiple levels.  The first level is simple thankfulness for all you have: a home, family, nutritious food to eat, clean water to drink . . . even air to breathe! There’s nothing wrong with that kind of gratitude.  It shows you take nothing for granted and don’t live with an entitlement mentality.  But I consider it only a starting point.

It’s easy to be thankful for all the good things in life, but what about the BAD?  That requires the next level of Thanksgiving . . . that is GRATEFULNESS . . . thanking God when you either don’t have a lot of the good, or when you have too much of the bad.

That, my friends, is where real faith comes in.  And we should aspire to nothing less!

No Sin Too Big

Is there any sin too big for the grace of Christ?

Suppose all of us were to write up all of our sins right now.  Not a very pleasant thought, I know.  But if we put them all together we’re sure to think, whoa, we’re a pretty bad group.

Even still, not a single one of those sins, or all of them together (with the exception of the unpardonable sin), are beyond the grace of Christ.  A new kingdom has broken into this fallen world!  John 3:17 assures believers that, “God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.”

That’s the essence of the Gospel, which means literally GOOD NEWS.  We have the privilege of bringing it to others . . . a message full of hope.  So what are you waiting for?  Spread that truth today!

Faith in Whom?

It’s not just about having faith . . . it’s about having faith in the right Person!

In Matthew 9:22, Jesus tells the hemorrhaging woman who has touched the hem of His garment, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has healed you.”  But He wasn’t talking about faith generally; He meant faith in Him, specifically.  And that’s important for us to remember, as well.

This world is constantly demanding we have faith in almost everything else: Faith in so-called settled science, faith in experts, faith in political ideologies, and in all manner of man-made philosophies.

But instead, Christians are called to have faith in God through Jesus Christ, alone.  Such real faith unleashes the Holy Spirit, who does amazing things.  And with such true faith, we should be filled.

In fact, pray that God would make you faith-filled, and would raise up leaders in the same way.