Read: Psalms 103:1-5, 13, 22
For most people, Thanksgiving just another holiday. Some will stay home and relax, others will go back home (if home is somewhere else) and visit their family and old friends, and many will be working and wishing they didn’t have to. To the average Canadian or American, Thanksgiving is or represents a day off: good food—maybe a turkey—family gatherings, drinking, partying, football, and so on.
Most North Americans believe that Thanksgiving was started by European pilgrims who came to America and started the tradition of Thanksgiving. The truth is that “thanksgiving” originated at creation. It was a time set aside to worship and thank God. But this basic act of thanksgiving has been all but forgotten.
In Psalm 103:2 we read, “Praise the Lord, O my Soul; and forget not all His benefits.” Why would David need to remind himself to thank God? How could anyone forget God’s benefits and not be thankful for all the things received? And yet David stirred up his soul to be grateful and give praise to God. He examined himself and found he was not as thankful as he should be, and he was distressed over his lack of thankfulness.
He may have thought, “What is wrong with me? Why am I so slow to be thankful?” Why did David exhort himself to praise God? He may have been going through great trials. He may have experienced some great loss. He may have been betrayed by people he trusted. He may have simply become complacent and self-satisfied, and life had become a routine for him. Perhaps he had taken God for granted.
So David started counting his blessings (verses 3-5). The first and most important was forgiveness of sins. That is the reason Jesus Christ came into the world. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 we read: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
Have you been forgiven through faith in Christ? Romans 3:23 says: “We all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God.”
Next, David thanked God for the healing of diseases. God is the source of all healing. He is the reason we are alive today.
Then he thanked God for redeeming his life from destruction, for rescuing him and protecting him from danger. He thanked God for His love and compassion and for all the good things He gives.
We should be thankful no matter what. You may have been or still are desperate about problems that have not been resolved yet. You may feel that God has not heard your prayers, and now you find it difficult to pray and thank Him.
Remember David. He prayed and thanked God for everything. God has been good to us and we should give thanks.
Of course, we are so attached to the physical that we choose the things that give momentary pleasure rather than the important things that build our spiritual character and faith.
We often forget of God’s blessings, because we did not get what we wanted. We tend to be more impressed with money in the bank than with peace in the heart.
How should we observe Thanksgiving? Just remember that an attitude of thanksgiving brings happiness if you:
- ¨ Count your blessings, instead of your crosses;
- ¨ Count your gains, instead of your losses;
- ¨ Count your joys, instead of your sorrows;
- ¨ Count your friends, instead of your enemies;
- ¨ Count your smiles, instead of your tears;
- ¨ Count your courage, instead of your fears;
- ¨ Count your good years, instead of your bad years;
- ¨ Count your health, instead of your wealth;
- ¨ Count on God, instead of yourself.
We are alive today and we should be thankful. God has brought us safely to this day. Let us praise His name and be thankful for everything God has done for us!
Pastor Joseph Hovsepian