There is a movement afoot in our country to diminish the importance of Thanksgiving Day. Abraham Lincoln was wise enough to declare this day a national holiday during his tenure as our country's 16th president.
Why is it important to have a recognized day of thanksgiving? I believe it is important to remind ourselves as a nation and as a body of believers of the apostle Paul's words in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (The Message version).
"Be cheerful no matter what;
Pray all the time;
Thank God no matter what happens.
This is the way God wants those of you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
Don't suppress the Holy Spirit and don't stifle those who have a word from the Master.
On the other hand, don't be gullible.
Check out everything and keep only what's good.
Throw out anything tainted with evil."
I'm writing this blog entry the day before Thanksgiving, because later today I'm traveling to my mother's house; and, I know time to blog tomorrow morning will be scant. I was only going to blog about verses 16-18. However, while sitting and blogging, I got an early morning phone call. It was from a friend of mine; our sons are friends, and she gave me some disturbing news. Her phone call was a "word from the Master". Sometimes, He speaks to us through the advice and wisdom of other believers. We are cautioned to be careful, though, and to weigh these things, as Paul says, and to "keep only what is good".
In light of this phone call, I am having trouble with "being cheerful no matter what". Other versions say "rejoice always" - - - allow that joy that comes from Christ to rise up in you continually. In fact, I have trouble living out this verse on a daily basis. I hope that you don't think that, just because I blog as part of my daily devotional time, I'm some super-spiritual, got-it-all-together Believer Woman. Not at all. I have my own spiritual struggles, as does every Christ follower trying to walk resplendent.
Talking with my friend this morning, we reaffirmed the truth of verse 16 above, praying over soul-killing situations over which we have limited control.
Rejoicing during heartbreak? Being cheerful in the face of tremendous sorrow? How cray-cray is that?! The world believes that to be .... insane, really. But, look...this is how God wants Christ's followers to respond to negative circumstances. As is so much of the truth revealed in Scripture, it goes against our fleshly inclinations, is counterintuitive.
Last Sunday our church held it's annual Thanksgiving Feast. About 700 of us brought a dish and sat down to eat together. Before we ate, our worship leader led us in singing the doxology:
"Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him sinners here below.
Praise Him above, heavenly hosts.
Praise, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen."
As I sang those familiar words/tune, I watched a man singing who lost his son last month. And, my heart broke.
So, my friends, I don't know what you are struggling with today. Holidays are often the most difficult times. No matter what your struggle may be, I hope you understand that it does not mean God has forsaken you, that He loves you any less, or that your situation is hopeless. God can redeem every situation. He may not make the outcome what you would wish, but He can bring beauty out of the ashes of previous defeats.
Here's what I am going to pray about my personal struggles today, and I invite you, as is implied at the end of all my posts, to pray along with me.
Seekers, this prayer below is a prayer for believers. If you don't know Christ as Savior, then your first prayer must be to invite Him into your heart as Lord, so that you can be forever possessed by His Holy Spirit. I explore this topic in great detail in the earliest posts to this blog. I beg you to turn your life over to Him today. It is a decision you'll never regret.
Dear Loving Father, through Your Holy Spirit who lives within me, work out 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 in my life today. I affirm in this moment that You are Sovereign over all of my present circumstances. You are God, and I am not. I take all my heartbreak, fear and pain and lay them at Your feet this morning. And, I choose, I CHOOSE, Lord, to rejoice this day. I choose to praise You. I choose thankfulness, focusing on all the many blessings abundant in my life, the greatest of which is YOU, the Incomparable One, my Savior. In Jesus' name, amen.
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