GIVE THANKS

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High. Psalm 7:17

I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1

I will give You thanks, for You answered me; You have become my salvation. Psalm 118:21

I always thank my God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:4

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. Revelation 11:17

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you. Psalm 35:18

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Today, we celebrate Thanksgiving in America, a great holiday where families gather together to enjoy three “f” words: food, fellowship, and, of course, football. All these things come to mind when we think about this special day on our annual calendars but there is one name that rarely does: William Bradford.

You see, long before our nation sought freedom from British rule, a group of British men and women, devout believers in God and His Son Jesus Christ, sailed across the Atlantic to seek religious freedom and the chance to bring the gospel of salvation to those who had never heard of Jesus. They were missionaries in the truest sense, willing to go where the Lord was leading them to carry out His work. We know them today as Pilgrims but they were also known as Puritans because of their Christian fervor and strong inclination toward righteousness and purity in the faith.

Sailing aboard the ship named Mayflower, William Bradford was one of the pilgrims who made the journey, one that was harsh and saw many people never make it to the new land which would be America. Once landing and establishing a colony which was named Plymouth, William Bradford would become governor of the colony and wrote the following words which became a foundation for the annual  expression of thanksgiving within the colony and the advent of a holiday celebration we still take part in today:

“May not and ought not the children of these fathers rightly say: "Our fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness but they cried unto the Lord, and He heard their voice, and looked on their adversity. Let them therefore praise the Lord, because He is good, and His mercies endure forever. Yea, let them which have been redeemed of the Lord, shew how He hath delivered them from the hand of the oppressor. When they wandered in the desert wilderness out of the way, and found no city to dwell in, both hungry, and thirsty, their soul was overwhelmed in them. Let them confess before the Lord His loving kindness, and His wonderful works before the sons of men.” William Bradford

His words were wonderful words of praise to the God who had delivered them through many hardships and allowed them to safely settle in the new land He had brought them to. In doing so, God had continued to show His people deliverance just as He had done so many times in the holy scriptures. For that, there was only one proper response and that was to give thanks.

Look at the scriptures and you will find that this response was one found over and over again. God’s people surely had so many reasons to give thanks to Him such as:

1. Thanks for His enduring goodness and love.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

2. Thanks for His righteousness for everything God does is perfectly right.

I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High. Psalm 7:17

3. Thanks for the wonderful and amazing things He does.

I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1

4. Thanks for His gift of salvation.

I will give You thanks, for You answered me; You have become my salvation. Psalm 118:21

5. Thanks for His grace.

I always thank my God for you because of His grace given you in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:4

6. Thanks for the victory He brings through Jesus Christ.

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

7. Thanks for His awesome power and authority over His people as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. Revelation 11:17

The list could go on and on and on but the point has been made.

Thanksgiving is a time to gather together as family and enjoy food, fellowship, and even a little football but we cannot allow ourselves to get so caught up in all these trappings that we forget what this holiday is truly all about. We can’t lose sight why William Bradford and other pilgrims who came to this world celebrated this day in the first place.

For at the very root of Thanksgiving is the matter of giving thanks, thanks for all that God has done for us through our lives to include providing us a way to live with Him forever through His Son Jesus Christ.

Today and every day, give thanks. Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Give thanks no matter the setting, whether one-on-one with someone or in the great assembly or among the throngs (Psalm 35:18). Enter everywhere God takes you with thanksgiving and praise, lifting up and glorifying His precious and holy name.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all from The Christian Walk and know I not only give thanks to God through Jesus Christ for all He has done for me but give thanks for all of you as well.

Blessings to you always.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com