Love-motivated Thanksgiving

Psalm 95:1-7 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving (Psalm 95:2).

Thanksgiving Day falls on the last Thursday of November. It’s a day we give God praise for the bountiful blessings He’s provided us. Something we learn  in our walk with God is the importance of considering “quality” in our living. There are three things we should consider about the quality of thanksgiving: God desires it; we require it; others never get tired of it. God desires our thanksgiving because He created us for a love relationship with Him.  Thanksgiving is a way of saying, “Lord, I love You, not just for all Your blessings, but for who You are.” The most daring decision God ever made was to create us with free will. He knew we could misuse the gift and choose not to love Him. Adam’s choice confirms that danger. But when mankind made that tragic choice, He did not give up on us. He came in Christ to love and forgive us and make us new creatures who could respond to His love and allow Him to love them to the absolute MAX. Thank God for His love! We require thanksgiving. It is a profound confession of faith, when you stop and think about it. We’ve heard it said: It’s a sorry and frustrated atheist, who receives a ‘good thing’ in his life but doesn’t know who to thank for it! Thanksgiving breaks the illusion that we can run our own lives and be sufficient by ourselves. We can’t; we need God’s guiding hand in the things we do. Today we humble ourselves before God and praise Him for all we have and are. Other people never get tired of our expression of thanks. Just as thanksgiving is the secret of a true relationship with God, so too expressing gratitude to the people of our lives communicates how much they mean to us. Scripture affirms time and again that “two are better than one,” that “a cord of three strands is not easily broken,” that “as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” We not only need one another, but it’s wonderful to be able to express appreciation to those around us for being a part of helping us become what God wants us to be. And best of all is the expression, “Thanks for being you!” Each day, and especially throughout this Thanksgiving season, it’s a special time to love the Lord, to renew our commitment to Him, and to allow our gratitude to spill over in deep appreciation for the people of our lives. Won’t you be sure that they know it?

“Thanksgiving is the overflowing of a heart filled with love.”