As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, let us be reminded in our hearts to give thanks to our God.

By Greg Holt

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed by they name.  Forgive us Lord as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.  Remind us to be ever thankful, appreciative of your eternal goodness to those who call upon your great name.  We are the children of God, the Remnant Church, the faithful of the Lord.  Amen.

The Bible says much about thanksgiving, we are to continually give thanks to God

¹⁶ Rejoice evermore. ¹⁷ Pray without ceasing. ¹⁸ In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this year, let us be reminded in our hearts to give thanks to our God, who raised us up from being slaves to evil, forgave our sins, and gave us a place at His side forever more.

Thanksgiving should be so much more than a meal, or worse an excuse to get drunk and party. We should be – thankful.

Be thankful even for the little things in life:

I have food in my stomach today, the car started, I made it home safely, and the furnace turned on.  I have my family, my faith, My God, a job, a place to call home, abilities and talents that God gave me.  There are so many things to be thankful for!

Keep the faith

⁶ As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: ⁷ rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.  Colossians 2:6-7

No one is perfect of course least of all me.  But we ought to remember our root, Jesus Christ.  The Lord of Glory has won the battle, we need to simply be obedient and follow Him remembering that our strength comes from the Lord.  Spend time in His Word daily, the backbone of our faith, and a wealth of encouragement.  Worship and praise God – you will find that when doing so, your problems become easier to manage.

Remember what the Lord did for us

⁶who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷ but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸ and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:6-8

Most people just don’t want to be told what to do.  Most people are not naturally humble either, nor are we as a rule always thankful.  Especially when life throws us a curveball.

Four years ago, my 24-year-old son passed away.  Yet I have reasons to be thankful each day – so do you.

Jesus left Heaven, the very Creator of earth, and of us, to come to this earth as a baby.  He grew up, and ultimately suffered a horrible beyond imagining death on the cross.  Jesus is God, He is perfect, He created everything we see and do not see, He created us, He has control over all things.  Yet He suffered a brutal agonizing death for our benefit.  If Jesus can do this – we can be thankful despite circumstance.

Be thankful for death

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

Be thankful for death, are you nuts?  No, actually I’m not.  Be thankful that your old man or woman died, in order to make way for the new man or woman.  The one that knows God and is forgiven by Him.

Be thankful you are adopted

¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³ which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13

We were all born; made in God’s image.  When we chose to accept God’s calling to us, we became so much more than that.  When we say yes to Jesus, our sinful self, our very being that was born in bondage to sin, dies.  We are reborn as a new creation, no longer a slave to sin.

You were born in His image, and then you were reborn in and through His Spirit.  Then the Lord adopts us as His own children!  WOW!

In a moment, through a choice, we move from being evil, an enemy of God the same as Satan – to being a forgiven son or daughter with all the rights and privileges thereof.
Be thankful!

Do all in and through the Father being thankful at all times

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Colossians 3:17

We are to do all things in and through Jesus Christ and the Father.  We represent Him in all we do, and all that we say.  A pretty heady responsibility and one that I personally fail in often.  But we must keep trying.  To fail, you need only to stop trying.  Keep moving forward, keep praying, keep forgiving and giving – even when (especially when) you do not feel like it.

Remember this Thanksgiving and every other day as well – what the Lord has done for us.  Worship Him and give Him your thanks, every day.  Do not let a day go by without thanking Him.