What Will You Give Thanks For?

A THANKSGIVING MEDITATION
What Will You Give Thanks For?

“Know that the Lord He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” Psalm 100:3-4 NKJV

What are people giving thanks for these days? Every Thanksgiving Day, a New Jersey newspaper publishes a survey in which people on the street, from banker to cab driver, are asked to report what they are most thankful for. Consistent with previous years, the mention of family, friends and health tops the list.

But recently a new category emerged in which respondents gave thanks for things that didn’t happen to them – such as not being vandalized, not being allergic to chocolate, and not losing too much money gambling at the Atlantic City casinos! Only one respondent gave thanks for anything that benefited others. And the closest anyone came to mentioning God was the local leader of a world-wide cult, who was most thankful for the freedom of religion!

What is a God-centered response to the question of giving thanks? The answer can be found in the above verses. Do you know God as your Creator? Have you become one of His people by accepting His Son as your Savior? Are you living under the Shepherd’s watchful eye as a sheep in His pasture, instead of straying off to graze in the world where the wolf lurks? Do you gather regularly with His people, within His gates to praise and worship Him?

If you can answer “yes” to these questions, you truly have much to give thanks for. If you can’t say “yes,” give thanks anyway, because God has just confronted you with some life-changing questions. Begin answering them by reading the Bible and letting God’s Word lead you into a greater understanding of who He is, what He has done for you, what He desires from you and that He is always there for you. When this happens, He will then become the focal point of your thanksgiving, not just for Thanksgiving Day, but for all eternity.

By Larry Ondrejack