Thanksgiving

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?" Luke 17:15-17  NKJV

Jesus had cleansed ten hopelessly afflicted lepers.  Nine went out rejoicing in their blessing and one came back to thank Jesus.

That ratio is pretty accurate for too many people.

A day of thanksgiving was established in 1621 by Governor Bradford of Plymouth Colony.  It was a day set aside for thanksgiving to God for His blessings on the people.  The people of that day must have approved of his action for he was re-elected 30 times.

It was declared a National Holiday (for the same reason) in1863 by President Lincoln. 

This is Thanksgiving Day again and many will be enjoying their blessings but neglect to thank the Giver of blessings.

We still celebrate the day but now, many have yielded, once again, to the "loud voices" (Luke 23:23) of a, (the Name offends me) minority and the day is celebrated but the reason will not be mentioned.  Like Christmas and Easter the day will  be celebrated but, the One who is the reason for the celebration will be ignored.  The blessings will be accepted but the provider will not be acknowledged.

An aggravation, to me, is to hear people say, "Have a happy turkey day!"  It is a special day for giving thanks to "Ye Almighty God"  not "turkey day."  Hearing someone call Thanksgiving turkey day affects me somewhat like hearing someone scrape their fingernail across the blackboard.  But like the nine lepers, much of the world will accept God's blessings but give God no credit or thanks.

As someone once said, "We walk to a different drumbeat!"  The Psalmist had it right.  Ps. 100:4 "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.  Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."

The Pilgrims enjoyed a meal together in thanksgiving to God for the provisions and I suppose it is likely that they cooked a turkey, but the reason they braved the voyage across the Atlantic in those tiny sailing ships, to an unknown land was for the privilege and the blessing to worship God openly.

Not everyone in today's world can worship God openly and we who can should never cease to thank God for the privilege.

   (Pastor Bill Cummings' Thoughts, Sheridan, WY, Nov.24,2011, drbc@bresnan.net)