Thanksgiving

Colossians 2: 6-7 “6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” NLT

A quick internet search and you can find several Scripture references that are tied to the concept of thanksgiving. We see in the book of Revelation that heaven is a place in which all beings give praise and thanksgiving to a good God. Revelation 7: 11-12 “11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. 12 They sang, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

If praising God with thanksgiving is good enough for eternity, how great could it make our lives here on earth? In an article from the Mayo Clinic I found that gratitude and thanksgiving can be powerful for our health. “Expressing gratitude is associated with a host of mental and physical benefits. Studies have shown that feeling thankful can improve sleep, mood and immunity. Gratitude can decrease depression, anxiety, difficulties with chronic pain and risk of disease.”

Thanksgiving is not just a day in November where we celebrate the Indians and Pilgrims coming together for a moment of peace and a meal. Thanksgiving literally means that you are giving gratitude to someone or something that is worthy of goodness. Our God is definitely worthy of our gratitude.

As we walk through the month of November, leading into the Christmas holiday, let us realize that we are indeed followers of a God who loves us, who has given us every good gift, and is worthy of our gratitude. Let us not forget what the Psalmist says in Psalm 95: 1-2, “1 Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.” I am prayerful and hopeful that our month of cultivating gratitude will improve our spiritual lives, as well as our physical lives!
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- Pastor Mike